Zinnia Café at the Chrysler
$Inside the Chrysler Museum
Full-service lunch inside the museum, Tuesday to Saturday 11 to 2 and Sunday noon to 2.
Good for: Lunch during a museum morning.
Skip if: it’s Monday; the museum is closed.
Report a problemGUIDE Virginia Beach–Norfolk · Hampton Roads
Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Virginia Beach–Norfolk: the parent guide.
Hampton Roads with little kids splits into two easy days: Norfolk for the zoo and the free Chrysler, and Virginia Beach for the aquarium.
Around town6 spots · checked Oct 28
The Hampton Roads places we go back to, again and again.
The places we go back to all year. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Eat
Kid-friendly restaurants
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Hampton Roads that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Play
Indoor play and rainy days
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour. For toddler classes and every indoor playground we’ve checked, with prices and sock rules, see indoor play in Hampton Roads.
Free
Norfolk Public Library
Citywide
Free Babygarten, Toddler Time and KinderSTEM programs at most branches, plus Artistic Storytime in Jordan-Newby’s art studio.
Good for: A free weekday morning.
Skip if: you need a Sunday plan; check the branch hours first.
Report a problemFeatured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Hampton Roads that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Explore
Museums, zoos and big outings
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
Virginia Zoo
$$Norfolk, 3500 Granby St.
Norfolk’s zoo next to Lafayette Park. Zoo Tales storytime runs Thursdays at 11, and Norfolk residents get $2 off each ticket with ID.
Tickets
- Kids 2–11 $17
- Adults $20
- Under 2
Good for: A morning with a toddler who likes animals.
Skip if: you arrive after 3pm; that’s last paid entry.
Closes 4pm daily · last paid admission 3pmSite ↗ for Virginia Zoo
Report a problemVirginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
$$$Virginia Beach, 717 General Booth Blvd.
Two buildings and a nature trail near the Oceanfront. Kids 4 and under are free, and parking is free from November through March.
Tickets
- Kids 5–17 $30
- Adults $35
- Ages 0–4
Good for: A rainy day with a baby or preschooler, since kids under 5 get in free.
Skip if: you arrive after 3:30pm; general admission stops then.
Daily 9am–5pm (last general entry 3:30pm) · closed Thanksgiving and Christmas DaySite ↗ for Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Report a problemChildren’s Museum of Virginia
$$Olde Towne Portsmouth, 221 High Street
A hands-on children’s museum across the Elizabeth River from downtown Norfolk. Tickets are sold online ahead of time.
Good for: A rainy day with kids under 6.
Skip if: it’s Monday or Tuesday; it’s open Wednesday to Sunday.
Wed–Sun 9am–4pmSite ↗ for Children’s Museum of Virginia
Report a problemChrysler Museum of Art
FreeNorfolk, One Memorial Place
Norfolk’s art museum, with the Perry Glass Studio next door. Admission and parking are always free, and the museum lends strollers.
Tickets
- Everyone
Good for: A free hour with a stroller.
Skip if: it’s Monday; it’s closed.
Tue–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm · closed MonSite ↗ for Chrysler Museum of Art
Report a problemFeatured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Hampton Roads that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
No ticket needed
Free things to do
Where a family can go in Hampton Roads without paying for admission. For free days, free events and this week’s free outings, see every free thing to do in Hampton Roads.
Littlest explorers
Best for under 3s
Free or cheap for babies and toddlers, and easy with a stroller.
Norfolk, 3500 Granby St.Virginia ZooFree for kids under 2.Kids $17Adults $20Under 2Virginia Beach, 717 General Booth Blvd.Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science CenterFree for ages 0–4.Kids $30Adults $35Ages 0–4Indoor
Olde Towne Portsmouth, 221 High StreetChildren’s Museum of VirginiaBuilt for small kids.IndoorNorfolk, One Memorial PlaceChrysler Museum of ArtFree, with stroller-friendly galleries.FreeIndoorEvery week
Library storytimes
Recurring and free. Times change by branch, so check the calendar. For every weekly storytime by day and branch, see library storytimes in Hampton Roads.
Most weekday morningsNorfolk Public Library
Free Babygarten, Toddler Time and KinderSTEM at branches across Norfolk.
