A summer exhibit has long been a popular way for museums to increase visitors in the summer months. It entices tourists to come in and gives locals something new to see. Norfolk, Virginia’s institutions are no different, and this summer they seem to have a common theme- to entertain children. Mazes and labyrinths give children a journey with a goal to pursue-and in these cases -educate as well.

Nauticus is downtown Norfolk’s museum dedicated to the sea, the Navy and maritime adventures, complete with its own decommissioned battleship in residence. Also at the museum until October 10 is “Atlantis! A Labyrinth Adventure.”

We only had a short time to fill, so we bought the discounted tickets to Atlantis instead of the full-day admission to Nauticus. I was expecting to be done in about an hour, but I had to drag my 4-year-old son out after two hours and three trips to the labyrinth. He loved it.

The adventure starts out with a short film. Visitors meet explorer “Peter Seidon,” who implores them to “be brave and be bold” as they explore the underwater depths to search for the lost city. This was all my son, a big fan of superheroes and soldiers, needed to hear, and he was off on the quest.  

The labyrinth twists and turns through the darkened space of Half Moon Cruise Terminal with riddles and obstacles in the way, teaching children about the wonders of the ocean. We learned about jellyfish, sea turtles, sea kelp and the legends of mermaids. This was a great way to cool off when it was too hot to be outside and was relatively inexpensive, though of course, you have to pass through the gift shop to exit. The Atlantis exhibit costs $6 for adults, $5 for children ages 4 to 12 and is free for children under 3 years old.

The labyrinth is geared for children up to age 8, but I ran into a family whose 12-year-old boy was having a lot of fun exploring with his younger sister.

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens is a favorite spot year-round for family activities that my son and I enjoy. Every summer they offer a special exhibit, and this year it is coincidentally mazes.  The 10 mazes are spread throughout the gardens, and no special fee is required. The mazes will be open until September 5.

This is of course an outdoor adventure, but luckily there is a water park, or “splash garden,” in the children’s garden for cooling off.  Each maze has a different theme and learning opportunity:  from music to art to plants that attract butterflies to simple sheets drying on the clothesline to a sunflower maze. The sunflowers were so tall that one flower in particular scared my 4-year-old a bit.   

My son loved exploring and, of course, beating Mommy to the finish line was a special thrill.