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Award-Winning Attractions

Space race artifacts, Chesapeake Bay cruises, giant ships, Civil War sites, and African American Heritage are just a few of over a dozen treasures Hampton visitors can enjoy. You will find Hampton's award-winning attractions to be top-notched.

Attractions	Beach Fun	Cruises
Eco Tourism	History	Military
Museums	Theaters	Heritage Sites
Civil War Travel	Day Spas

30 Attractions Found

Aberdeen Gardens Historic Museum

The museum celebrates the history, heritage and future of historic Aberdeen Gardens. Built for and by African Americans in 1935 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal Settlement, the neighborhood provided modern homes to African American shipping workers.

57 N. Mary Peake Boulevard
Hampton, VA
(757) 826-9174

Hours: Call for appointments!
Free admission.
Highway exit: 1-64, exit 268

Air Power Park

Come learn about Hampton's space and aviation history!

413 W. Mercury Boulevard
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-1163
(757) 727-1512 fax

Learn about Hampton's space and aviation history by touring the outdoor air and spacecraft displays, model airplane collection and wind tunnel exhibit at the Air Power Park. The park contains aircraft from the country's various service branches.

Hours: Daily, 9am-4:30pm. Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Free admission.

Highway exit: I-64, exit 263B

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World

Check often for workshops and demonstrations. A must see for combined shopping and adventure.

1972 Power Plant Parkway
Hampton, VA
(757) 262-5200

Bass Pro Shops features in-store interactive sports such as fly-casting, rock climbing and a shooting arcade. Uniqure interior motifs such as waterfalls, 10,000 gallon aquarium and true-to-life wildlife exhibits are showcased throughout the store.

Hours: Closed Christmas

Highway Exit: I-664, exit 2 or I-64, exit 263A

Bay Shore Beach at Buckroe

During segregation, Hampton’s Bay Shore Beach located on the Chesapeake Bay, was one of the most popular black resorts on the east coast. What began in 1898 as a four-room cottage, grew to a three-story beachfront hotel with 70 rooms and long porches facing the water. The hotel and surrounding property were privately redeveloped in 1973.

End of Pembroke Avenue
Hampton, VA
(757) 850-5134

Bluebird Gap Farm

Bluebird Gap Farm offers an exciting adventure and educational experience rarely seen in an urban environment.

60 Pine Chapel Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-6739

Designed to resemble a working farm, this 60-acre site is home to domesticated and wild animals familiar to traditional Virginia farmers. Playground for ages 2-12, picnic tables, grills, picnic shelters and short walking trail on site.

Hours: Wed-Sun, 9am-5pm. Closed all major holidays.

Free admission.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 263B or I-664, exit 2

Buckroe Beach

Enjoy the wide, clean beach and gentle surf of this Chesapeake Bay beach. The beach features an enclosed playground, Umbrellas and watercraft available for rent, lifeguards on duty during the summer season and picnic shelters available for a fee.

End of Pembroke Avenue
Hampton, VA
(757) 850-5134

Open year-round: Daily. Summer season runs Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Free admission
Highway Exit: I-64, exit 268

Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe

The largest stone fort ever built in the U.S., Fort Monroe is headquarters for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Casemate 20, Bernard Road
Fort Monroe, VA
(757) 788-3391
(757) 788-3886 fax
hansonc@monroe.army.mil

The largest stone fort ever built in the U.S., Fort Monroe is headquarters for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. Within the historic fort's stone walls is the Casemate Museum, which chronicles the history of the fort and the Coast Artillery Corps. During the Civil War, Fort Monroe was a Union-held bastion in the center of a Confederate state and helped shelter thousands of slave refugees. See the cell where Confederate President Jefferson Davis was imprisoned.

Hours: Daily, 10:30am-4:30pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Free admission

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 268

Charles H. Taylor Arts Center

At the Charles H. Taylor Arts Center visitors can see contemporary art, including painting, sculpture, photography, and more. Each December a beautiful glass exhibition is featured.

