Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
4.5
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Coastal history is alive and thriving at the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum. Standing proudly at 24th Street on the Boardwalk, the museum building itself is a Virginia Beach icon on the National Register of Historic Places. Explore lots of fun exhibits and a great gift shop right on the boardwalk!
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
320 reviews
Excellent
167
Very good
110
Average
36
Poor
6
Terrible
1
Bob L
Winchester, VA680 contributions
Feb 2021
We visited this on our walking tour of the art at different blocks along the boardwalk. This was an interesting building with a number of good pieces outside. It was nice to see how things were back in the days before EVERYTHING was covered by sky scraper hotels.
Written March 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maureen K
Fayetteville, GA143 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
I'm a history nerd. And the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum did not disappoint! Our hosts, Nikki and Mark were very friendly, becoming instant family members! She entertained the younger crowd and Mark is a great storyteller! We learned a lot about the Virginia Beach area as well as the sacrifices made to keep people safe. Don't miss this genuine gem in the middle of all the tourist traps!
Written December 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kay7979
Western NY402 contributions
Jun 2023
While the place appears small, there is more here than you'd expect. We enjoyed learning local history and seeing the various exhibits, from photos to nautical equipment to surf boards. If you're walking the boardwalk, stop and explore this lovely little museum.
Written June 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AtulBravo
Accomac, VA148 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
This place is filled with Virginia’s Maritime History and the History of the US Life Saving Service (the precursor to the US Coast Guard). I has great photos and nautical memorabilia.
You will really enjoy this if you're a history buff or associated with the US Coast Guard or even a sailor or power boater. The gift shop has many nautical works hand crafted by local artists.
Entry Fee: $12 adult / $5 child
You will really enjoy this if you're a history buff or associated with the US Coast Guard or even a sailor or power boater. The gift shop has many nautical works hand crafted by local artists.
Entry Fee: $12 adult / $5 child
Written June 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zoey1996
Ellsworth, KS8,713 contributions
The Old Coast Guard Station Museum and Store is an interesting place to visit. We arrived around 3 p.m. on a quiet afternoon. The first floor was seen with a guide, who explained some of the exhibits, equipment, and history of the life-saving station. The second floor has a continuos loop video, photographs, and descriptions of some of the life-saving missions that were carried out here. The ocean is just steps away, and it's easy to imagine how terrifying some of the mishaps at sea were. Some of the rescues were 100% successful, but sometimes the ship, the cargo, and even the crew could not all be saved.
There is currently a special exhibit about the women in the Coast Guard and the role they played.
The gift shop on the first floor has a number of cool souvenirs and gifts; proceeds help preserve and maintain the museum. The folks staffing the museum were cordial and helpful. We spent about an hour here before returning to the car for a visit to the Cape Henry lighthouses. Small children wouldn't appreciate this place, but older children and adults will like to look about to see some of the equipment and exhibits.
There is a webcam on-line that can be viewed at the museum. There was some dredging or other work going on at the beach the day we visited, and it was interesting to watch that from the perspective of the webcam.
There is currently a special exhibit about the women in the Coast Guard and the role they played.
The gift shop on the first floor has a number of cool souvenirs and gifts; proceeds help preserve and maintain the museum. The folks staffing the museum were cordial and helpful. We spent about an hour here before returning to the car for a visit to the Cape Henry lighthouses. Small children wouldn't appreciate this place, but older children and adults will like to look about to see some of the equipment and exhibits.
There is a webcam on-line that can be viewed at the museum. There was some dredging or other work going on at the beach the day we visited, and it was interesting to watch that from the perspective of the webcam.
Written May 12, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MonkeyOnTheLamb
Baltimore, Maryland19 contributions
Jan 2015 • Family
There's surprisingly a lot of interesting stuff to see here even though it's a little small. And it's the kind of things you probably haven't seen in other museums. There's a small price, but when you step outside and see all the hi-rises on your right and left up the beach, you kind of feel like you're doing your part to keep at least something from the old Virginia Beach from disappearing. Definitely worth a look inside. Pretty nice gift shop too.
Written January 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane G
Roanoke13 contributions
Nov 2014 • Solo
For a small admission fee, you can learn about the history of the Coast Guard and its part in protecting Virginia Beach and the surrounding area, and climb to the second floor and use the telescope to see the ocean right out the door and a close-up of any passing cargo-liners or fishing trollers. The quaint gift shop offers a variety of items to see and buy. The hours of operation make this an interesting place to duck into and enjoy.
Written November 23, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jhon
Bradenton, FL1,376 contributions
May 2021 • Solo
This was a small museum packed with excellent history of great interest showing the resilience of the people who have settled on this coast. They are true hero’s who have conquered this beautiful yet dangerous coastline.
Written May 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Skipper090
Washington DC, DC254 contributions
Aug 2020
The original was exceptionally historic, the first of its type. The current one is over 100 years old, and a good example. Still located within 200 yards of its original location. But since it was closed without notice, I can't comment on the insides. The outside displays are interestsing, but very limited.
Written September 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Krista R
Hillsborough, NH154 contributions
May 2019 • Family
The name of the museum made me think it was focused more on animal rescues instead of its real purpose the interesting history of saving lives along Virginia beach.
We visited the Museum as a part of the walking Ghost tour which was really great and made me glad we were able to visit the Museum and contribute.
We passed this little building at least 3 times and never thought about visiting. What an opportunity missed, had we not done the walking tour. We spent a few hours on a couple of different times walking along Virginia Beach the previous week. I have to be honest - I completely missed this place when we walked past.
The sign for the Museum is set back from the building when you are walking along the more commercial street side.
I would definitely recommend a visit. My 20 year old daughter loved the history of surfing.
We visited the Museum as a part of the walking Ghost tour which was really great and made me glad we were able to visit the Museum and contribute.
We passed this little building at least 3 times and never thought about visiting. What an opportunity missed, had we not done the walking tour. We spent a few hours on a couple of different times walking along Virginia Beach the previous week. I have to be honest - I completely missed this place when we walked past.
The sign for the Museum is set back from the building when you are walking along the more commercial street side.
I would definitely recommend a visit. My 20 year old daughter loved the history of surfing.
Written May 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your recent visit! We are so glad that you were able to enjoy the museum with your family. We agree that we can be easy to miss on the busy Virginia Beach Boardwalk! Our original Life-Saving Station was built back in 1903, so the massive modern hotels literally grew up around us! We are excited about updating even more of our displays this year, so please come back again to see what's new!
Written June 11, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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