# 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.

- Last checked: 2026-10-28
- 6 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/guide/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/visiting/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/llms.txt

## Kid-friendly restaurants

### 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.
- Price level: $
- Good for: Lunch during a museum morning.
- Skip if: it’s Monday; the museum is closed.
- Website: https://chrysler.org/visit/

## Indoor play and rainy days

### Norfolk Public Library (Citywide)

- Free Babygarten, Toddler Time and KinderSTEM programs at most branches, plus Artistic Storytime in Jordan-Newby’s art studio.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free weekday morning.
- Skip if: you need a Sunday plan; check the branch hours first.
- Website: https://norfolk.libcal.com/calendar

## Museums, zoos and big outings

### 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.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids 2–11 $17; adults $20; Under 2
- Hours: Closes 4pm daily; last paid admission 3pm
- Good for: A morning with a toddler who likes animals.
- Skip if: you arrive after 3pm; that’s last paid entry.
- Price source: https://virginiazoo.org/tickets/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://virginiazoo.org/tickets/

### Virginia 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.
- Price level: $$$
- Tickets: kids 5–17 $30; adults $35; Ages 0–4
- Hours: Daily 9am–5pm (last general entry 3:30pm); closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
- 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.
- Price source: https://virginiaaquarium.com/admission-information (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://virginiaaquarium.com/admission-information

### Children’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.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Wed–Sun 9am–4pm
- Good for: A rainy day with kids under 6.
- Skip if: it’s Monday or Tuesday; it’s open Wednesday to Sunday.
- Website: https://childrensmuseumvirginia.com/visit-us

### Chrysler Museum of Art (Norfolk, 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.
- Price level: Free
- Tickets: Everyone
- Hours: Tue–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; closed Mon
- Good for: A free hour with a stroller.
- Skip if: it’s Monday; it’s closed.
- Price source: https://chrysler.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://chrysler.org/visit/

## Free things to do

- Norfolk Public Library
- Chrysler Museum of Art

## Best for under 3s

- **Virginia Zoo**: Free for kids under 2.
- **Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center**: Free for ages 0–4.
- **Children’s Museum of Virginia**: Built for small kids.
- **Chrysler Museum of Art**: Free, with stroller-friendly galleries.

## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old

### Baby and lap-sit storytimes

- **Babygarten @ Janaf Library** (Norfolk Public Library): Thursdays at 10:30am · Janaf Branch Library. Songs, movement, toys and board books for babies and their grown-ups. https://norfolk.libcal.com/event/17219799
- **Babygarten @ Larchmont** (Norfolk Public Library): Thursdays at 10:30am · Larchmont Branch Library. Same Thursday 10:30 slot, in Larchmont. https://norfolk.libcal.com/event/17377955
- **Babygarten @ Pretlow** (Norfolk Public Library): Thursdays at 10:30am · Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch Library. In Ocean View. Pretlow also runs a Bring Your Baby Social Club on Tuesdays at 11:30. https://norfolk.libcal.com/event/17130844
- **Babygarten @ Slover** (Norfolk Public Library): Fridays at 10:30am · Downtown Branch at Slover. Downtown, at the Slover. https://norfolk.libcal.com/event/16920190
- **Babygarten @ BFB** (Norfolk Public Library): Fridays at 11am · Barron F. Black Branch Library. The later Friday slot, at 11. https://norfolk.libcal.com/event/17443898
- **Baby Open Play** (Virginia Beach Public Library): Thursdays at 10am · Oceanfront Area Library. Unstructured play and a chance to meet other families, ages 3 to 24 months. https://vbpl.librarymarket.com/baby-open-play-1080
- **Baby Open Play** (Virginia Beach Public Library): Fridays at 10am · TCC/City Joint-Use Library. Unstructured play for ages 3 to 24 months with a grown-up. https://vbpl.librarymarket.com/baby-open-play-999
- **Baby Open Play** (Virginia Beach Public Library): Saturdays at 10am · Great Neck Area Library. A weekend option for working parents, ages 3 to 24 months. https://vbpl.librarymarket.com/baby-open-play-956

### Babies get in free

- **Virginia Zoo**: Under 2. https://virginiazoo.org/tickets/

## Library storytimes

- **Norfolk Public Library**: Most weekday mornings. Free Babygarten, Toddler Time and KinderSTEM at branches across Norfolk. https://norfolk.libcal.com/calendar
- **Chesapeake Public Library**: Weekday mornings. Baby, toddler and family storytimes at the Chesapeake branches. https://chesapeakelibrary.libnet.info/events
- **Virginia Beach Public Library**: Weekday and Saturday mornings. Drop-in rhyme times, Just 2s storytime and Baby Open Play. https://vbpl.librarymarket.com/events/month


## Happening this week

- **Trick or Treat Carnival at Slover** (Sat 11am–3pm) at Downtown Branch at Slover. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/#e-trick_or_treat_carnival_at_slover
- **Trick or Treat at Central Library (Chesapeake)** (Sat During library hours) at Central Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/#e-trick_or_treat_at_central_library_chesap
- **Halloweekends at the Children’s Museum of Virginia** (Sat 9am–4pm) at Children’s Museum of Virginia. Included with museum admission; buy tickets in advance. https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/#e-halloweekends_at_the_childrens_museum_of
- **Zoo Tales at the Virginia Zoo** (Thu 11–11:30am) at Virginia Zoo. Free with zoo admission (adults $20, kids 2–11 $17, under 2 free). https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/#e-zoo_tales_at_the_virginia_zoo
- **Trick or Treat the Library (Major Hillard)** (Sat During library hours) at Major Hillard Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/#e-trick_or_treat_the_library_major_hillard

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Virginia Beach–Norfolk: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Virginia Beach–Norfolk for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## 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](https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/guide/#under3).

### 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](https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Hampton Roads weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/virginia-beach-norfolk/).

### 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](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### 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](https://virginiazoo.org/tickets/) on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.