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Beyond the Boardwalk: The Ultimate Guide to Virginia Beach with Teenagers

Melanie Watson

Learn about one of the city's most sustainable success stories: Mount Trashmore Park.

Teenagers can spot forced family fun a mile away, so getting them to put down their phones requires an itinerary worth looking up for. Virginia Beach is packed with spots they’ll want to post about—from zip-lining and surfing waves to street-art alleys and local hangouts. Here’s a list of things to do, depending on what they’re into.

The Thrill Seeker

Catch Waves at Atlantic Park

Catch a wave at Atlantic Park, where surfing is always in season.

Virginia Beach boasts a rich East Coast surfing heritage, and Atlantic Park — right on the Oceanfront — is its newest crown jewel. It features the first Wavegarden Cove in North America, a massive pool that generates up to 1,000 surfable waves every hour. Whether your teen wants to learn the ropes with beginner lessons from local pros or is ready to handle advanced swells, they can rent gear right on-site and hit the water.

Try Indoor Skydiving at iFLY VA Beach

Two excited people doing aerial skydiving maneuvers in a wind tunnel with partial glass windows at iFly Virginia Beach
Defy gravity with friends and family at iFLY.

No planes, no parachutes and zero experience required. iFLY VA Beach uses a massive vertical wind tunnel to create a wall-to-wall cushion of air, letting flyers float, spin and freefall safely indoors. Instructors handle every session, making it an easy, high-adrenaline drop-in for teens who want a serious thrill without having to jump out of a moving aircraft.

Level Up at APEX Entertainment

Four people wearing helmets drive go-karts on an indoor track at Apex Entertainment, each in their own vehicle, with barriers and orange cones visible in the background.
Fast turns, friendly competition and nonstop fun on the track in Virginia Beach.

When the weather has other plans, APEX Entertainment at the Town Center of Virginia Beach has endless options: bumper cars, go-kart racing, laser tag, bowling, escape rooms, a ropes course and nearly 100 arcade games, including zombie dodgeball. The menu has something for everyone, with options for gluten-free and vegetarian eaters too.

The Creative Soul

Dive into the ViBe Creative District

Two people stand in a spacious, sunlit room with large windows, looking up at a colorful glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly hanging from the ceiling at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art.
Mille Colori, like all of Chihuly’s work, never fails to enchant.

The ViBe Creative District is a colorful, arts-filled epicenter of culture in the heart of Virginia Beach. The entire area is a canvas for giant street murals, working artist studios and inspiring art galleries. Rent a couple of beach cruisers, map out a self-guided mural crawl, and time your visit around a Second Saturday pop-up event or the Old Beach Farmers Market for a full dose of local flavor. Once you’ve explored the ViBe Creative District, head to The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art for thought-provoking exhibitions and contemporary works from around the world.

Discover Thank You Gallery

A woman with blonde hair paints a colorful mural on a brick wall, using a brush to add purple paint.
Keep the ViBes immaculate in the city’s colorful, eclectic arts district.

Thank You Gallery ditches the “don’t touch” museum rules for an intimate, hipster-friendly environment bridging contemporary art with modern streetwear culture. Beyond their rotating galleries, check out their shop for indie art books, stickers, pins and posters that will earn a stamp of approval from your teen.

Score Vintage Vinyl at Thanks for Listening

Four people walking and laughing together on a street near a mural-painted building in a vibrant city district in Virginia Beach. Two women are in the foreground, and a man and woman in the background.
Laughing, exploring and discovering the colorful side of the ViBe Creative District.

Vinyl is back, and this crate-digger’s paradise proves it never left. Perfect for teens obsessed with physical media or hunting for the perfect bedroom wall aesthetic, Thanks for Listening curates a brilliant collection of funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop and rock records. They also specialize in rare Brazilian sounds like Samba and Bossa Nova.

See a Live Show at the Sandler Center

Two individuals walk up the stairs to the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, surrounded by modern buildings and greenery.
Catch a show at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts and make it a night to remember.

Some experiences are better off-screen. Live entertainment is one of them. Sandler Center for the Performing Arts brings top talent right to Virginia Beach, hosting big-name comedians, Broadway tours and elite artists throughout the year. Grab dinner at Town Center and head inside for a high-production show where phone screens stay off, but the energy stays high.