4205 Victoria Boulevard
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-1490
(757) 727-1167 fax
artscom@hampton.gov

Contemporary art including painting, sculpture, photography, and more. This neoclassical building, constructed in 1925, hosted the public library for 63 years. Renovated in 1989 as an arts center, three changing galleries showcase the best regional and national artists. The center is also headquarters for the Hampton Arts Commission, which oversees The Charles H. Taylor Art Center and The American Theatre.

Hours: Tues-Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat & Sun, 1-5pm. Closed Mon and major holidays.
Free admission.
Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Exhibition Schedules

Cinema Café

Movie theater that serves a light fare menu, beer, wine and spirits at your table while you watch a hit movie.

1044 Von Schilling Drive
Hampton, VA
(757) 241-3456

View Cinema's website above for a list of current movies and admission pricing.

Fort Wool

This island fortress, dating to 1819, played important roles in the Civil War and in both World Wars.

Hampton Roads Harbor
Hampton, VA
1-800-800-2202
(757) 727-1102

This island fortress, dating to 1819, played important roles in the Civil War and in both World Wars. Although not accessible by car, it is easy to view from the Chesapeake Bay shore of Fort Monroe and is featured during the Miss Hampton II harbor tour.

Open Seasonal.

Admission: Purchase tickets from the Harbor cruise office located inside the Cousteau Society.

Grandview Nature Preserve

The Preserve covers over 475 acres of salt marsh, tidal creeks, and Chesapeake Bay beachfront.

Entrance at the intersection of Beach Road and State Park Drive
Hampton, VA
(757) 850-5134

Ideal for observing wildlife, kayaking, hiking and fishing, this 578-acre preserve and estuary on the Chesapeake Bay includes a 2 1/2-mile stretch of tranquil bay-front beach. Year-round environmental programs.

Hours: Daily, sunrise-sunset.

Free admission.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267 to Woodland Rd., take Beach Rd. to State Park Dr.

Hampton Carousel

A restored 1920s merry-go-round, the Hampton Carousel is one of only 200 antique carousels still in the United States. Housed in a pavilion on Downtown Hampton’s beautiful waterfront, the Hampton Carousel is a rare and beautiful example of American folk art. Recent upgrades to the building including tented glass and heating and air conditioning will now enable the carousel to operate year round.

Downtown Hampton
602 Settlers Landing Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-6381
(757) 727-0900

The 2008 Operating Schedule is as follows:

June 20 - September 1, 2008
	Monday-Wednesday: 12:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Thursday- Sunday: 12:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

September 2 - September 28, 2008
	Monday-Wednesday: 12:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday: 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Friday-Sunday: 12:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

September 29, 2008 - February 28, 2009
	Closed Monday - Thursday (Opening for advance bookings and special events only) Friday- Sunday: 12:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Cost: $2.00 per ride; $12.00 for 10 rides; $25.00 for 25 rides. Group discounts are available. Special hours are available for groups or special occasions. Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Hampton History Museum

Galleries recount Hampton history from the city's early inhabitance by the Kecoughtan Tribe and the contributions of African Americans. View ten permanent galleries that bridge the past with the present, spanning from Hampton's settlement to the city's role as the founding site for the U.S. space program.

Downtown Hampton
120 Old Hampton Lane
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-1610
(800) 800-2202

Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm and Sunday 1-5pm. Closed major holidays.
Admission: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, active military, active NASA, children 4-12. Under 4 free.
Free visitor parking is available in the parking garage located at 555 Settlers Landing Road and accessed from History Museum Way, across the street from the museum entrance.
Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Hampton University Museum

Established in 1868 as the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute to educate newly-freed African Americans, Hampton University’s campus is home to six national historic landmarks. Among them is Emancipation Oak, where Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was read to the citizens of Hampton, and Booker T. Washington Memorial Garden and Statue.

