Virginia Living Museum
Public Safaris
Take A Safari
Explore the wonders of nature near and far on a safari with the Virginia Living Museum! Join our staff naturalists and travel with us to discover the enchantment and beauty of our natural world. Please note minimum age requirements and that all return times are tentative. Travel is in the Museum's buses.
Reservations are confirmed on a first come, first paid basis. Payment must be made at the time of the reservation. You may cancel or change a reservation up to seven days before the safari unless otherwise stated and receive a refund less a $10 handling fee. After that time no refunds can be made. If the Museum cancels, a full refund will be issued.
For more information, or to make a reservation, call the Reservations Coordinator, at 757-595-9135, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
March 10, 2012
Activity Level 2
Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Smithsonian's National Insect Collection with Dr. Gary Hevel. With over 35 million specimens housed in more than 132,354 drawers, it is one of the largest entomological collections in the world.
Activity Level 2
Age: 10-17 with an adult, 18+
Time: 7a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $40 VLM Members; $60 Non-Members
March 24, 2012
Activity Level 2
Register Now or call 757-595-9135.
Take a special guided tour of one of the National Zoo's most unusual animals, the Kiwi. There will be Kiwi feathers, eggs, x-rays, skeletons and more to look at and ask questions about. There will also be time to tour the rest of the National Zoo.
Age: 8-17 with an adult, 18+
Time: 7a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $40 VLM Members; $60 Non-Members
May 5, 2012
Activity Level 3
Register Now or call 757-595-9135.
One of our favorite trips is to Merchants Millpond State Park, one of North Carolina's rarest ecological communities. Canoe this ecological wonderland containing remnants of an ancient bald cypress swamp filled with Spanish moss, mistletoe, birds and frogs. It gives you the feeling of being in an "enchanted forest." Canoes and life jackets are furnished.
Age: 8-17 with an adult, 18+
Time: 7a.m. - 7p.m.
Cost: $40 VLM Members; $60 Non-Members
Dino Dig Safari
In July 2008, the Virginia Living Museum led a safari to dig for dinosaur bones in Colorado.
Click here to read a daily blog of the trip by group leader Dan Summers, education curator at the VLM.
Click here to read excerpts of a journal kept by Brad Halcums and Pam Courtney.
Activity Levels
Activity Level 1
Unless otherwise stated, all activities require a minimum physical ability of participants to be able to move around on their own, be of good health, and easily get on and off our 15 passenger Activity Buses.
Activity Level 2
In addition to Level 1 criteria, participants must be able to climb a few flights of stairs and walk up to two miles over uneven surfaces.
Activity Level 3
In addition to Level 1-2 criteria, participants must be able to participate in three to five hours of physical activity per day, and walk three to five miles over uneven ground.
Activity Level 4
In addition to Level 1-3 criteria, participants must be in excellent health, extremely mobile, and used to an active lifestyle. Program activities may require up to six hours of moderate to fast-paced activity per day, equivalent to hiking six miles over varied terrain.
Activity Level 5
In addition to Level 1-4 criteria, participants must have a high level of physical fitness, minimum levels of expertise in the program activities, and expect full days of fast-paced challenges.