Part zoo, part aquarium, part botanical garden, part planetarium — all of it focused on the native flora and fauna of Virginia. The exhibits move from the Appalachian Mountains down to the Chesapeake Bay, with red wolves, river otters, bobcats, bald eagles and a touch tank of horseshoe crabs along the way. The outdoor boardwalk through the recreated Coastal Plain habitat is the highlight; the indoor displays are good for a rainy day.
It is genuinely good for what it is — better than you would expect for a city of 180,000 people — and works particularly well with children, though adult naturalists will not be bored. Allow three hours.