25 Fantastic & Exciting Ways To Celebrate Turning 25 In Virginia

(The post Virginia Birthday Ideas may contain affiliate links that I may earn a small commission when you click on or purchase from the links. This is at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own. You can learn more about this in my Disclosures & Disclaimers.)

Having just looked into ways to celebrate turning 25 as my quarter century rang this New Year’s Day, I flippantly reckoned I could create a post of my findings on the subject.

After all, 25 may be one of the final milestone birthdays that aren’t warily looked at as “I’m getting old.” Yes, I’ve seen one too many young adults lament about their 30th birthday. A matter that other adults find amusing, never mind their own lamentation of their 40th or 50th. Rinse and repeat. But alas…

This list of 25 ways to celebrate turning 25 in Virginia will encompass more Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Shenandoah areas for two reasons.

One, I’m more familiar with these areas and offerings and can thus recommend attractions from a more personal, genuine place. And two, the NorVA/DC area could fill all 25 slots on this list by itself. So, aside from throwing an honorable mention to Astro’s Doughnuts, Northern Virginia can understandably disown me.

Without further ado, here’s 25 Virginia birthday ideas.

(Note: Attractions are listed in no particular order.)

Related Reading: 40 Fun Things To Do In Virginia Beach

Virginia Birthday Ideas

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Unsurprisingly, I’ve celebrated quite a few birthdays at the most beautiful theme park in the world. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a year-round option for ringing in your Virginia birthday with plenty of options for enjoying the day. Binge riding roller coasters like Verbolten, eating around Europe, plenty of shows and shopping, annual special events–it’s a reliable option if you have the money to splurge.

Busch Gardens is based in Williamsburg. You can get a discount on your Busch Gardens tickets (up to $25 off) through the link provided. These tickets are good for 1 year from your date of purchase and can be fully refunded with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance of your trip. There’s also a 2-day ticket option that includes Water Country USA.

Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion is another beloved birthday spot of mine. The roller coaster variety is a lot of fun and if you’re going during the summer, they have an entire waterpark attached so you’re getting a two for one special with this. Besides, it’s pretty hard to pass up spending your birthday getting abducted by aliens, plunging 305 feet at 90+ mph, and sightseeing atop the Eiffel Tower. And if you’re a fall birthday child, Halloween Haunt will be in full swing. For the winter babies, Winterfest will be under way.

Kings Dominion is located in Doswell just north of Richmond. You can also get a nice savings of $20 off your Kings Dominion discount tickets. These tickets include a best price guarantee, no extra fees, free shipping, and already include tax.

Virginia Aquarium

The Aquarium is what won out for my 25th birthday. It’s always a fun experience getting to see and learn about the animals that call the oceans home. Especially when they’re under the care of an organization that’s dedicated to animal welfare and actively involved in saving local wildlife. I’ve seen firsthand one of their rescue responses when an injured sea turtle washed ashore a few years back. So through and through, the Virginia Aquarium is a great place for a birthday party.

You can visit the Aquarium in Virginia Beach. Admission can be purchased online.

Colonial Williamsburg

A classic for both historians and the casual folk, Colonial Williamsburg is a quaint destination to celebrate your birthday at. There is a lot of manicured gardens and cobblestone paths if you prefer to linger near the Governor’s Palace, sobering history if you opt for the Jamestown settlements and Native Encampment sites, or ghastly experiences in the many ghost tours they host (because as you’d imagine, the apex site of American history is as haunted as it gets).

Most unbelievably of all, Colonial Williamsburg is located in Williamsburg. And, to make the most of your Colonial Williamsburg visit, book the Colonial History Guided Tour. The tour includes the best sites and little-known secrets of Colonial Williamsburg, complete with recreations of the 18th century history and a personal guide donned in period attire.

Booking your tour through the link above includes free cancellation for a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. You can also make your reservation now and pay anytime up to 72 hours before your trip.

Related Reading: Best Places To Stay In Colonial Williamsburg

Norfolk Zoo

Back on the similar tangent of the fun in seeing and learning about the wildlife we share the world with, the Norfolk Zoo is another neat option on our birthday list. This time, instead of our aquatic based critters, the Norfolk Zoo spotlights nearly 1,000 animals from nearly 200 different species. Behind the scenes tours are also offered if you’d like to hang out with sloths or feed giraffes. Why not celebrate your day with some unique animal ambassadors?

