Lafayette Park

Use 3500 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23504 for the general park. Reservable shelters are accessed from LaVallette Avenue, while smaller first-come shelters are reached from Zoo Drive beside the Virginia Zoo and Ernie Morgan Center.

Restrooms are scheduled daily 8 a.m.–5 p.m. from April 1 through May 31, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. from June 1 through September 30, and 8 a.m.–5 p.m. from October 1 through November 30. No winter restroom schedule is listed.

Yes. The City lists a playground along with picnic shelters, lighted baseball fields, basketball, tennis, disc golf, nature viewing, and a kayak launch.

Yes. Shelters 1 and 2 each hold up to 100 people, and Shelter 3 holds 20. Smaller shelters accessed from Zoo Drive are first-come, first-served; use LaVallette Avenue for the reservable shelters.

Choose the access side based on your destination: LaVallette Avenue for the large reservable shelters, or Zoo Drive and Granby Street for the small shelters, zoo-adjacent side, and general park. Events can change circulation and available spaces.

Yes. The park offers open-space walking and nature viewing along the Lafayette River, though it is more of a recreation and picnic park than a long trail system. Surfaces vary around fields, shelters, shoreline, and the kayak launch.

General park, playground, courts, fields, disc golf, nature viewing, and kayak-launch access is free. Shelter reservations, organized athletics, permits, and special events can have separate charges.

Seasonal restroom closure, shelter reservations, ballfield use, festivals, maintenance, river conditions, and zoo-area events can affect individual facilities. Drone takeoff and landing are prohibited at Lafayette Park and its kayak launch without applicable authorization.

Dogs should remain leashed in Lafayette Park, and owners must remove waste. The separate fenced Lafayette Dog Park is at 1270 Lafayette Boulevard, not within the Granby Street park grounds, so route to that facility when off-leash play is the goal.

Choose the entrance closest to the feature you need: LaVallette Avenue for the large reservable shelters or Zoo Drive and Granby Street for the zoo-adjacent park side. Paths, shoreline access, fields, and the kayak launch vary, so verify the exact route before relying on a step-free connection.

Lafayette Park has three reservable picnic shelters: Shelters 1 and 2 hold up to 100 people each, while Shelter 3 is for a smaller group. Additional small shelters near Zoo Drive are first come, first served. Trees provide intermittent shade, but fields, courts, playground, kayak access, and open lawn remain exposed. Restrooms close seasonally, and the adjacent Virginia Zoo is a separate attraction. During lightning, severe wind, or flooding, use an open substantial building or enclosed vehicle rather than a picnic shelter.

Hampton Roads Transit Route 1 serves the Lafayette Park and Virginia Zoo area from Downtown Norfolk Transit Center along Granby Street. Exit for the zoo or park side you need and use the live planner for 3500 Granby Street, because the zoo entrance, ballfields, river edge, and park amenities are separated by roads and fences. Check alerts before returning, particularly during events.

No. Norfolk does not list Lafayette Park among its pools or splash pads, and the Lafayette River edge and kayak access are not a managed swimming beach. The City's current water-play locations include Fountain Park at Town Point Park, Shoop Park Splash Pad, Norview Community Splash Pad, and separately operated pools; schedules and outages vary. Choose one of those named facilities rather than entering the river or zoo-adjacent ponds.