Norfolk

Norfolk has experienced a renaissance that made this once Navy city into more than just a city for a branch of our Armed Forces. Today, Norfolk, located on the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, is a city brimming with nightlife, condos, shopping, museums, river cruises, and various restaurants. A new shopping complex called The MacArthur Center is located almost on the river, and this center has hundreds of stores located inside; the MacArthur center dominates the downtown area. The Waterside Festival Marketplace is also a new area in Norfolk, and since the MacArthur center is the hub for shopping, the Waterside is where most of the new dining and entertainment complexes are.

Virginia’s best art museum is in Norfolk – The Chrysler Museum of Art has works ranging from Ancient Egyptian pieces to modern abstract sculptures. There is a large collection of Art Nouveau furniture, but it is the ancient Indian, Islamic, pre-Colombian, Asian, and African pieces that really steal the show. If you purchase a ticket to see this Museum, you can also visit the Moses Myers House. Circa 1787, the Myers were the first Jews to settle in Norfolk and their house proudly stands and is available for tours to this day. Nearby, the Douglas MacArthur Memorial gives a stirring account to the life and times of this great general. MacArthur and his wife are buried in a dome-like building, and there are movies screened throughout the day to educate people who visit.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden attracts many visitors from May to June because of the thousands of beautiful azaleas that bloom during this time of year. Throughout the Garden are large statues of great artists, such as Rembrandt and da Vinci. The entire park provides great photographing opportunities, but the Rose Garden and Japanese Garden are truly superb. If animals excite you for than plants, head to the Virginia Zoo and observe the animals on the famed African Plains exhibit.

Norfolk has a long maritime tradition, and the premier museum is NAUTICUS, The National Maritime Center. When you pay the price of admission, you actually get to tour three distinct areas. One area is a children’s museum featuring kid friendly exhibits, another area is the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, which explains how the Navy came to settle this area. The highlight is the exhibit detailing the Civil War battle between the ironclads USS Monitor and the CSS Merrimac. The third area is a tour of the mighty USS Wisconsin - 888 ft. of ingenious maritime engineering. This ship served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Gulf War. Norfolk is one of the Navy’s largest hubs, so at any given moment you can see battleships, destroyers, submarines, and aircraft carriers in port.

If you are traveling to Norfolk, we at www.virginiatouristsguide.com have many suggestions to make your trip fabulous in our “Places to Stay”, “Places to Eat”, “Things to Do” section located on our homepage.




Virginia Tourists Guide - Norfolk, Virginia