Also in its namesake, the Norfolk Zoo is based in Norfolk. Tickets are currently available online.

Skyline Drive

The Skyline Drive is a lovely, scenic four-wheel hike about the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it can carry on for as long as you’d like it to. Spanning 100 miles, it features 75 overlooks that include sweeping views, trailheads, campgrounds, and picnic areas. Spring offers beautiful florals and the fall, autumnal leaves. You won’t fall short of outdoor experiences along this drive.

The Skyline Drive spans the Blue Ridge Mountains from Front Royal to Waynesboro. Grab an audio guide for your free drive for a private tour of the best spots and hidden gems along the Skyline. You’ll have access to the guide for 365 days, can reserve it now and pay for it as late as 72 hours before your trip, and can get a full refund for it before 24 hours in advance of your trip.

Related Reading: Best Resorts In The Shenandoah Valley

Virginia Beach Oceanfront

The Virginia Beach Oceanfront is a destination I covered in a 10 Things to do at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront post, but I’ll run a brief gist here. The Oceanfront naturally includes vast beaches, fishing piers, and the Boardwalk that itself features a myriad of restaurants, hotels, and museums. The streets, Atlantic and Pacific, that run along the Oceanfront include experiences like Nightmare Mansion, Indoor Skydiving, and Atlantic Fun Park amongst many others. Not to mention that there’s always new things being added, so your trips will never get stale. There’ll be plenty of ways to celebrate your birthday here.

And predictably, the Virginia Beach Oceanfront resides in Virginia Beach. The Oceanfront is free to visit. Different offerings and parking might cost extra.

Related Reading: Virginia Beach Restaurants Guide

KOA

KOA is a fun camp paradise that their many locations offer a great choose your own adventure sort of experience. There is one in Virginia Beach just past the Oceanfront, so you can enjoy log cabins, trails, and the beach in one go. There is one in Doswell too, so you can enjoy log cabins, trails, and Kings Dominion in one go. The regional activities are up to you.

The KOAs include sites for camping, RVs, and cabins plus Wi-Fi, TV, pools, and bike rentals. If you’re a camping fiend, then you can’t go wrong here for your birthday.

KOA has locations in Virginia Beach, Doswell, Broadway, and Charlottesville just to name a few. Plan your Virginia camping trip online.

Great Wolf Lodge

A many moons ago, I rang in a birthday at Great Wolf Lodge and trust that ten-year-old me has the “Going to the Lodge” jingle stuck in my head still. Regardless of any age, Great Wolf Lodge is a fantastic place to celebrate your birthday at. It’s a highly themed lodge resort and indoor waterpark in one fell swoop.

I’d be remiss to not say that I miss GWL a lot. It’s a blast and has some really great waterslides if you’re looking for a splash in the dead of winter. What better way to ring in a new age than an indoor water park lodge?

Great Wolf Lodge is located in Williamsburg. Snag a deal on your stay here.

Go Ape

Go Ape is another Virginia birthday retreat for the outdoorsy types, as well as another one with multiple locations. This attraction is essentially an adult version of a jungle gym with treetop obstacle courses, zip lines, and Tarzan swings. Jump lines and axe throwing are additional experiences offered at Go Ape. For their courses, they offer a beginner and a regular option based on your preference. If you’re an adventurous soul, Go Ape’s a great place to enjoy your next birthday party.

Go Ape has locations in Williamsburg and Springfield. Check out their adventure courses on their website!

Ocean Breeze

Being a winter baby, Ocean Breeze is a seasonal attraction but definitely a fun one at that! Ocean Breeze is a waterpark located by Motor World (see next option below) and the Oceanfront. It includes raft slides, body slides, lazy rivers, and wave pools.

The best part (and my personal favorite that you won’t find at Water Country) is their ride, Jungle Falls, that sends you down a series of multiple flume slides and interconnected pools. I would recommend Ocean Breeze just for that alone. But as a water park, it naturally makes for a great birthday party place.

As alluded to, Ocean Breeze is located in Virginia Beach. Tickets can be purchased online ahead of time.