Huntington Building
Hampton University
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-5308
(757) 727-5170 fax
museum@hamptonu.edu

Pick up a walking tour brochure at Hampton University Museum, the oldest African-American museum in the nation. The museum features one of the most exceptional collections of African, Native-American and African-American art in the United States.

Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm; Sat, noon-4pm. Closed Sun. Closed major holidays and campus holidays.
Free admission
Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Permanent Gallery Information

Hampton Visitor Center

The Hampton Visitor Center, now located in the Hampton History Museum, is the perfect place to begin your city tour.

Downtown Hampton
120 Old Hampton Lane
Hampton, VA
(800) 800-2202
(757) 727-1102
visitor@hamptoncvb.com

The Hampton Visitor Center is the perfect place to begin your city tour. You will find a variety of maps, area attraction brochures and personal attention from a Visitor Information Specialist. The Visitor Center shares an address with the Hampton History Museum and gift shop.

Hours: Daily, 9am-5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's Day.

Free admission.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Langley Speedway

Voted one of the top five NASCAR Weekly Racing Series tracks and the only Weekly Racing Series track in the entire Hampton Roads area!

3165 North Armistead Avenue
Hampton, VA 23666
(757) 865-1100

Voted one of the top five NASCAR Weekly Racing Series tracks and is the only Weekly Racing Series track in Hampton Roads. Super-Mini Trucks, Legends, U Cars, Super Street Series, NASCAR ShorTrack Series Grand Stock, and NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Model Sportsman Division Racing.

Hours: Every Saturday; 4PM Gates Open; 5PM Qualifying for all divisions; 7PM Racing starts

Admission: $8.00 General Admission, Kids under 6 FREE

Highway exit: 1-64, exit 262

Little England Chapel

Built circa 1879, Little England Chapel is Virginia's only-known African-American missionary chapel. The sanctuary holds a permanent exhibit that helps visitors understand the religious lives of post-Civil War African-Americans in Virginia and include handwritten Sunday school lessons, photographs, a 12-minute video, and 19th-century religious books. The chapel is both a state historic landmark and is on the National Historic Landmark. Call for church tour.

4100 Kecoughtan Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 722-4249

Hours: Open by appointment; Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Free admission; donations accepted
Highway Exit: I-64, exit 265

Miss Hampton II Harbor Cruises

This double-decked tour boat offers daily narrated cruises of the Hampton Roads harbor and Chesapeake Bay. Get a taste of Hampton's seafaring culture as you take to the water to see local fishing boats, mighty commercial cargo ships, Blackbeard's Point, Old Point Comfort, Fort Wool and the awesome gray fleet at the world's largest naval insallation, Norfolk Naval Base.

Downtown Hampton
710 Settlers Landing Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 722-9102
(888) 757-2628
(757) 722-9113 fax

Daily Harbor Cruise Features:


Norfolk Naval Civil War Island of Fort Wool Chesapeake Bay Battle of Monitor & Merrimac	Blakbeard the Pirate America's oldest operating Lighthouse Fort Monroe and much more!

Cruises depart 10:00 AM daily. Additional 2:00 PM daily departure Memorial Day thru Labor Day.

Tour length: approximately 2 1/2 hours - 3 hours. Special tours, programs and all-day cruises available, including Intracostal Wateray excursions and James River Ghost Fleet tours. Private charters offered.

Purchase tickets at the Harbor Cruises office located in the Cousteau Society building.

Tours: April-October, Daily, 10:00am; Memorial Day-Labor Day, Daily, 10:00am & 2pm. closed Nov-Mar.