Schedule ↗Weekday morningsChesapeake Public Library
Baby, toddler and family storytimes at the Chesapeake branches.
Schedule ↗Weekday and Saturday morningsVirginia Beach Public Library
Drop-in rhyme times, Just 2s storytime and Baby Open Play.
Schedule ↗Babies and 1-year-olds
Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old in Hampton Roads
Baby storytimes, places where babies get in free, and where to change and feed. For rainy days, see indoor play places; for zero-cost ideas, see free things to do.
Baby and lap-sit storytimes
Thursdays at 10:30am · Janaf Branch LibraryBabygarten @ Janaf Library · Norfolk Public Library
Songs, movement, toys and board books for babies and their grown-ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 10:30am · Larchmont Branch LibraryBabygarten @ Larchmont · Norfolk Public Library
Same Thursday 10:30 slot, in Larchmont.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 10:30am · Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch LibraryBabygarten @ Pretlow · Norfolk Public Library
In Ocean View. Pretlow also runs a Bring Your Baby Social Club on Tuesdays at 11:30.
Storytime calendar ↗Fridays at 10:30am · Downtown Branch at SloverBabygarten @ Slover · Norfolk Public Library
Downtown, at the Slover.
Storytime calendar ↗Fridays at 11am · Barron F. Black Branch LibraryBabygarten @ BFB · Norfolk Public Library
The later Friday slot, at 11.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 10am · Oceanfront Area LibraryBaby Open Play · Virginia Beach Public Library
Unstructured play and a chance to meet other families, ages 3 to 24 months.
Storytime calendar ↗Fridays at 10am · TCC/City Joint-Use LibraryBaby Open Play · Virginia Beach Public Library
Unstructured play for ages 3 to 24 months with a grown-up.
Storytime calendar ↗Saturdays at 10am · Great Neck Area LibraryBaby Open Play · Virginia Beach Public Library
A weekend option for working parents, ages 3 to 24 months.
Storytime calendar ↗Babies get in free
Virginia Zoo
Under 2
Admission page ↗By season
Seasonal spots
Santa visits and Christmas lights only run part of the year, so they have their own pages with this season’s dates and prices.
This week
What’s on this week in Hampton Roads
The guide is the evergreen list. Here’s what’s happening in Virginia Beach–Norfolk right now.
- Trick or Treat Carnival at SloverDowntown Branch at Slover · Free
- Trick or Treat at Central Library (Chesapeake)Central Library · Free
- Halloweekends at the Children’s Museum of VirginiaChildren’s Museum of Virginia · Included with museum admission
Good questions
Things to do with toddlers in Virginia Beach–Norfolk: the FAQ
Is Virginia Beach–Norfolk good for toddlers?
Yes. The Virginia Zoo, the Virginia Aquarium and the Children’s Museum of Virginia all work well with little kids, and the libraries in Norfolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach run free storytimes most weekdays.
What’s free for little kids around Norfolk?
The Chrysler Museum of Art is always free, the aquarium is free for ages 0–4, and the zoo is free under 2.
What can we do in Virginia Beach–Norfolk on a rainy or cold day with a toddler?
Go indoors: Norfolk Public Library. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time.
What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in Virginia Beach–Norfolk?
Virginia Zoo: Free for kids under 2. Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center: Free for ages 0–4. Children’s Museum of Virginia and Chrysler Museum of Art are also easy with a baby or toddler. See best for under 3s.
Where are the free storytimes in Virginia Beach–Norfolk?
Norfolk Public Library: Most weekday mornings. Chesapeake Public Library: Weekday mornings. Virginia Beach Public Library: Weekday and Saturday mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See library storytimes, and this week’s dated sessions are on the Hampton Roads weekly list.
How do you choose the places in the Virginia Beach–Norfolk guide?
Every one of the 6 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 3 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 28, 2026. How we choose and check.
How much is the Virginia Zoo for a toddler, and who gets in free?
Under 2; kids 2–11: $17; adults: $20. We checked this on its official site on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
Get the list every Thursday.
One short email every Thursday evening with the five things we’d leave the house for in Hampton Roads.