Motor World

Motor World is a Go Kart park located next to Ocean Breeze. It features 11 different racetracks (for adults & kids), a few amusement rides, and even a not so mini miniature golf course (18 & 36 holes). Their Road Racer track boasts the most twists and turns, running a half mile that you can traverse four times over. The mini golf course is my family’s favorite in the area, offering an immersive tropical shipwreck theme and plenty of holes to put. It pairs well with the waterpark next door.

Motor World is also located in Virginia Beach. Motor World’s prices vary per experience.

Indoor Skydiving

If you’re feeling adventurous but really hate airplanes (like me), you can spend your Virginia birthday indoor skydiving at an iFLY’s. Another option that comes with a splurge price tag, iFLY gives you the opportunity to simulate skydiving through a wind tunnel that blows enough air to make a person float.

Every experience kicks off with a training session, and certain packages offer a higher and faster flight experience. It’s definitely another standout option of the ways to celebrate your birthday in Virginia.

iFLY has locations in both Virginia Beach and Ashburn. Book your flight here.

Top Golf

If you ever played minigolf and wished you could hit the ball as hard as you could in any given direction, cue Top Golf. From your own bay, you can play regular golf, competitions, and various games interacting with your bay’s TV. You can also order food and drinks (dry & alcoholic) with the macaroni bites and injectable donut holes being worth the visit to Top Golf just in themselves. They have a great culinary scene. They offer birthday party packages online if this has made your list of birthday party venues.

Top Golf can be found in both Richmond and Virginia Beach. Plan your visit online.

Buckroe Beach Park

A local gem, Buckroe Beach Park is a beach retreat that you’ll find to be less daunting in crowds than the Oceanfront. It includes a general community park complete with picnic pavilions, piers, and a playground for littles, in addition to its sandy beaches. Just be forewarned the seagulls will not shy away from swarming approaching you if you start to feed them. Fun tidbit, an amusement park used to reside on these grounds and a few remnants of it remain that I cover in my Buckroe Beach Park tribute post.

Buckroe Beach Park can be found on the coast of Hampton. The park is free to visit.

Related Reading: Best Places To Stay In Hampton VA

Dolphin Tours

This is a route my brother took for one of his birthday celebrations, one he really enjoyed. There are many different dolphin tour opportunities available, primarily along the coast. Some offer tours via climate-controlled cruise boats or up-close kayak ventures depending on your preference. The former is a handicap accessible, snacks & drinks available option while the latter yields the possibility for a front row encounter with the dolphins. Can you name a better birthday guest of honor than a dolphin?

Various dolphin tours are available, but the two I recommend are Rudee Flipper Dolphin Tours and Go Kayak Paddle with a Porpoise. Both are located in Virginia Beach.

Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe is an overlooked historical nook just a stone’s throw from Buckroe Beach. If you’re a history buff in the Hampton Roads who’s looking for something a little different from the typical Williamsburg beat for a historical birthday endeavor, Fort Monroe is a neat blast from the past. The fort itself, accompanied by a moat, is the largest built in the US and was active from the 19th century until 2011. It now houses museums, beaches, and historical remnants like Abe Lincoln’s quarters and Jefferson Davis’ prison cell.

Fort Monroe sits on the shore of Hampton. Fort Monroe is free to visit though certain activities might cost extra.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

For a more tranquil and serene choice of ways to celebrate your birthday in Virginia, the Norfolk Botanical Gardens is a beautiful spot for birthday parties. If you’re a spring or summer baby, the gardens will be in full bloom and color. If you’re fall, the autumn leaves turn the gardens golden. And if you’re winter, you’ll find the gardens decked out in beautiful light displays. There’s also a bistro café onsite so you can picnic for lunch and tram tours are available as well.

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens is indeed located in Norfolk. Admission can be bought online in advance.

Related Reading: Best Ways To Spend Spring Break In Virginia

Luray Caverns

Back to the Shenandoah, the Luray Caverns offers a medley of activities for your birthday. Of course, there’s the caverns themselves which are the largest in the east, dating back 4 million years, and spanning 10 stories high. Admission also covers the Car & Carraige Caravan Museum, Toy Town Junction, and Shenandoah Heritage Village. Other opportunities include the Gem Sluice, Garden Maze, Rope Adventure Park, Singing Tower, and two cafes.

The Luray Caverns reside in Luray. Tickets are also available online.

