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| Go on a Mermaid Scavenger Hunt in Norfolk! It's free! |
Some of our fondest memories of the Virginia Beach area were made at places that cost us little or nothing.
We've listed our recommendations for a cheap family vacation by area.
(And for more travel deals--including how to save on gas, museums, hotels, and attractions, go to our Discount Travel Deals page.) For example, here's a hotel deal we've just found: Orbitz Summer Sale: SAVE up to 50% on hotels! Hurry...offer ends July 6!
Virginia Beach Area
There are so many things to do in and near Virginia Beach. Unfortunately, many of them aren't cheap or free (except the beach, of course!). For a full list of things to do at the beach, go to our Things to Do Near the Virginia Beach Oceanfront page.
If you do want to watch your pennies, here are some wonderful attractions which are free or inexpensive:
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge...and Other Great Parks
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| Photo by labelitlove © 2008 |
Want to feel like Pocahontas? Pass through Back Bay and move onto False Cape State Park for a truly secluded beach experience.
If you want a more traditional park (for a special picnic, to fly kites, or play on a fantastic, fanciful play fort) try Mount Trashmore. Mount Trashmore? Let us explain...Click here for more information about great VB area parks.
Fort Story
It's one of the hidden gems in Virginia Beach VA. This army base at the north end of the strip boasts two lighthouses, First Landing Cross (site of where the Jamestown colonists first set foot on the New World), and lovely, deserted beaches. Click here for all the details on Fort Story and Cape Henry Lighthouse.
Atlantic Waterfowl Museum
Another freebie! This museum near the oceanfront is for the birds...literally! To learn more, go to our Virginia Beach Oceanfront Attractions page.
Here's How to Save Money on Food at the Beach
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| Doumar's is a cheap, funky, delicious, and fun! |
As for food, even though you want to save money, you don't want to have to eat out at McDonald's all the time...and you don't have to. We've learned the secret of being able to eat at top Virginia Beach restaurants near the boardwalk for less. For details, go to our Virginia Beach Restaurants page.
If you're looking for really cheap but yummy restaurants, go to our Great but Cheap Eateries page.
And take advantage of free events & festivals! The Virginia Beach oceanfront has an ongoing variety of festivals, musical acts, and more...many of them free. Our favorite? The annual Neptune Festival. For a full list of events and festivals, click here.
Take a Trolley Ride!
Catch the VB "Wave"-- Taking the old-fashioned Wave Trolley is a great way to see the highlights of Virginia Beach on your cheap family vacation. Of course, the kids will just love going along for the ride!
What's our fondest memory of the Wave? To learn that and other details about the Trolley, click here.
Norfolk
The Chrysler MuseumGreat art fun for free? What could be better for your cheap family vacation? The Chrysler Museum has free admission on Wednesdays. Hours on Wednesdays are 10 am-4 pm. Kids 18 and younger are always free, but why not go when its cheaper for all? We'll show you how.
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| Rowena's Tea Room & Shop in Norfolk |
- What's the dish on our #1 Girls' Day Out spot, Rowena's Tea Room?
- Go on a mermaid scavenger hunt
- Want the best cheap burger and fries in a funky 50's era drive-in?
- Visit the delightful Virginia Zoo, then stop by Baker's Crust for a delicious chocolate and Nutella crepe
- It only comes once a year, but Norfolk Harborfest is a spectacular parade of tall ships, pirates and more.
Hampton & Portsmouth
Hampton has several free or cheap family vacation spots. Some are exceptional and really world-class; some aren't particularly glitzy. But if you're on a budget, they may be just the ticket.
Childrens Museum of Virginia
This museum is hands-on heaven for toddlers through early teens, and kids of all ages. Make gigantic bubbles (with you in them), become a living elevator, “drive” a fire engine, “touch” electricity...there’s so much to do. Here are photos of our favorite things to do at Childrens Museum of Virginia.
Virginia Air & Space Museum
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| Can I crash another plane? |
Of course, the Virginia Air & Space Museum is a not particularly cheap family vacation spot, UNLESS you're a member of the ASTC program. Learn how the ASTC Program can help you get in science museums for free.
Hampton Roads Naval Museum
See scads of ship models, underwater artifacts, and exhibits on important naval battles and ships, including the USS Monitor. Then climb all over USS Wisconsin, a huge battleship. It's all free! Here are photos and details.
Air Power Park
If airplanes and rockets really "float your boat," it's a sunny day, and you want a free outing where the kids can let off some steam, this is a good place to go on a cheap family vacation. Click here for more details about Air Power Park.
The Cousteau Society
The Cousteau Society is a mini-museum dedicated to the life and work of famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. See "Allison" the mechanical shark used in the filming of the movie "Jaws." Poor thing came to a nasty end. Click here to find out why...
The Commodore Dinner Theater
This 1950's art deco theater is so elegant yet reasonable for a delicious dinner and a movie that it makes both our Romantic Restaurants list and our Cheap Family Vacation list. Our top choice for a date night, but anyone over 8 can enjoy it. Here's our review of the place we hope you'll come to love as much as we do!
