Editing Virginia Beach, Virginia (section)

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture in Virginia Beach}}
[[File:AdamThoroughgoodHouse1957.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Adam Thoroughgood House]], before 1957 restoration]]
[[File:Sandler Center Pic 1.jpg|thumb|The [[Sandler Center for the Performing Arts|Sandler Center]] located in [[Virginia Beach Town Center|Town Center]], features performing arts, concerts, forums, and many other events.]]

The city is home to several points of interest in the historical, scientific, and visual/performing arts areas, and has become a popular tourist destination in recent years. The [[Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art]] features regularly changing exhibitions in a variety of media. Exhibitions feature painting, sculpture, photography, glass, video and other visual media from internationally acclaimed artists as well as artists of national and regional renown. MOCA was born from the annual [[Boardwalk Art Show]], which began in 1952 and is now the museum's largest fundraiser.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://virginiamoca.org/mission-and-beliefs|title=About us – Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art|website=virginiamoca.org|access-date=May 25, 2022}}</ref>

The [[Virginia Aquarium|Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center]] (formerly the Virginia Marine Science Museum) is a popular aquarium near the oceanfront that features various [[shark]]s, [[sting ray]]s, sea turtles, jellyfish, and octopuses.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.VirginiaAquarium.com/ | title = Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center | access-date = March 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/news/vp-nw-virginia-aquarium-grant-0727-20210727-mugjcp6p2zcafhkmlx5tqrldoa-story.html?outputType=amp|title=Virginia Aquarium lands $4.5 million shuttered venue grant from federal government|last=Parker|first=Stacy|date=July 27, 2021|website=[[The Virginian-Pilot]]|access-date=July 27, 2021}}</ref>

One of the world's largest collections of World War I and World War II aircraft is located at the [[Military Aviation Museum]] in the [[Pungo, Virginia|Pungo]] area of Virginia Beach.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://militaryaviationmuseum.org/ | title = Military Aviation Museum – Historic WWI & WWII Hangars, Aircraft, Airshows, and Adventure! | website = militaryaviationmuseum.org | language = en-US|access-date=February 26, 2018}}</ref>

The [[Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach]], built in 1996, features a wide variety of popular shows and concerts. The [[Sandler Center for the Performing Arts|Sandler Center]], a 1200-seat performing arts theater, opened in the [[Virginia Beach Town Center]] in November 2007.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.sandlercenter.org/ | title = Sandler Center for the Performing Arts | access-date = March 18, 2008}}</ref>

Virginia Beach is home to many sites of historical importance and has 18 sites on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. Such sites include the [[Adam Thoroughgood House]] (one of the oldest surviving colonial homes in Virginia), the Francis Land House (a 200-year-old plantation), the [[Cape Henry Light]]s and nearby Cape Henry Light Station (a second tower), [[De Witt Cottage]], [[Adam Keeling House]], and others.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/va/Virginia+Beach/state.html | title = National Register of Historic Places – Virginia Beach | access-date = March 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://vbmuseums.org/museums/thoroughgood-house|title=Thoroughgood House|website=Virginia Beach History Museums|access-date=April 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://vbmuseums.org/museums/francis-land-house|title=Francis Land House|website=Virginia Beach History Museums|access-date=April 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://preservationvirginia.org/historic-sites/cape-henry-lighthouse/|title=Cape Henry Lighthouse|website=Preservation Virginia|access-date=April 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thedewittcottage.org/|title=The Historic de Whitt Cottage|website=thedewhittcottage.org|access-date=April 11, 2023}}</ref>

The [[Edgar Cayce]] Hospital for Research and Enlightenment was established in Virginia Beach in 1928 with 60 beds. The 67th street facility features a large private library of books on psychic matters and is open to the public. The traditional beach-architecture headquarters building features massage therapy by appointment. Cayce opened [[Atlantic University]] in 1930; it closed two years later but was re-opened in 1985. Atlantic University was originally intended for study of Cayce's readings and research on spiritual subjects.<ref name="About AU" />

[[File:Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind 18.jpg|thumb|180px|[[King Neptune (statue)|King Neptune]] statue in 2020]]

The city's largest festival, the [[Neptune Festival]], attracts 500,000 visitors to the oceanfront and 350,000 visitors to the air show at NAS Oceana.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.wtkr.com/news/good-news/virginia-beach-neptune-festival-celebrates-47th-annual-boardwalk-weekend|title=Virginia Beach Neptune Festival celebrates 47th annual Boardwalk Weekend|date=September 18, 2021|website=WTKR.com|access-date=September 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/virginia-beach/virginia-beach-neptune-festival-kicks-off-this-weekend/amp/|title=Virginia Beach Neptune Festival kicks off this weekend|last=Davis|first=Symone|date=September 24, 2021|website=Wavy.com|access-date=September 24, 2021}}</ref> Celebrating the city's heritage link with Norway, events are held in September in the oceanfront and Town Center areas.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.neptunefestival.com/ | title = The Neptune Festival | publisher = The Neptune Festival | date = June 25, 2010 | access-date = July 2, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19910915-1991-09-15-9109160232-story.html|title=VA Beach Set For Another Neptune Fest|last=Nicholson|first=David|date=September 15, 2021|website=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]]|access-date=April 12, 2023}}</ref> Every Labor Day Weekend, the American Music Festival provides festival attendees with live music performed on stages all over the oceanfront, including the beach on Fifth Street. The festival formerly ended with the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, but no longer since the cancelation of the event in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 4, 2021 |title=The end of an era: Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Virginia Beach |url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/virginia-beach/the-end-of-an-era-rock-n-roll-running-series-virginia-beach/ |access-date=March 25, 2023 |website=WAVY.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Last Night On The Town is an annual [[New Year's Eve]] celebration that takes place every December 31.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lastnightonthetown.com/|title=The Official website of Last Night On The Town: Virginia Beach's premier New Years Eve event|website=lastnightonthetown.com|access-date=April 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wtkr.com/news/last-night-on-the-town-nye-event-returns-to-virginia-beach-town-center|title=Last Night on the Town NYE event returns to Virginia Beach Town Center|last=Sabella|first=Anthony|date=December 30, 2021|website=WTKR.com|access-date=April 11, 2023}}</ref>