Admission: Adults, $22.00; Seniors & Military, $20.00; Children 7-12, $11.00; Children under 6, free. AAA, 15% Discount. Admission includes 10% tax; prices subject to change.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Ocean Eagle Fishing Charter

Downtown Hampton Public Piers, I-64 Exit 267
(Adjacent to the Cousteau Society)
,
757-868-FISH
hrcoceaneagle@cox.net

Go where the fish are aboard the 65-foot, 73 passenger headboat, The Ocean Eagle

Concession on board

Cost: $30.00 per person

Rod, reel, bait, tax and license included in per person charge

Departing daily spring/summer: 6:30am and 12:30pm

Night Fishing:Wednesday, Friday, Saturday from 6:30pm-10:30pm

Peninsula Pilots

Come enjoy an evening at the ballpark with the Peninsula Pilots.

War Memorial Stadium
1889 West Pembroke Avenue
Hampton, VA
(757) 245-2222

Come enjoy an evening at the ballpark with the Peninsula Pilots. The Pilots compete with 11 other teams in the Coastal Plains League. The season runs from the first of June until the second week of August.

Hours: Call for game schedule.

Admission fee.

Highway exit: I-64, exit 265

Phoebus

Much of Hampton's African-American population settled near Camp Hamilton, adjacent to Fort Monroe in the Mill Creek Area, following Union-General Benjamin Butler's decree that slaves were "contraband of war." A nearby community of shanties became known as Slabtown, Camp Hamilton disbanded in 1865 and the area later became known as Chesapeake City. The area was incorporated as the town of Phoebus in 1900 and became part of the City of Hampton in 1952.

Phoebus Improvement League
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-0800

Phoebus Arts Factory

Let this two-story art gallery and studio bring out the artist in you.

Phoebus
1 E. Mellen St.
Hampton, VA
(757) 722-7469

The Phoebus Arts Factory, a multi-disciplinary arts and education center, offers classes, workshops and a season of activities and events. The second floor facility includes a gallery, artist's studios, classrooms and a performance space.

Hours: Tues-Sat, 10 am-5:30 pm

Free Admission

Highway exit: I-64, exit 268

Riverside IMAX® Theater

600 Settlers Landing Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-0900
(800) 296-0800

IMAX® (short for "image maximum") is the world's largest motion picture format, offering viewers an unparalleled sense of realism and motion. In our unique, technologically advanced theater, images of awesome power are projected onto a five-story screen and enhanced by 16,000 watts of digital sound. We have a variety of IMAX® films focusing on a wide range of topics.

For a complete list of movies and showtimes, visit www.vasc.org/imax/showtimes.html.

Admission: IMAX (45-min) only: Adults, $7.75; Military, NASA & Seniors, $6.75; Children 3-11, $6.50.
IMAX (90-min+) only: Adults, $9.90; Military, NASA & Seniors, $9.50; Children 3-11, $8.00.

Prices and hours subject to change.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Sandy Bottom Nature Park

This 456-acre recreational facility is the ideal nature getaway.

1255 Big Bethel Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 825-4657
(757) 825-4658 fax
sbottom@hampton.gov

This 456-acre recreational facility features two lakes, wetlands areas, trails for hiking and biking, fishing, non-motorized boating, picnic areas, children's playground, a campground, tent cabins for rent, and a beautiful nature center and gift shop. Call for special nature programs or tours.

Hours: Mon-Thurs 9 am-6 pm, Fri-Sun 9 am-7:30 pm; closed Christmas Day.

Nature Center Hours: Fall & Winter: Tues-Sun, 9am-3:30pm; Spring & Summer: Tues-Thurs, 9am-4:30pm; Fri-Sun, 9am-6pm.

Free admission; fees for rental items.

St. George Brewing Co.

Come see how craft beer is made and packaged.

204 Challenger Way
Hampton, VA
(757) 865-7781

St. George was adopted as the namesake of Hampton Roads' only award-winning microbrewery. Come see how craft beer is made and packaged. Hospitality room and gift shop available.

Hours: Oct-April, Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat & Sun by appointment only;
May-Sept, Mon & Fri 10 am-5 pm, Tues-Thurs 10 am-7 pm, Sat & Sun 10-4;
Closed Christmas and Thanksgiving

Free Admission.

