Brought to you by the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau
American Rover Tall Ship Cruises -
This large graceful sailing ship is the ideal way to get a Tall Ship Sailing Experience and to explore the history and sights of Norfolk's bustling Harbor. Smooth narrated harbor cruises depart from Waterside in Downtown Norfolk mid - April thru late October. Plenty of shade and comfortable seating topside with air-conditioned below deck lounges, snack bar and restrooms.
Association of Research and Enlightenment -
The Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc. (A.R.E. ®), is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1931 by Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), to research and explore transpersonal subjects such as holistic health, ancient mysteries, personal spirituality, dreams and dream interpretation, intuition, and philosophy and reincarnation.
Atlantic Wildlife Heritage Museum -
The Museum displays wildfowl art and artifacts that are the finest in The Hampton Roads Area and old decoys that are representative of the most well known, turn of the century decoy carvers.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge -
Back Bay Refuge contains over 9,000 acres, situated on and around a thin strip of coastline typical of barrier islands found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Habitats include beach, dunes, woodland, farm fields, and marsh. The majority of refuge marshlands are on islands contained within the waters of Back Bay.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg -
Voted the world's "Most Beautiful Theme Park" for 16 consecutive years, Busch Gardens Williamsburg offers 100 acres of fun-filled world exploration. Renowned for such roller coaster creations as Apollo's Chariot, Alpengeist, the double-looping Loch Ness Monster, and The Big Bad Wolf, Busch Gardens delivers pulse-pounding adventure with its newest ride, Curse of DarKastle.
Cape Henry Lighthouse -
Today, the old Cape Henry Lighthouse silently guards the entry way into the Chesapeake Bay. Standing near the spot where in 1607 Captain Newport raised a cross to offer thanks for their safe crossing of the Atlantic, the Lighthouse is opened to the public on a seasonal schedule.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel -
Whether you are driving north or south, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel showcases the mighty surge of the Atlantic Ocean, the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay, and the soaring grace of an engineering marvel. Both a tourist attraction and a travel convenience, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel connects Virginia's Eastern Shore with the Virginia mainland at Virginia Beach near Norfolk.
Chrysler Museum of Art -
Visitors can view the Museum's world-renowned Tiffany and contemporary glass, photography, Impressionist paintings, Art Nouveau furniture, works of art from Egyptian, African, and Pre-Columbian cultures, and an extensive European and American collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts. The Chrysler Museum of Art offers significant educational programs and has an encyclopedic collection of over 30,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of art history and cultural and art-travel programming including lectures, tours, and films. As well as a popular gift shop, Cuisine & Co. Restaurant offers visitors an opportunity to dine in the museum's architecturally acclaimed atmosphere and the 400-seat Theatre is host to many musical and theatrical performances, children's programs, and lectures.
Colonial Williamsburg -
America's oldest and largest live interpretive history experience, Colonial Williamsburg's 301-acre Historic Area brings Virginia's 18th-century capital city to life every day. Visit with patriots and loyalists, tradespeople and merchants, hardy farmers and enslaved Africans. Debate the "issues of the day" with a founding father, take a carriage ride, stroll the streets, visit the shops and taverns where Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Washington, and others conceived the ideals of liberty, independence, and personal freedom that influenced the founding of this nation.
History comes alive in these Newport News Museums
www.warmuseum.org • www.endview.org • www.leehall.org • www.newsomehouse.org
Visitors to the Newport News' city-owned museums experience history through historic interpreters, artifact presentations and storytelling.
• The Virginia War Museum, originally established in 1923 as a depository for World War I artifacts, is dedicated to the preservation of U.S. military history since 1775.
• Endview Plantation, c. 1769, features reenactments and Civil War living history programs.
• Lee Hall Mansion, c. 1859, served as the headquarters for Confederate generals Magruder and Johnston in 1862.
• The Newsome House Museum & Cultural Center is the restored 1899 Victorian home of J. Thomas Newsome.
Contemporary Art Center of Virginia -
The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia is a nonprofit, noncollecting institution founded in 1952 to foster awareness, exploration and understanding of the significant art of our time. Regularly changing exhibitions feature painting, sculpture, photography, glass, video and other visual media from internationally acclaimed artists as well as artists of national and regional renown. By balancing its four primary activities--gallery exhibitions, studio art classes, educational outreach programs and outdoor art shows--the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia seeks to involve a diverse regional public in the rich and active language of contemporary visual art.
