The Virginia Zoological Park is located in Norfolk, Virginia. If you're located in south central Pennsylvania, it's a 5-6 hour drive depending on traffic. If you don't mind the car ride...it makes for a great day trip with the kids! If the car ride is a little long for you...you can find hotels and motels located nearby. If you're vacationing in Virginia Beach, the drive will take approximately an hour heading north.
Virginia Zoological Park was founded in 1901 and is spread out on 52 beautifully landscaped acres with over 500 animals calling it home. During your visit you'll see giraffes, zebras, ostrich, kangaroos, lions, bald eagles, black bears, beavers, cheetahs, bison, emu, wallaby's, prairie dogs, elephants, flamingos, tigers, snakes and more!
If you've never visited before, I highly recommend that you visit the Virginia Zoo's website and print out a copy of the zoo map to take along with you. Due to Covid-19 and the pandemic you'll want to make your reservations online (at least that was their policy the day that we visited). At the time they were operating at limited capacity and following all of the CDC recommended guidelines. You can read their re-opening policy HERE.
We have two grandchildren (ages 5 years and 11 years old) and one of their highlights from our trip was their ride on the popular Zoo Train. You will have to pay a separate fee to ride the ZooTrain, but the kids loved it. The entire ride lasts for approximately 20 minutes as the train takes you around a lot of the areas within the zoo. The train is handicap-accessible and fun for both kids & adults.
When visiting the zoo I recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes (you'll be doing a lot of walking) and dress seasonably appropriate. Like most places, you'll be spending the majority of your visit outdoors. There are places within the zoo where you can sit down for a rest, grab a bite to eat, etc. If you're looking to pick up some souvenirs & gifts, you'll find those in the gift shop located near the entrance gate to the zoo.
This was our third visit in the past 7 years to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk and every time we visit, it gets better and better. We enjoy visiting in the spring or early fall months when the zoo isn't quite as busy. In other words, during their "off peak" months. When planning you're visit, I recommend spending a minimum of 3 hours at the zoo. You'll want to experience as much as you can during your visit.
You can learn more about the Virginia Zoo by visiting their official website online. You can purchase tickets on the web or pay your admission price at the zoo. You can connect with them on social media by hooking up with them on Facebook and/or Twitter.
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