Highway exit: I-64, 262B

St. John's Church

Established in 1610, St. John's is the oldest continuous English-speaking parish in the U.S. the parish has been at its present site on lovely Queens Way since 1728. A recorded message introduces visitors to the church and its history. See the stained-glass window depicting the baptism of Pocahontas. Handicap accessible.

Downtown Hampton
100 W. Queens Way
Hampton, VA
(757) 722-2567
(757) 722-0641 fax

Hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm; Sat, 9am-noon. Guided tours by appointment; no tours on Sunday or Thursday morning due to services. Closed on major holidays.

Free admission.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

The American Theatre

Enjoy year-round performances ranging from cabaret, cartoon festivals and symphony to theater, dance and opera.

125 E. Mellen Street
Phoebus, VA
(757) 722-2787
(757) 727-1621 fax

Dating to 1908, this restored vaudeville house is now a thriving arts center. Enjoy year-round performances ranging from cabaret, family fun and symphony, to theater, dance, and opera.

Admission fee.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 268

What's Hot at the American Theatre

The Cousteau Society

The waterfront gallery showcases the undersea endeavors of Jacques-Yves Cousteau using photography, artifacts, ship models and film footage to perpetuate the society's focus on underwater education.

Downtown Hampton
710 Settlers Landing Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 722-9300
(800) 441-4395
(757) 722-8185 fax
cousteau@cousteausociety.org

Site is the U.S. headquarters for the Cousteau Society. The gallery displays world-renowned photography, models of Alcyone and Calypso, artifacts from past Cousteau expeditions and some of Jacques Cousteau's inventions. Gift shop available.

Hours: 10 am-4 pm Tues-Sat, Noon-3 pm, Closed on Sundays and all holidays

Free admission. Individual visitors may park free in the Hampton Marina Hotel parking garage. Group tours may disembark in front of the attraction; complimentary motorcoach parking is located nearby.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Trusty House

William H. Trusty was born in 1862 of freed parents and rose to become a successful businessman and civic leader. Trusty built this 1897 house as a residence for he and his wife. He was one of the first African Americans elected to public office in Virginia, serving on Phoebus Town Council in 1901. He died suddenly in 1902 at the age of 40. The Trusty House is now a private residence and not open to the public.

76 West County Street
Hampton, VA

Virginia Air & Space Center

600 Settlers Landing Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-0900
(800) 296-0800
(757) 727-0898 fax

The visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base. This world-class facility features the Adventures in Flight gallery and more than 100 "hands-on" exhibits that tell the story of air and space exploration. See teh Apollo 12 Command Module, a Mars meteorite and a three-billion year-old moon rock! Visit the technologically advanced 3D IMAX Theater and see an IMAX film on a giant five-story screen with 16,000 watts of digital-sound.

Hours: Memorial Day-Labor Day: Mon-Wed, 10am-5pm; Thurs-Sun, 10am-7pm.
Labor Day-Memorial Day: Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm. Sun, noon to 5pm
Open Thanksgiving evening. Closed Christmas Day.

Admission: Exhibits only: Adults, $8.75; Military, NASA & Seniors, $7.75; Children 3-11, $6.75.
IMAX (45-min) only: Adults, $7.75; Military, NASA & Seniors, $6.75; Children 3-11, $6.50.
IMAX (90-min+) only: Adults, $9.90; Military, NASA & Seniors, $9.50; Children 3-11, $8.00.

Combo (IMAX (45-min) & Exhibits): Adults, $13.75; Military, NASA & Seniors, $12.75; Children 3-11, $10.75.
Combo (IMAX (90-min+) & Exhibits): Adults, $14.50; Military, NASA & Seniors, $13.50; Children 3-11, $11.50.
Prices and hours subject to change.

Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

30 Attractions Found