Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum

Nice little museum in a historic home on the beach front. There were several men there actively working on some decoys. Some beautiful craftsmanship but sad to realize that it was started to hunt birds.

Quaint little museum for anyone interested in the history of fowl hunting and the rifles and wooden decoys used in the past. Clean restrooms. Never any wait or crowds. May be a few families walking throughout during peak summer months, but never crowded. Nice walkway for handicap access and rocking chairs on the wooden front porch facing the Atlantic Ocean. Also a the Dewitt Cottege is adjacent & sometimes has good local live music very visible from the porch of the museum. Recommended if you enjoy the museum topic, want to learn about it, or just enjoy sitting in a rocking chair staring at the sea.

Built in 1895, beautifully restored almost 100 years later in 1994, the de Witt Cottage features a large collection of wildfowl decoys, as well as a wide variety of old photographs, newsclips, and antiques. Lower floor free, $2 donation requested for upper gallery, which is accessible via stairlift for those who may have difficulty climbing. Video lecture provides a brief history of the Virginia Beach boardwalk. Great lens back in time for those interested in the area's history. Curator was knowledgeable and gregarious without being pushy. Souvenir postcards 3-for-$1. Gift shop also featured books, art, jewelry, and (of course!) decoys. Purchase came with complimentary reusable state-branded canvas tote. Would recommend checking it out if you're in the area.

Initially, I went for the Gingerbread House Competition. It was fantastic to see all the entries and work each competitor put in to their creations. The museum's wildfowl memorabilia and other artifacts were interesting. I think this most certainly has to be something you're interested in to get the full benefit of visiting.

Small cottage house where a family used to live. They were having a gingerbread house competition so you could see all the displays. All free so if you're in the area it's a neat place to visit.

Cool stop along the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. The museum is free and they have lots of hand carved decoys on display which are pretty interesting as well as the building being a historic cottage from the 1800s. I recommend stopping by if you're in the area.

Carvers were on site and shared interesting information, but the decoy display was being rotated, so only a few were out. Crazy how thus is in the middle of busy Virginia Beach. Parking can be hard to find.

Free, interesting museum with a beautiful garden in back. On the 2nd floor there is an informative video about the history of Virginia Beach, along with a lot of old photos. Friendly staff members.

Went here on 11/15/20 while walking down the boardwalk. For a $2 per person voluntary donation, you can check out historical waterfowl decoys used in hunting ducks to sell their meat at the markets and to supply local restaurants. These handmade decoys are quite rare due to the fact that hunters used to burn them for firewood if they were damaged after the hunting season was over. I enjoyed the film in the museum and wish it was available for purchase. It showed how these decoys were made by hand, including using shards of glass to sand the birds, prior to the advent of commercial sandpaper. I learnt that aside from glass, dried sharkskin was used to sand down wood. The only thing that would make this museum 5 stars would be to add placards to the exhibit so you could know what exactly you're looking at without needing to ask the volunteer docent. While we were sitting in the rocking chairs on the porch of the museum, a volunteer was leading a hands on woodworking demonstration which was neat.

Cute little museum that is free. You can see all kinds of duck memorabilia and get an insight into duck hunting and its history. The man who runs it is pleasant and lets you do your own thing.

If you duck/goose hunt and are strolling the boardwalk do yourself a favor and stop in this museum. The Dewitt house is the oldest on the beach and the volunteers have filled it with awesome decoys and duck hunting artifacts. Great maps, info on history and much more! Rare, priceless decoys to volunteers carving new ones before your eyes. The volunteers are very knowledgeable and friendly. They loved swapping stories with me too. Free, but they have a donation box. Use it! A highlight of my visit as a duck hunter.

What a distinct, fun, and hidden treasure! My partner and I had lunch across the street at THE RAVEN and decided we'd pop in to see what the place was all about. They have an excellent gift shop (I picked up some xmas present which were unique and fun!) and they have a demonstration room. When we were there one carver was over 60 and one under 18. It was fascinating to talk with them about carving decoys (and no, I've never had a conversation about that before and I don't own any decoys.) They were passionate about their craft and inspirational. We ended up being there for over an hour and it was a completely delightful, surprise experience. Oh, and guys, when I got home I checked on that carved rabbit I told you I'd owned for years. It's signed by Tom Taber. From Google, it looks like he's a big ole deal though I don't see any similar rabbits! :-)

As I frequently visit the Oceanfront area, walking the boardwalk and whatnot, I've walked by this place dozens of times. This past weekend, while attending ECSC, I was finally intrigued enough to step inside. It's a cute little museum, mostly to do with wildfowl decoys and the DeWitt family that lived there the longest until the city of Virginia Beach purchased the home. From the outside, what intrigued me was a bit deceptive once I saw what was inside. The signs outside specifically mention a museum for coastal seabirds, but it's really only about the decoys used to hunt them. If you're a fan of woodworking and/or hunting, then this is probably very interesting. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of either, but I did enjoy the stuff they had on the history of Virginia Beach.

If you consider yourself a local of Virginia Beach and have not yet gone in to this house, shame on you. Owned by the local legends, the DeWitt family, the house has since been converted into the home of a decoy association and dedicated to all things huntin' birds. There's quite a nice gallery on the second floor and you'll actually learn more by asking than reading the signs. On the morning we went, a group of old men were doing a live carving demonstration, living-history style, and talked about people they'd met through the years that ate eagles and so on. (What?) Yes, so go already. Consider getting some postcard prints of local landmarks as etched by a local artist and mail them to your friends, similarly shaming them for not going. After all, it's free: just walk in!