Outdoorsy and Adventurous

Explore Treetop Trails at The Adventure Park

A child in an orange shirt climbs a wooden ladder in a treetop at Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium, surrounded by green foliage on a sunny day in Virginia Beach.
Climb your way to a bird’s-eye view: The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium.

At The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium, you won’t have to beg your teen to put their phone away. There are 17 color-coded treetop trails, more than 258 rope, cable and wood crossings and 33 zip lines, the longest stretching 315 feet. Trails range from beginner to expert, so the cautious sibling and the one who thinks they’re invincible can each find their level.

Skate Mount Trashmore

Four people sit on a pink blanket having a picnic with food and a basket on a grassy hill at Mount Trashmore near a lake, smiling and talking on a cloudy day.
Learn about one of the city’s most sustainable success stories: Mount Trashmore Park.

The skate park at Mount Trashmore Park is the main event for teen skaters: a competition-sized vert ramp standing 13.5 feet tall and 40 feet wide, plus a street course with a bowl, spine, grind rails and boxes. Pro skater Tony Hawk once skated here, so your teen’s session comes with bragging rights. BMX riders and inline skaters are welcome to come join in on the fun, too.

Learn to Surf the Real Ocean

A man and a woman run along a sunny beach, each carrying a surfboard, with buildings and ocean waves in the background.
Where the shoreline is just the beginning of the adventure.

Atlantic Park has its surf lagoon, but there’s nothing quite like catching waves in the Atlantic Ocean. Local surf schools offer lessons for all levels — a great option if your teen has always been curious but never quite made it onto a board. Virginia Beach is also proud to offer adaptive surfing and surf therapy programs, helping make the joy of riding a wave accessible to everyone. Even on a non-surf day, the beach itself is worth the visit. Enjoy three miles of wide, sandy shoreline along the Boardwalk and views stretching past the fishing pier.

Foodie Finds

Start the Morning at Parlor Doughnuts

Four people sit and stand around a table on a porch, smiling and holding coffee mugs, with hanging plants and a house in the background.
Coffee, conversation and quality time with the whole family.

Parlor Doughnuts makes massive, croissant-style layered doughnuts fresh in small batches all day. With over 20 rotating flavors, you can grab local favorites like the Maple Bacon, or the Sandy Beach — a cinnamon and powdered sugar nod to the coast.

Explore the ViBe’s Local Food Scene

Four people sit at a pink picnic table outdoors, sharing food and drinks at the Pink Dinghy restaurant with a green-and-white striped awning and the word "Bienvenidos" by the entrance.
Gather around the table and enjoy great food and good company at The Pink Dinghy.

The ViBe District’s food scene is just as creative as the street art. For brunch or dinner, hit up The Pink Dinghy — a bright, pastel-pink eatery that’s practically made for your teen’s feed, serving up seasonally-inspired dishes like loaded pupusa and marinated mussels. Looking for a casual spot to hang out? Head to Java Surf Café & Espresso Bar, a super laid-back, surf-themed coffee shop known for giant breakfast burritos and iced lattes.

Extra Credit Options

Test Your Skills in an Escape Room

Escape rooms are scattered throughout the area, each with its own themed mystery to solve before time runs out. Try Breakout Games for a high-stakes bomb defusal, or Escape Room Virginia Beach for a Neptune-themed hunt that fits right in with the city’s own mythical lore.

Experience Live! on the Atlantic

A crowd of people watches a concert at night, with some holding up their phones. The scene is illuminated by pink and purple lighting.
The music is loud, the crowd is singing and the night is just getting started.

Stroll down the illuminated boardwalk during the summer to experience Live! on Atlantic. This seasonal festival brings street performers, live bands and outdoor stages right to the ocean’s edge, giving teens a safe, high-energy taste of local nightlife.

For more ways to explore the city together, check out our guide of Things to Do With Kids in Virginia Beach and our Virginia Beach Summer Bucket List for vacation inspiration. Planning a cruise departure too? We’ve got tips on how to best Explore Virginia Beach Before and After Your Cruise.

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Written by Melanie Watson

For Melanie Watson, a great story is just like a great trip — it’s all about the details. With more than a decade of writing experience across sports, entertainment, travel and tourism, Melanie has a knack for highlighting the best people, places and things. When she’s not creating content, Melanie spends her free time looking ahead to her next local jazz festival, beach escape or staycation getaway (and crafting the perfect itinerary to match.)