VIRGINIA BEACH OCEANFRONT. Housed in a historic cottage, this unique museum details the migration patterns of wildfowl through the Eastern part of the state via art, carvings, artifacts, and a wonderful collection of decoys. There are several interactive exhibits to further enhance your visit.#13;#10; #13;#10;

Established in 1952, the Center promotes appreciation of contemporary art via exhibitions, studio classes, lectures, and educational outreach programs. Frequently changing exhibits showcase paintings, sculptures, glass, video, and photography from globally renowned artists. Recently ranked as one of the country's top 20 outdoor fine art exhibits, the Center coordinates two immensely popular art festivals that attract more than 400,000 visitors each year.

The Virginia Marine Science Museum offers several boat trips to get you closer to marine life. Seasonal whale and dolphin watching cruises are very popular, but don't limit yourself, because there are other intriguing options. Kids especially enjoy checking out the fish and marine invertebrates the guides haul up on ocean collection trips. In addition, you can take a pontoon boat trip around the Owls Creek Salt Marsh. Trips offered at different times during the following periods: Salt Marsh: Mid May-early Oct; Ocean Collections: Mid Jun-late Aug; Whale watching: late Dec-mid Mar; Dolphin watching: late Apr-early Oct. Call for exact details. Charters also available.

Founded as a Life-Saving Station in 1903 and served as a Coast Guard Station from 1915-1969. Following its decommission, the historic building sat idle for a decade and was slated for demolition when citizens intervened financially, resulting in the building's 1979 incarnation as a maritime museum. Exhibits chronicle the courageous exploits of the United States Life-Saving and Coast Guard in Virginia, including the period in 1942 when German U Boats attacked unsuspecting ships along the US coast. Interactive exhibits allow you to experience the station's legacy by tracking incoming and outgoing ships and searching for those in distress.

Among the country's leading aquariums with more than 800,000 gallons of aquarium space, 300 hands-on exhibits, an outdoor aviary, 10 acres of marsh habitat, and a nature trail. Numerous specimens thrive in preserved habitats, such as sharks, sea turtles, seals, otters, and stingrays. There are also seasonal trips for whale and dolphin observation. The 3D IMAX Theater airs marine biology films on a screen six stories high and eight stories wide.