Just took my two non swimming 4 and 6 year olds and had an absolute blast! There are seven slides…read moretotal. Two slides require a swim test to use. One slide is in the kiddie pool. There is one nice wide family slide for everyone. There is one super steep one that my six year old braved successfully. The last two are like a twisty open one and then a twisty closed tube style. No life jackets are allowed on the slides but the lifeguards literally stand there and catch your kids and take them back to the side to get out and go again. I was there by myself outnumbered and nervous about my nonswimming kids and no life jackets but quickly relaxed and realized my kids were safe and having the time of their lives. The lifeguards were happy to pass my kids to me but also totally fine if I got out to go do the family slide with one of them if needed. That's always the tricky part of being outnumbered by kids - when the pack wants to split up and I can't be two places at once. Anyway the snack bar food was pretty terrible but pizza was alright. You can bring in a cooler though. Next time I'll pack a full picnic for everyone. They do a lot of adult swims so the lifeguards can rotate but that gives everyone a chance to grab a snack and potty and also gave us a nice window to exit. The pool temp was fantastic and the water was clean. It's a government facility so there's some stuff that could use an upgrade naturally but for $10 a person I was impressed!

This water park is on the Oceana Base and the address posted on their website will get you totally…read morelost. Other than that small detail (I had to stop at a reenlistment picnic to ask someone for directions), it is a smash hit and we love it! I am only bummed we didn't know about it last summer! Admission is $6 for active duty, retirees, reservists, & eligible family members, $8 for guests (up to 2 guests per adult w/ ID), kids 3 and under are free. Season passes are based on the number of people in your family... 1= $60, 2= $110, 3= $135, 4= $170, 5= $200, 6= $225 Despite the website's direction that no outside food is allowed and you must purchase food from concessions, *EVERYONE* brings a cooler with lunch in it. So, pack away and save yourself a fortune in concession stand prices. This is a clean and well-maintained facility, for sure. They offer pavilion rental and swimming lessons, which is great! One thing you'll want to warn your kids about ahead of time is "adult swim time" which is a 15 minute break for the kids from the pool they allows the adults to enjoy the facilities (and helps prevent sun-poisoned, exhausted kids)... my kids were upset because adult swim happened 10 mins after we arrived. Oops! There is plenty of seating and it's not so crazy (or wasn't today) that there are long lines... if you get here in time to snag a table, you'll have shade under an umbrella, but annoyingly, people fill the tables with their stuff (even though they aren't sitting there) and you'll be left without shade unless you plan ahead. The snack bar is an array of popsicles, string cheese, burgers, and preservative-packed packaged food that will run you between $0.50 and $5.00 per item. Not terrible on price, really, but far from health-friendly. Better than nothing! For $6/$8 per person, it's a great time. Pack a lunch to save more money, bring as many friends as you can fit in your car. We will be back!

My brother was visiting recently, and we were trying to come up with inexpensive ideas to take the…read morekids somewhere. Luckily, my bro had heard about splash parks in different states, and he found Portsmouth Splash Park (PSP) here in Hampton Roads. PSP is located on Elm and South in Portsmouth, and we decided to check it out. When we first drove by, we noticed there was no one around--no water running, no kids playing. I wondered if the place was closed, but then I saw two adults sitting on chairs. They were indeed open and we had the whole place to ourselves. The best part is it's free! When PSP opened 3 years ago, they charged $2 per person--which is still a bargain. It seemed that the turnout was low so they decided to do away with the fee. When you get to the desk, you will need to sign up and listen to the rules. Rule number one: no running! PSP has 15 interactive apparatus: giraffe, frog, dragon, crayon, flowers, pails, cattails, anchor and water blasters--fun and colorful. If you're planning to watch the kids instead of playing, there is no shade and no chairs, but there is a restroom. You are not allowed to bring in personal chairs and no food or drink (except water bottles--no glass please). PSP is clean, and a wonderful way to spend an hour or so during a hot summer day. Unfortunately, they are closed for the summer now--but bookmark this place for next year!

This is a nice little sprinkler for kids... even adults! The down fall is a couple of things: (1.)…read moreNo good working number on the internet for the weekend. (2.) No where to sit , no shaded benched areas. Other than that cool little place.

Atmosphere has completely changed. Ran by teens, staff is rude. Lifeguards are either overbearing…read moreafter waiting an hour to watch something happen and then decide to enforce a rule. No one is on the same page when it comes to rules. Watched a life guard for a good 8 minutes have their head in their hands looking down not paying a bit of attention. It's Bad weather today, called to check about lost and found item, & phone off the hook. Drove up and walked right in. NOONE manning the front desk, could hear people upstairs giggling. Continued to concession where the lost and found is, found my item (no lifeguards out on the deck) one girl in concession looked to be cleaning. Didn't say a word. Let her know what I was doing and that no one was anywhere else to be found. That's a safety concern, any small child could have run in the establishment and jumped in and not a soul would have known until it was too late. Do better. July 22nd @3:30pm. Check who should be working, a discussion needs to happen

Nice place to come for the day and cool off. Like all pools, it has it's busy times, but also more…read morerelaxed down times. There's plenty of seating, both at tables and lounge chairs, and umbrellas, and even a picnic area you can rent for parties or get togethers. There are 2 diving boards, a slide, bathrooms/changing rooms/showers on site, plenty of lifeguards on duty, and the concession stand is reasonably priced with decent options. A good way to spend the day!

Significantly cheaper than civilian pools and patient instructors. Our children have gone to two…read moresessions. While the Daughter is fearless and has excelled, the Son is a bit more cautious than his sister. The instructors work well with both of their personalities. Both of them feel comfortable in the water and, while initially nervous, were constantly excited to go to swim lessons. This is the second time they have attended lessons and we were very happy with the instruction and with the class size.

