Family Friendly Virginia
Family-friendly isn't just a trendy buzzword in Virginia. The Commonwealth boasts truly wide-ranging family fun activities for moms, dads, kids, and everyone else to get together and spend quality vacation time.
Thrill-seekers and the young-at-heart can get their fill of adventure at world-class, coaster-packed theme parks, or cool their jets at any number of major water parks. Visitors can find fun family activities for kids of all ages. And for the more laid-back trip, relatives young and old can and experience hands on science or history at one of Virginia’s many world-renowned museums or historic sites.
Kings Dominion & Soak City
Doswell
Here you’ll find over 400 acres packed with more than 60 rides, shows and attractions for all kinds of explorers. Thrill-seekers will get their adrenaline fix with one of the East Coast’s largest collection of breath-taking roller coasters — 13 in all — including the Intimidator 305, which stretches 305 feet tall and screams at more than 90 miles per hour. Families can explore Planet Snoopy with zany shows and activities featuring Snoopy and the entire PEANUTS gang, plus 20 rides designed for families to experience together! Steel and wood combine forces to bring you the park’s newest roller coaster, Twisted Timbers. Debuted in 2018, this hybrid coaster is the first of its kind in the mid-Atlantic and uses the latest technology to bring you a ride experience impossible on a traditional wooden coaster.
Soak up the sun in the recently expanded Soak City, an adjacent, all-inclusive 20-acre water park, filled with exciting water slides, two wave pools, cabanas, an interactive splash pad for kids and more!
kingsdominion.com
Busch Gardens and Water Country USA
Williamsburg
The European setting of Busch Gardens has been voted "The World's Most Beautiful Theme Park" every year since 1990, and proves to be a delight for adults as well. But it's the rides that thrill the kids and give it another distinction, "The World's Favorite Theme Park!"
Visit England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy without the hassle of passports, customs and language barriers. Every country at Busch Gardens showcases popular foods, landmarks, gardens, shops and entertainment that put you in the middle of a particular European village. Hit the roller coasters of each country, too. Two of Busch Gardens' six coasters are rated in the Top 25 in the World!
Virginia's largest family waterpark, Water Country USA features plunging water slides, twisting flumes, a free-floating river, surf-boggans, waterfalls, caves, water curtains, lagoons and a huge Surfer's Bay with real surfing waves. Make a bee-line for Vanish Point, the drop slide that's actually four — two super loop slides and two free-fall slides!
buschgardens.com
Virginia Aquarium
Virginia Beach
One of the best aquariums in the country, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center is home to more than 10,000 animals representing 300+ species. Exhibits and hands-on experiences provide an incredible amount of fun for the whole family. Boat trips to see dolphins and whales in the Atlantic Ocean are available Wednesday–Sunday. The onsite Adventure Park also offers endless fun including an eco-friendly zipline and aerial adventure experiences.
virginiaaquarium.com
Fort Chiswell Animal Park
Wytheville
Fort Chiswell Animal Park in Wytheville is the largest zoo in Southwest and one of the most interactive zoos you’ll find in the state. Animals from six different continents call the 45 acres of pastoral beauty their home. Buffalo, antelope, goats, llamas, monkeys, wallabies, and even a giraffe are just a few of the many animals you’ll see. Take a ride through the Outback on the Safari Bus Tour (the park’s main attraction!) and you’ll get as close as you ever hoped to camels, ostriches, zebras and more!
fortchiswellanimalpark.com
Kids’ Adventure Course at Massunutten Resort
Massunutten
Kids can take to the air at Massanutten Resort. The Kids' Adventure Course, geared for ages 12 and under, packs a challenge with its burma bridge, log crossing, swinging vine bridge, net traverse, and a 100-foot zipline. If you haven’t had your fill after the adventure course, bigger kids — talking to you, dad! — can head over to the Ridge Rappel and Climbing excursion or consider signing up for an exhilarating Canopy Tour. Little ones may have more fun at Kids’ Playland, complete with inflatable bounce houses and gem mining. Check out the winter activities at Massanutten as well!
massresort.com
Canyon Rim Zipline at Breaks Interstate Park
The Canyon Rim Zipline is a one-of-a-kind adventure located in Break Interstate Park on the Virginia-Kentucky border. Spanning along the rim of the Russell Fork River Gorge, the zipline gives riders a birds-eye view and a glimpse of why the gorge is known as the “Grand Canyon of the South.” The park has highly trained guides who will assist our guests with safety tips and will make sure they have a ride of a lifetime. A maximum of eight people are allowed per trip, and each trip will take anywhere between an hour and an hour and a half. Check the website for details, minimum and maximum weights, and prices.
breakspark.com
Lewis Spring Falls Loop
Shenandoah National Park, Stanley
There’s no better way to connect your kids with nature, and take a huge breath of stress relief for yourself, than hiking in the great outdoors. Head towards Luray, and make unforgettable family memories on the Lewis Spring Falls Loop, a 3.3 mile trail that features mountaintop overlooks and waterfalls. Walk the famed Appalachian Trail, climbing to view-laden and geologically rich Blackrock Summit, a stony peak. From there, the hike passes more interesting rock features, then joins the Lewis Falls Trail, leading to a loud and dramatic cataract with its own views near and far.
