When it comes to an exhibit about dinosaurs, I think "too real" might be a compliment? This wasn't for Nou, but some little dinosaur lover out there will be very happy, I think, with what the Virginia Aquarium's got going on right now. Eight animatronic dinosaur species, surrounded by their own particular habitats, a Paleo dig and fossil discovery station, not to mention a behind the scenes look at how the amazing robot dinosaurs were built! What more could you ask for?


Sure thing, little buddy.



Dinosaurs! will be at the aquarium until January 3, 2016, so there's plenty of time to go see them for yourself. More details here. And for what it's worth, we did find dinosaurs in the gift shop. Everybody's happy!

We've been to the Virginia Aquarium approximately a million times, but somehow, we never quite make it over to the Marsh Pavilion. It's not in the same complex as the main building, it doesn't have seals (mine and Anne's favorite) or sharks (James's favorite). But by not visiting, we were making a big mistake. The Marsh Pavilion is pretty cool, and worthy of a visit in itself, and here are a few reasons why.

1. OTTERS. They roll, they tumble, they dive and play, they are just as cute as seals (maybe more?) Watching these little fellows glide through the water is entrancing, I could have watched all day.

2. Snakes! Lately, Anouk's big obsession is with snakes (don't ask me!) She swears she is going to be a herpetologist when she grows up, and thus needs to go look at and "study" snakes whenever possible. Turns out it is kind of hard to find a place to see lots of snakes in the HRVA region -- except at the Marsh Pavilion, where there were just enough slitery friends to keep her happy.

3. Aviary. The half-acre aviary features a raised path that allows you to walk through and get a close look at the 55 bird species that reside there. Including the great horned owl, Owlex, who is a popular aquarium resident and always fun to watch.

4. Adventure Park. The new adventure park (zip lines!) is located along Owl Creek at the Marsh Pavilion. It's only for ages 5 and up (and definitely not for preggos) so we didn't visit it on our last visit, but boy, does it look fun.

Speaking of Owl Creek, did you know that you can take the Owls Creek path from the Bay and Ocean Pavilion to the Marsh Pavilion? It's a 10 minute walk along the marsh and woods preserves that border the creek, with a 30-foot observation tower to climb for an aerial view. During the summer, activity carts are stationed along the trail for a more interactive experience.

Have you been to the Marsh Pavilion? What's your favorite thing to see there?

The reptile house is easy to miss at the Virginia Zoo. It's tucked away in the barnyard, which is currently closed for renovations, so it's not very a high-traffic area. However, Zoo Tales is often held during the winter in the barnyard classroom, and Anouk and I rediscovered the reptile house after storytime a few weeks ago. It has quickly become one of our favorite places to spend a rainy/chilly morning at the zoo.

The exhibit is pretty low-key, definitely not as flashy as the new tiger or orangutan habitat. It hasn't been renovated in a long time -- not since I was a kid, because I remember visiting it and things looked exactly the same, then. But it would be a shame to judge the reptile house on its outward appearance -- because the array of reptiles (and amphibians!) at the Virginia Zoo is pretty amazing. They have a wide collection of snakes and frogs, turtles and lizards (including a couple of fearsome iguanas), a few of which we've been lucky enough to be able to see up close (and pet!) at recent Zoo Tales. A. has been all about frogs ("woggies") lately, thanks to a little rubber frog she got at the pediatrician's office, and enjoys being held up for some face time with the frogs more than almost anything else the zoo has to offer.

The reptile house is attached to the nocturnal animal exhibit, and so when we tire of the creepy crawlies, we mosey on over to visit the the shrews, porcupines, and owls, and the animals in the small mammal house, including a teeny tiny red deer and the spider monkeys. The monkeys might just be our favorite animals at the zoo -- they are constantly in motion, tumbling and rolling, swinging from branches, and tossing each other food. It's worth a zoo trip just to see them -- Anne and I could watch the spider monkeys for hours. They're better than any movie, and far less predictable.

Don't forget about the reptiles and the small mammals on your next zoo visit! They just might surprise you, and turn out to be your favorites, too.