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Virginia Zoological Park, Norfolk, VA

Photo: Mytwocents, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Attractions

Virginia Zoological Park

A roughly 53-acre zoo in Norfolk, Virginia, next to Lafayette Park, known as the Virginia Zoo.

3500 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23504 · Norfolk, VA

About Virginia Zoological Park

The Virginia Zoo sits beside Lafayette Park in Norfolk and covers about 53 acres. It is run by the Virginia Zoological Society and offers animal exhibits, gardens, education programs, camps, field trips, and events such as birthday parties and seasonal happenings. The zoo has held accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1987. Its daily hours run from late morning to mid-afternoon, and the site notes a 125th anniversary celebration during 2026.

  • #zoo
  • #Norfolk
  • #Lafayette Park
  • #animals
  • #gardens

What's around here?

The closest stops to Virginia Zoological Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums

    Barry Art Museum

    Check prices

    University art museum in Norfolk known for glass art, paintings, dolls and automata, and works on paper.

    1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Chrysler Museum of Art

    No admission fee

    A free art museum spanning 5,000 years, with one of the largest glass collections in America and live glassmaking demos.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    1.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing

    Moses Myers House

    No admission fee

    An early 19th-century merchant home in Norfolk, run by the Chrysler Museum of Art, that tells the story of a prominent Jewish family.

    2.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Attractions

    Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

    $25–$50

    A Virginia Beach aquarium and marine science center with hundreds of species across indoor exhibits and outdoor programs.

    17 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions

    Virginia Living Museum

    $25–$50

    An open-air museum in Newport News showing living animals and plants native to Virginia, with aquarium, science, aviary, and planetarium elements.

    17 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Busch Gardens Williamsburg

    $50+

    Ride coasters like Loch Ness Monster, Griffon and Pantheon in a theme park laid out as European hamlets.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    32 mi awayMore like this