First Landing State Park -
Originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, First Landing State Park is located on the Chesapeake Bay. The park is Virginia’s most visited. First Landing offers boating, swimming, Nature and History Programs, hiking, biking, picnicking, a boat launch, cabins and 19 miles of trails on 2,888 acres. It also has campsites, some with bay access, that have water and electric hook-ups, and nearby access to restrooms and showers. The park's name was changed in 1997 from Seashore State Park to First Landing State Park to reflect its heritage as the first place where members of the Virginia Company landed. They went on to settle Jamestown. New in 2007: Replica Indian village along Cape Henry Trail, Native American exhibits in trail center.
Hampton Day Pass makes travel simple, affordable -
Welcome to a region rich in beaches, theme parks, historic attractions and adventures! Complimenting historic sites and longtime favorites are new attractions, shops and restaurants in Hampton that have made a big splash on the regional scene and provided vacationers with even more reason to love this city.
Hampton History Museum -
Experience the historical excitement of "four centuries on the Chesapeake Bay - from the sea to the stars." Hampton's history is chronicled through galleries featuring Native Americans, the early colonists, a bustling port, and the infamous Blackbeard. The changing nature of Hampton with "Contrabands" during the Civil War, the rise of "Crabtown USA" and modern Hampton are also depicted.
Hampton University Museum -
Established In 1868 Hampton University Museum is the oldest African American museum in the United States and one of the oldest museums in Virginia. With over 9,500 objects including traditional art from Africa, Native America, Asia and Oceania; African American fine arts; and objects relating to the history of the University, there is something for everyone.
Hands-on Activities Entertain And Educate All Ages At Jamestown Settlement And Yorktown Victory Center -
History is an adventure at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, Williamsburg-area museums of 17th- and 18th-century Virginia. Whether trying on armor or wandering through soldiers' tents, people of all ages will find the past coming to life as they encounter costumed historical interpreters demonstrating everyday life in re-created settings.
At Jamestown Settlement, a museum depicting the early years of America's first permanent English colony, visitors can board replicas of the three ships - Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery - that arrived in Virginia in 1607. They may try steering with a whipstaff or tiller, and on the Susan Constant, largest of the ships, descend to the deck below, where the passengers lived. On the ships' pier, visitors can delve into the contents of a "see" chest and learn how ship's rigging is used to lift and lower cargo.
Back on shore in a re-created Powhatan Indian village, visitors can pound corn kernels into meal and help fashion plant fiber into cordage, as well as learn how the Powhatans fashioned tools from bone and stone and processed deerskin to make clothing and furnishings. Inside a re-created colonial fort, games of ninepins or quoits can be played. Adults and children alike can feel well protected as they try on metal armor and watch as a historical interpreter fires a matchlock musket. In a riverfront discovery area, visitors learn about the role of waterways in 17th-century travel, commerce and cultural exchange among the Powhatan, European and African cultures. Adults and children can use oyster shells to scrape out a tree trunk to learn how Powhatans made canoes, work at a carpenter's wood-shaving bench, try hoisting barrels, and handle examples of trade items. The Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution, also engages visitors in hands-on history.
Here, kids can try on 18th-century clothing in a mirrored corner of "A Children's Kaleidoscope" discovery room. They can also copy from a hornbook, make rubbings of woodcuts, play the African game mancala and explore mystery boxes containing objects known to a colonial child. In an adjacent resource room, equipped with computer monitors and printed materials, adults can explore topics and issues presented in the museum's exhibition galleries.
Outdoors, a Continental Army encampment re-creates the daily activities of Revolutionary soldiers. Visitors can explore their living quarters and try on a uniform, visit the camp surgeon's tent to learn about 18th-century medical techniques, and observe meal preparation at a unique earthen "kitchen." At the re-created 1780s farm, visitors can try breaking flax, one of the steps in producing linen thread, and in the farm's gardens, lend a hand pulling weeds and watering plants with hollowed-out gourds. |
Jamestown - America’s First English Settlement -
Experience the story of America's beginnings at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center. Through film, artifact-filled galleries and outdoor living history, these museums engage visitors in nearly two centuries of our nation's history - from the founding of America's first permanent English settlement in 1607 to the decisive Revolutionary War victory in 1781 and implementation of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. At Jamestown Settlement, you'll learn about the people of 17th-century Virginia - Powhatan Indians and European and African immigrants. At the Yorktown Victory Center, you'll discover the lives of men and women who witnessed the American Revolution and the formation of the new nation.