Lewis Spring Falls is one of the highest elevation falls at Shenandoah National Park. A guardrail guides you the last bit to a rock-walled observation point. There, you can look down at the 81-foot falls spilling over the rock face crashing into rocks, then splashing out of sight. The distance is very doable, and the elevation changes aren’t overly much, even for the novice hiker.
After the hike, explore the other aspects of the greater Big Meadows area within Shenandoah National Park, where the hike starts, with its park lodge, visitor center, ranger station, picnic area and campground. Even take a guided horseback ride at Skyland, just a few miles down Skyline Drive.
nps.gov
Smith Mountain Lake Community Park
Moneta
About three hours south of Shenandoah National Park and the Lewis Falls Hike, you’ll find another hike worth taking, this one a little shorter, less elevation and with more play nearby. Grab your poles, swimsuits and heads towards Moneta to the Smith Mountain Lake Community Park. Take the mostly level 1.9- mile loop trail around the peninsula on Smith Mountain Lake, and explore just about every inch of the park’s shoreline, taking in the stunning views. This Franklin County park not only features aquatic views on easy woodsy trails but it also has a fishing pier, picnic area and a swim beach. Just southwest of Roanoke, SML is known for its numerous peninsulas jutting into the water, forming near islands that add up to the 600 or so miles of shoreline.
Start your hike on the pea gravel all access Picnic Point Trail, and head east toward the park’s fishing pier. Scrub pines and oaks border the wide path. After watching the anglers, boaters and perhaps having a picnic, begin a counterclockwise loop around the park. Follow a clear path coursing through prototype Piedmont woods of maple, shortleaf pine, beech and white oaks. Views extend through the trees no matter the season and a good vista is a simple matter of walking a few feet to the shoreline.
After the hike, pitch your tent or rent a cabin at nearby Smith Mountain Lake State Park. They also have additional trails and other facilities. The state park makes a great base camp for exploring the lake.
playfranklincounty.com
Explore More Discover Museum
Harrisonburg
Experience the Explore More Discovery Museum located in historic downtown Harrisonburg. Discover 15 community-inspired exhibits designed to engage young minds through interactive and multi-sensory learning for ages 2-12. Exhibits include the Discovery Tree, Art Smart, Construction Zone, Friendly City Medical Center, TV Studio, Virginia Theater, Super Service Auto Center, Down on the Farm, CK's Kitchen, the Merck Science Lab, Dynamic Airplane, Maker City and more. The museum also offers special programs and workshops, SOL-guided field trips, and birthday parties. The museum is open with free admission on the First Friday of the month from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Visit the website for seasonal hours and special events. iexploremore.com
Science Museum of Virginia
Richmond
Find everything imaginable for inquisitive kids of all ages at the Science Museum of Virginia. From permanent exhibits on wellness, innovation, and speed, to giant insects and submarines, there is something for all curious minds across the museum’s 33-acre campus. The Dome & Planetarium houses the largest screen in Virginia and puts the audience in the middle of all the action! Choose from hundreds of special events throughout the year, such as overnight adventures, talks, and summer camps.
smv.org
NASA Wallops Flight Facility
Chincoteague
The NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center offers a unique opportunity to explore the past, present, and future of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The Visitor Center features exhibits about aeronautics, orbital and sub-orbital rockets, scientific balloons, current missions, and the history of Wallops Flight Facility. In addition to exhibits, the Visitor Center also features an auditorium, an observation deck, as well as numerous free public programs, field trip opportunities, events, and group tours of the facility. The Visitor Center also serves as the viewing site for rockets that launch from Wallops Island. Located inside the Visitor Center, the Gift Shop, open seasonally, offers models, patches, games, clothing and a variety of NASA souvenirs. Admission is free, but check the website for details on openings, hours and tours.
nasa.gov
George Washington’s Estate & Gardens
Mount Vernon
Take the grand tour of Mount Vernon, George Washington's Estate and Gardens by way of the Kids' Adventure Map, a sleuth's tool to solve nine puzzles. Younger grade schoolers (up to age 8) will enjoy Hands-on History, a room dedicated to creative play with 18th century clothing and more. Older kids will enjoy the Be Washington permanent experience, where participants choose their own leadership decisions that George Washington was faced with as commander in chief or president. Children five and under are free, and the Estate is open 365 days a year.
mountvernon.org