Newport News
Virginia Living Museum
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| Touch a horseshoe crab? Ewww! |
It's a zoo...it's a planetarium...it's a museum...it's the Virginia Living Museum, the Virginia Beach area's premier wildlife spot. Perfect for kids (and adults) who love to touch, feel, see, and feast their senses on nature. There's even a newly-remodeled planetarium and a really cool way to see bees up close and personal.
And if you're a member of the ASTC program...it's a free part of a cheap family vacation.
Click here for more details on the ASTC program--it's a great way to visit museums for "free".
US Army Transportation Museum
This free museum just north of Newport News in Fort Eustis showcases the history of army transportation in the U.S. You'll see everything from horse-drawn wagons to all-terrain armored vehicles, helicopters and aircraft, locomotives and trucks. You'll also get an idea of how army living conditions and uniforms have changed over the last three centuries. It's open Tues-Sun, 9 am to 4:30 pm.
US Army Transportation Museum address: Building 300, Besson Hall, Fort Eustis, VA. US Army Transportation Museum phone number: 757-878-1115.
Jamestown/Yorktown
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| Kids are free at Yorktown Battlefield! |
Want one of the best bargains in the area?
Buy a combo ticket to Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield. Just $10 gets adults into both historic spots...and kids 15 and under are free! For $20, our family of four enjoyed hours of fun, history, intriguing exhibits, and beautiful scenery. What a deal!
Read about our adventures and see pictures at Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield. Then read why a jaunt on the free Jamestown-Scotland ferry is one of our kids' favorite things to do.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Paramounts Kings Dominion
Okay...these world-famous amusement parks aren't free, or particularly cheap. But we've devoted a lot of time to finding the cheapest tickets to make them surprisingly affordable...and we'd like to pass that information on to you.
Click here for Busch Gardens Williamsburg Discount Ticket Secrets plus photos of the park, videos of roller coaster, including their latest ride, Griffon, and tips on the best days to visit, money-saving tips, how to stay cool, and how to get discount parking.
To whet your appetite, take a look at the photo montage we put together of our recent visit to Busch Gardens Williamsburg:
If you're considering Kings Dominion, click here for Paramounts Kings Dominion Discount Ticket Secrets, videos and photos, and why their season passes are such a great deal this year.
Williamsburg Area
Colonial Williamsburg's Downtown Area
A lot of visitors don't realize that you CAN see Colonial Williamsburg (or parts of it) on a cheap family vacation. And Williamsburg offers a variety of free events, including their annual Summer Concert Series every July and August.
Plus, we've found two fabulous and inexpensive Williamsburg restaurants that won't break the bank. For all the details, read our "Secrets of a Cheap Colonial Williamsburg Vacation"...
Williamsburg Shopping - Prime Outlets, Williamsburg Pottery, & More
Williamsburg is renowned for its shopping. You can spend days poking through all the outlet malls, looking for that super buy. I know they say that "women shop," and "men hunt"...but I'm not sure that's exactly true. Men hunt and women shop for the same reason-- to have fun. So what's the difference?
I digress...Provided you're someone who has complete command of your credit card, a day at the outlet malls doesn't have to break the bank. We'll even show you something at the mall that the kids will love...to learn all about Williamsburg shopping, click here. And don't forget to check out our best Williamsburg restaurants page, which includes info on our two favorite cheap restaurants near the Historic Area.
Yankee Candle Factory
"Can we PLEASE stop by Yankee Candle?" This candle mecca and cheap family vacation stop is so memorable my kids always ask to drop by when we're in the Williamsburg area.Of course, if you're a candle-lover, this is the spot to try out the latest scent and purchase other candle paraphenalia.
For more details, and to find out why it's a "Kids' Pick", click here.
Richmond and Beyond
There are so many wonderful museums in Richmond...and some of them are free (or nearly so). Enjoy a little culture at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which has a wonderful collection of paintings, sculptures, and one of the largest collections of Faberge eggs, and glassware.
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| You can spend all day at Maymont...for free! |
Then there's the Science Museum of Virginia, brimming with hands-on science and physics experiments, basketball-playing rats, and a huge IMAX theater. Like the Virginia Air & Science Museum, it becomes surprisingly cheap family vacation spot if you take advantage of the ASTC Passport Program.
But we're convinced that our favorite cheap family vacation spot in Richmond is beautiful Maymont, a 100-acre estate with a lovely 19th century mansion, wonderful gardens, a Nature Center, and a Childrens Farm Barn. Here's why we think Maymont is the best kept secret in Richmond!
West of Richmond is the beautiful town of Charlottesville, home of Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, and the University of Virginia. While Monticello is not cheap, you can visit the Thomas Jefferson Visitor's Center, enjoy the shops and people-watch on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, browse through Michie Tavern, and enjoy Monticello,Carter's Mountain Orchard (the best view in Charlottesville), all for free.
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