Lynnhaven Mall -
Located in the heart of Virginia Beach, and just 10-minutes from the beautiful oceanfront, the Lynnhaven Mall offers visitors an enormous selection of shopping, dinning and entertainment options with over 180 stores, 17 restaurants and eateries, and a state-of-the-art AMC Theatres with 18 screens and all stadium-style seating.
The Mariners’ Museum -
The Mariners' Museum, one of the largest and most comprehensive maritime history museums in the world, houses a treasure trove of more than 35,000 items inspired by human experiences with the sea. For over 70 years, The Mariners' has illustrated the spirit of seafaring adventure through a strikingly diverse collection of maritime artifacts: figureheads, hand crafted ship models, decorative arts, and small craft from around the world.
Motor World -
Motor World is “your place to race in Virginia Beach, Virginia featuring 11 go-kart tracks, 250 Karts with 16 different style Go-Karts to choose from.
Nauticus, The National Maritime Center -
This 120,000-square-foot, maritime-themed science center features hands-on exhibits, theaters with live actors, touch tanks, digital hi-definition films, Battleship Wisconsin exhibits, national-caliber traveling exhibits and more. Offering a fun and exciting educational experience for visitors of all ages, Nauticus, The National Maritime Center, located on the downtown Norfolk waterfront, features exciting hands-on exhibits that explore the naval, economic, and natural power of the sea. Nauticus' uniqueness is evident throughout its 120,000-square foot building. Feel the unique texture of a nurse shark's skin, touch a tornado, design a battleship, or participate in a simulated naval battle aboard an Aegis-class destroyer. Plus, experience a main deck tour of the Battleship Wisconsin,one of the last and largest battleships built by the U.S. Navy. While on-site at Nauticus, be sure to visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Education Resource Center and check out some of NOAA's engaging exhibits including "Science on a Sphere" — a dynamic six foot globe that displays 3-D animated images of our oceans and atmosphere. The Hampton Roads Naval Museum, located on Nauticus' second floor, examines more than two centuries of naval activity in and around the Hampton Roads harbor. Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Battleship Wisconsin, the Naval Museum also presents a chronology of the ship's history in "Wisky Walk: Fifty Years of Service." Complementing the maritime experience is the Banana Pier Gift Shop and Iron Whale café on site. Call 757-664-1000 or visit www.TheNMC.org for hours and admission fees.
Naval Station Norfolk -
The center of Hampton Roads lies about 90 miles southeast of Richmond. To the north are Washington, D.C. (185 miles), Baltimore (210 miles) and New York City (330 miles). Norfolk is about 18 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads Harbor. Norfolk serves as the nucleus for the metropolitan area of more than 1 million people.
Ocean Breeze Waterpark -
Ocean Breeze Waterpark is Virginia Beach's ONLY water park. Located just 1.5 miles from the Oceanfront area, it's a quick trip from wherever you are! Ocean Breeze Waterpark offers 16 waterslides, the 1 million-gallon Runaway Bay wave pool, the Buccaneer Bay children's area and other fantastic attractions. While visiting Ocean Breeze Waterpark, check out the West Indies BBQ, Island Trader Gift Shop, or Shipwreck Island Arcade.
Oceana Naval Air Station -
The Aviation Historical Park located just inside the Main Gate on Tomcat Blvd is open daily to military and DOD employees and people on the base tour. Park includes 13 aircraft on display. There is an observation park located on Oceana Boulevard at the POW/MIA Flame of Hope Memorial Park, which is near the runways to watch aircraft take-off and land.
Old Coast Guard Station -
The Old Coast Guard Station, museum and gift shop are housed in a former Coast Guard/Service Station, the only existing station in Virginia. In this website you can shop for unique nautical gifts, become a member, watch a video of an ocean rescue, and tour the galleries
Prime Outlets in Williamsburg -
Prime Outlets - Williamsburg, ranked within the top ten centers in the outlet industry, boasts over 90 major brand name stores. Located near Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, College of William and Mary, and Water Country USA.