Monticello

Monticello is our last history-based attraction for our list, being the home of Thomas Jefferson. At the estate, you can learn about the president, his home, and the slaves who built and lived there themselves. There are many types of tours offered including self-guided, family friendly, private, slavery focused, gardens & grounds focused, and even live virtual tours. Food and shopping are also available onsite.

Monticello is in Charlottesville. Tickets and tours are recommended to be purchased before you go.

Nauticus

If you’re looking for a fun nautical birthday celebration, Nauticus is a maritime experience consisting of a museum, sailing center, and the Battleship Wisconsin. And as you’d imagine, the Battleship is the hallmark attraction of Nauticus. The ship was commissioned in the 1940s and last served in Operation Desert Storm before decommissioning in 1991. You can take a tour of the five-star battleship solo on deck or guided down below.

Nauticus is located in Norfolk. Purchase tickets on their website.

Water Country USA

Another water park option for the summertime birthdays, Water Country USA is definitely a strong option that compliments a trip to Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg. It features more slides than Ocean Breeze, enjoying the financial support of a major chain like SeaWorld, and has a retro ’50s surf theme. Tearing across a water coaster isn’t a bad way to celebrate your day, needless to say. Water Country USA is a lot of fun!

Water Country USA finds a home in Williamsburg. Purchase your discounted Water Country USA ticket through the link for a lowest price guarantee. Like the Busch Gardens ticket, these tickets include options to reserve now and pay anytime up to 2 days before your trip, a free cancellation for a full refund until 24 hours before your trip, and ticket upgrades to include BG admission as well.

Carter Mountain Orchard

Carter Mountain Orchard is a countryside family orchard near Monticello that I grew up going to with my grandparents and siblings. It’s a trip that will yield great Insta worthy photos, if that suits your fancy. But truly shines in their bakery treats, cider drinks, and peach picking (apples in the fall). They’re famous for their apple cider donuts, but their peach milkshakes are likewise equally amazing. Don’t overlook this staple in the list of different ways to celebrate your birthday.

Carter Mountain Orchard is in Charlottesville. The orchard is free to visit although fruit picking prices vary.

Massanutten Resort

What happens if Great Wolf Lodge and Wintergreen had a child? It would be named Massanutten. It is named Massanutten, and it features multiple lodging options, an indoor/outdoor waterpark, ski & adventure park, two golf courses, a spa, and various dining and shopping opportunities. So basically, if you’re indecisive and prefer Neapolitan ice cream, then you can’t go wrong with Massanutten. It’s also a great year-round option for winter birthdays.

Massanutten is located in McGaheysville. Start your resort planning here.

Wintergreen Resort

Last but not least in our Virginia birthday ideas quest, Wintergreen panders to all the outdoorsy folks who prefers snow to sand. Wintergreen is a lodging resort that includes all the snow and skiing activities you can dream. The resort boasts an amazing experience with 13 slopes, 3 lifts, tubing, and hiking. Lodging options include hotel rooms, condos, and 3-6 bedroom homes. My youngest brother favors and frequents this attraction a lot.

Wintergreen is, aptly, in Wintergreen. Book your birthday retreat online.

Bonus Birthday Ideas In Virginia

• Escape Rooms: Room Escape Fairfax 
• Indoor Trampoline Park: Get Air Trampoline Park
• Roller Skating or Ice Skating: Sk8 Dojo Roller Rink or Chilled Ponds at Yorktown
• Dinner Cruises: Spirit of Norfolk
• Video Games: GamerBus and GameOn Gaming Center

Round Up

And with that, there are your 25 great ways to celebrate your birthday in Virginia! If there are any other Virginia based attractions that I didn’t include in this list, chime in below with your favorite birthday excursions. The Old Dominion is home to a great many entertainments and activities.

Have a magical birthday!

What are your favorite Virginia birthday ideas?

For more Virginia travel guides, you can also check out:

• 15 Best Virginia National Parks
• 30 Things to Do in Virginia Beach
• 30 Things To Do In Richmond VA
• 30 Things to Do in Williamsburg
• 20+ Ways To Spend Spring Break In VA
• 20 Ways To Enjoy Fall In Williamsburg
• Things To Do On New Year’s Eve In Virginia

Thanks for reading!