Tuesday, June 2, 2026
This June marks the 40th anniversary of the Aquarium's grand opening
Virginia Beach, VA – The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is celebrating its 40th anniversary to commemorate four decades of connecting people to the marine environment. On June 14, 1986, the marine science museum, then donning a lookdown fish in its logo, opened as the only facility in the state devoted exclusively to Virginia’s marine environment, with the world’s largest exhibit on the Chesapeake Bay, the largest marine Aquarium in the state, and 100,000 gallons of exhibit water. Now, the Virginia Aquarium boasts 840,000 gallons of water, welcomes over 600,000 visitors annually, and yields a $257 million economic impact.
“This milestone marks more than an opening day,” said Aquarium President and CEO Cynthia Whitbred-Spanoulis. “It means that for 40 years, the Aquarium has educated students on marine ecosystems, saved local species such as sea turtles, and helped our community learn to take care of the environment in which we live.”
The Aquarium’s story began in 1981, when community leaders, alongside the City of Virginia Beach and the Commonwealth of Virginia, launched plans and fundraising efforts for a marine science museum in Virginia Beach. A land-use study later analyzed the development potential of the 235-acre property, and in 1987, a conceptual plan was created for the Museum and surrounding nature area. On October 18, 1983, ground was broken for the Virginia Marine Science Museum, which opened to the public three years later.
Over four decades to today, the Aquarium has participated in many notable animal care achievements, conservation milestones, and established educational prominence in Virginia Beach and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Education School & Youth
Since the beginning, the Aquarium’s science education has been a core mission. Back in the early years, the Aquarium had an outreach truck to travel exhibits across the state to bring education to classrooms. Today, the Aquarium continues to do outreach programs, on-site programs, and hosts educational field trips, early learning programs, and camps year-round. The Aquarium works with tens of thousands of students annually.
In 1989, the Aquarium started hosting students on the ocean collections boat, which was the first boat tour the Aquarium offered. Then, in 1990, the Aquarium started doing dolphin watching and whale watching boat tours for guests, which still charter the ocean daily.
Conservation Programs
Through breeding programs, the Aquarium has welcomed animal babies of endangered species; adding viable genetics to their population. The Aquarium participates in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plans for tenrecs, Tomistoma Crocidiles, spotted eagle rays, and Komodo dragons. The Aquarium also participates in reintroduction plans with cichlids and zebra sharks.
In addition to breeding programs, the Virginia Aquarium participated in the Sea Turtle Hatchling Nursery as a part of the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hatchling Development Evaluation Program in 1994. The Aquarium staff participated in this program for a couple of decades, carefully monitoring each turtle's weight, diet consumption, and physical development. These sea turtles were examined and provided research data for a swim study and satellite tracking.
Stranding Response Program
Marine animal stranding events in Virginia Beach presented the need to create the Stranding Response Program. In 1985, the stranding of a 50-pound baby sperm whale and its 700-pound mother started conversations with the Museum to assist the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) with marine mammal and sea turtle strandings, creating a network to save marine life. An unusual mortality event of bottlenose dolphins in 1987 and 1988, due to morbillivirus, proved the need for research and investigative work on the Virginia coast. In 1991, the Stranding Response Program was officially formed, relying completely on volunteers, until 1994 when the first paid staff was hired. In roughly 2009, the Stranding Response Program became the coordinating agency for sea turtle strandings in Virginia, and today, the Program still provides sea turtle rehabilitation, seal triage, and other marine mammal response, documenting over 3,400 marine mammal responses and 7,000 sea turtle strandings since the program began.
Community Outreach
The Aquarium started the Sensible Seafood Program in 2008 as a community initiative, followed by the launch of the Sensible Seafood Fest, which ran for 11 years, and showcased partner restaurants and businesses committed to offering sustainable seafood options. The Sensible Seafood Program leads responsible fishery and seafood practices by working with restaurants and businesses committed to offering sustainable seafood options. After 16 years of success, the program was rebranded in 2025 and continues to educate and partner with organizations on seafood options.
Exhibits
The Aquarium has also developed many changing exhibits over the years, winning an American Association of Museums award for their exhibit development. The changing exhibits included themes on microscopic organisms, sea turtles, jellies, sea stars, dolphins, the Chesapeake Bay Discovery Lab, and a “Claws” exhibit. In 1991, the Aquarium collaborated to build a changing exhibit at the Dome called Sea Giants. In addition, the Aquarium’s beloved Ray Touch Pool started as a changing exhibit and became a permanent fixture of the Aquarium. At the time, the Virginia Aquarium was one of the first Aquariums in the nation to have a ray touch pool.
Learn more about the Virginia Aquarium’s mission or donate to support the next 40 years at VirginiaAquarium.com .
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center’s mission is to connect people to the marine environment, inspiring a more sustainable future. The Aquarium aspires to be a driver in conservation, education, tourism, and sustainability, leading the charge to save wildlife and their ecosystems. Owned by the City of Virginia Beach, the Aquarium operates as a city department in partnership with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation. The Aquarium is proud to be an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the work of the Virginia Aquarium. The Foundation procures and maintains the Aquarium's exhibits, including the animals and habitats. It is also responsible for annual and capital fundraising, administration and funding for the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program, conservation and scientific research efforts, and the Aquarium's mission-related education programs. You can be a part of our mission by making a tax-deductible donation to support our programming.
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