This is a great facility with lots of fitness options. The pool is clean and easy to access. Very…read morecrowded at lunch and after work (1600-1900).

Took my son to the kids park. Would give it 4 stars if there was more shade. Went on a morning in…read moreJune, it quickly became too hot for him to play due to lack of shade. Looked like lots of other activities to do in the area like tennis courts etc.

I can easily bump up Lynnhaven Park an additional star after learning there was much more. I only…read moreuse the basketball courts which I have previously reviewed. However, after going around the back when visiting the Great Neck Library I made a discovery... the front of the park. The entrance to Lynnhaven Park is off Old Donation Parkway, then a turn on Bayne Dr. It is a little tricky. The park is across the street from the fire station and library. There is parking at this location. By far the biggest reason my review jumps up to three stars is the availability of joint public/school tennis courts. Eight courts that can be lite at night, they are super nice. Nearby Lynnhaven Middle School also uses them and I imagine has priority when the need. There is league play at this location and a schedule is posted. Other than that this is open for anyone to use. Also there is a ball field that appears to be solely public and has an awesome infield. Outfield could use work as it is ridden with crab grass and patchy. It is also a lite field for night time play. Lynnhaven MS has there own ball field beside this one to utilize. A newer playground and swings sets on a bed of mulch was a welcome find too. There are four small shelters around it with a picnic table. There is no field for recreation in this area. A building behind the tennis courts houses the restrooms. However, they are out of order and locked up which I have a problem with. The water fountain is also out of order. This needs to be rectified and put back online for the park. At this point a port a pot is being used. It is located right outside the tennis court entrance. I have never seen one VB park that utilizes a port a potty as its sole means for visitors to utilize. The crowning jewel of this park are the tennis courts, they are that nice. But without restrooms and a very aging basketball court detached from the rest of the park I cannot justify moving it up further. Check this park out, it's right under your nose off of First Court.

This is such a great neighborhood park. It has 3 picnic areas with grills and they are all covered…read more They have such a nice basketball court and a really big field for lots of activities. The playground area is wonderful. I love the tire swing. They have regular swings too. This is the largest park in this subdivision. We like to walk to this one and take the kids.

Where else in Virginia Beach can you play basketball and swim at the same time?!? Nowhere, that's…read morewhere! I come here every couple of days to swing - because swinging is manly, trust me! And no, I'm not referring to sketchy taboo adult activities - because this is a family park! Like basketball? You can totally play here... when the court isn't flooded... so maybe once a week if you're lucky! There's also a killer juvenile obstacle course for all the junior operators in your family unit - and a legit tire swing with a 100% artificial, non-organic tire to lose your lunch on whilst spinning like a nut-job! Think that's all? No way man! There's grass, lots and lots of grass for your dog to sniff and relieve itself on... just be sure to pack everything out in an air-tight container (cause it's the law)! "Yo, is that a Blackhawk hovering over my head?" You might ask yourself that at least once during your visit here - the answer is yes, but shhhhhhh... OPSEC. Come play kids! PS, only 4 stars for the constant flooding and low level of city maintenance. But it's the safest park in the city!

This location is probably the best one in the Hampton Roads area!…read more It's massive and boasts 2 major slides, a toddler jungle gym area, a bouncy soccer & basketball court, an interactive Wii like game, a foam pit, single basketball game lanes & lots of spaces to host birthday parties. On the weekends it's super busy and a little over stimulating but on the weekdays it's pretty perfect. I personally have to wear AirPods while I'm here because the music is blasted so loud. The staff is usually pretty friendly & consists mostly of high school or young aged employees. I'm a big supporter of their memberships. We can visit every single day with our yearly membership. If you're debating visiting this place, just give it a try. It's fun for all ages! I even love to jump myself + it's a fun workout!

This place is RIDICULOUS . So extremely overpriced. They completely take advantage of you if you…read moredon't buy a season pass (which is also a scam). Don't give them your money. They said 2 yr and under was free but then made me pay for an adult pass so my 1.5 year old could jump. The socks were $7 a piece (for 3 of us) . It cost me over $70 for two of my small kids to jump for 2 hours. INSANE. Go to another jump park in town that's half the price and frankly more fun.

Took a scuba certification here; the instructors were super helpful and knowledgable, I felt super…read moresafe and supported, and their new facilities are beautiful!!

Looking for a great local dive shop this would be it. As a matter of fact it's one of only few in…read moreHampton Roads. It's a full service shop from certification to equipment to swim lessons. Look for the Tiki themed business just off the corner of Mill Dam Rd. LDC remained open during the Virginia Stay at Home orders because they were deemed essential by the City of Virginia Beach which has a contract with Virginia Beach Lifesaving who guards the beach. Service by Luke and staff was phenomenal. They took all safety measures with cleanliness and also wearing mask. My experience was my son utilizing their indoor pool to keep active with training during lockdown orders. The tub is mainly used for swim lessons and scuba training. The roof structure seems a bit sketch with fiberglass and plastic over arched rods like a green house. However, there was no issue and during storms and high winds it's not operated. Pool time is $20 an hour, ask for any specials. They have a four lane 20 yard pool that worked, but not ideal with it being short 5 yards from regulation since my son is a competitive swimmer. Staff placed lane lines in during workouts. Staff kept the pool clean and most import during the off season it's heated. There is a changing area. Staff have told me that they think lessons will resume this Summer. I encourage any parent looking at programs to consider swim as essential. The 4-5 year old range in my opinion is a great age. The city has many options with recreation centers. However, LDC small groups is an advantage.