# Lil' Mariners' Play Zone and Bumblebee Learning Garden at Mariners' Park

> Place to go for families in the Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk area (VA / NC). Times are Eastern Time.

- When: Park open daily 6 am–6 pm
- Where: Mariners' Park (The Mariners' Museum and Park), 100 Museum Dr, Newport News, VA 23606
- Ages: Young children and caregivers
- Price: Park is free; museum admission $1
- Schedule: Park open daily 6 am–6 pm
- Organizer: The Mariners' Museum and Park
- Official page: https://www.marinersmuseum.org/for-kids/
- Last checked: Sat, Oct 24

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/virginia-beach/activities/lil-mariners-play-zone-and-bumblebee-learning-garden-at-mariners-park--listing-b13a9539abd20862fe627309

## About

Free outdoor spots for young children in the 550-acre Mariners' Park. The Lil' Mariners' Play Zone is a natural playground where kids hop between tree stumps and explore a giant checkerboard, challenge courses, a USS Monitor play ship and a habitat tree, with picnic tables nearby for lunch. In the Bumblebee Learning Garden, children use their senses and can notice how the garden changes through the year. The museum also suggests scavenger hunts and nature walks in the park, and has maritime coloring pages. Inside the museum (ticketed), kids can follow a gallery scavenger hunt from the admissions desk, watch ship modelmakers at work and try designing an ironclad.

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