Rudee Tours -
Rudee Tours. A visit to Virginia Beach isn’t complete without the excitement of a Rudee Tour. Six very different adventures await. Choose one or - for a complete look at all the wonders of the Virginia Beach coastline - book the ultimate adventure and join us for all six voyages. Call 757-425-3400. Ride on the Rudee Rocket, Rudee Flipper, Rudee Whaler, Rudee Explorer, Rudee Crabber or Rudee Sunset Cruises
Shops at Hilltop -
Discover over 120 award-winning shops, restaurants and services in The Shops At Hilltop located only minutes from the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
Spirit of Norfolk -
Norfolk is a city defined by its historic waterways, and there's no better way to experience the wonder of it all than aboard the city's premier harbor cruise ship, the Spirit of Norfolk. Each fun-filled cruise is a bargain that includes huge buffets, live shows, dancing, and unique sightseeing including a close-up look at the Navy's Atlantic Fleet. Lunch & dinner available year-round.
Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater -
The Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater is a 20,000 seat outdoor concert venue located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Since opening its doors in 1996, the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater has hosted such performances as: Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, 311, Aerosmith, Rascal Flatts, Mary J. Blige, Gwen Stefani and tours like Warped Tour and Ozzfest.
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center -
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center provides a unique educational adventure which you will not find anywhere else! We are one of the top ten most visited aquariums in the nation.
Virginia's marine environment is represented through: 800,000 gallons of aquariums Live animal habitats More than 300 hands-on exhibits 1/3-mile nature trail ½-acre aviary "Larger that life" movies on an IMAX movie screen (8 stories x 6 stories)
Mission: To increase the public's knowledge and appreciation of Virginia's marine environment and inspire commitment to preserve its existence.
Virginia Beach Convention Center -
Come and Live the Life in Virginia Beach! The perfect destination for the classic family beach vacation, Virginia Beach features a recently-widened 300-foot beach, a three-mile long oceanfront Boardwalk, historic landmarks, exciting attractions, manicured golf courses, parks and wildlife habitats, and popular events enhance any visit. Seaside lodging with spectacular views and dining experiences with succulent seafood abound, and the resort city's mild climate makes it an ideal vacation spot any season of the year.
Virginia Beach Fishing Center & Marina at Rudee Inlet -
Fishing or cruising? We provide accommodations for yachts up to 100 feet with deepwater fixed and floating piers in the protection of Rudee Inlet. Rudee's Inlet Station Marina at Rudee Inlet is a five-minute walk to the boardwalk, and convenient to public golf courses, tennis courts, shopping, and the Virginia Marine Science Museum. We are 20 Minutes to Norfolk International Airport.
We provide convenience to Virginia's finest fishing grounds offshore and in the Chesapeake Bay. We also provide a safe haven for vessels en route to the Bay or the Intra-Coastal Waterway.
Virginia Living Museum -
If you're wild about wildlife, visit this unforgettable indoor/outdoor attraction and explore Virginia's natural heritage. Transport yourself to the steamy world of a cypress swamp, complete with alligators and snapping turtle. Find songbirds nestled in the trees around a mountain waterfall and view trout in a cool mountain stream. Explore the underwater world of the Chesapeake Bay and the underground realm of a limestone cave. See flying squirrels, stingrays and other creatures of the night. Touch some Bay creatures, plus enjoy hands-on activities. View the sun from the observatory and travel the universe in the planetarium theater. Outdoors, stroll the elevated boardwalk to view coastal birds, bald eagles, beavers, bobcat, river otters, red wolves and other animals in natural habitats, plus explore native plant gardens.
Victory Rover Naval Base Cruises -
Experience the fastest and most popular way to see the world's largest Naval Base and Norfolk's Harbor. Two-hour cruises depart from Nauticus, The National Maritime Center, home of the Battleship Wisconsin in Downtown Norfolk. Cruise past the vessels that ensure our freedom - destroyers, cruisers, submarines, aircraft carriers and more. A fascinating, fact and fun filled narration is provided.
Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum -
The Hall of Fame is a family-friendly attraction that celebrates Virginia's sports traditions, past and present, through interactive exhibits and activities. The Hall features college sports, media, Olympic, golf, auto racing and Redskins exhibits, hands-on baseball, basketball, football and soccer activities, interactive games, and auto racing computer simulators. Established in 1972, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum has been proud to honor Virginia's contributions to the world of sports as the Commonwealth's official hall of fame.
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