The Virginia Zoological Park, also known as the Virginia Zoo or the Norfolk Zoo, is a first class, Association of Zoos & Aquariums accredited zoo on 53 acres of land adjacent to the Lafayette River.  The Virginia Zoo is worth including in any trip to Norfolk, VA.

The adventure begins upon entering the zoo where fountains, that are as fun to play in as they are beautiful, await in the Compass Rose Plaza.  See if you can stop a 5 foot, 17,500 lb. solid granite Kugel ball, with a globe etched on its surface, rotating on a thin stream of water.  Whether having fun dancing in the waters of the fountains or taking a spin at changing the direction of the world, adventure awaits.

Just past the Compass Rose Plaza, you will travel to Africa and experience animals in their naturalistic habitats. Enter the African market village and the African savannah – home to elephants, mandrills, zebras, meerkats, and more.

Experience wildlife from every corner of the globe as you continue just around the corner where you will find tigers, reptiles, ocelots and squirrel monkeys – just to name a few.  You can even come nose to nose with a prairie dog in the interactive prairie dog habitat where viewing bubbles allow you to get up close and personal with these entertaining creatures.

Finally, back in Virginia, you can visit a replica of a working Virginia farm complete with barnyard friends and educational opportunities to learn about Virginia farm history.

Directions: The Virginia Zoo is located at 3500 Granby Street, adjacent to Lafayette Park in Norfolk.  Take I-264 West to downtown Norfolk.  Take the City Hall Avenue exit and turn right onto St. Paul’s Boulevard. Stay straight and merge left onto Granby Street. The Zoo’s entrance is on the right.