9 Best Sights in Norfolk, Williamsburg and Hampton Roads

By any standard, the Chrysler Museum of Art downtown qualifies as one of America's major art museums. The permanent collection includes works by Rubens, Gainsborough, Renoir, Picasso, Cézanne, Matisse, Warhol, and Pollock—a list that suggests the breadth available here. Classical and pre-Columbian civilizations are also represented. The decorative-arts collection includes exquisite English porcelain and art nouveau furnishings. The Chrysler is home to one of the most important glass collections in America, with objects from the 6th century BC to the present and particularly strong holdings in Tiffany, French art glass, and English cameo, as well as artifacts from ancient Rome and the Near and Far East.

An early-20th-century estate of the Sloane family, the Hermitage Museum offers an outstanding presentation of architecture, art, and nature. The Sloanes, educated collectors with broad artistic interests, were among the founders of what is now the Chrysler Museum. Mr. Sloane was a wealthy New York businessman who moved to Virginia to operate textile mills. Docent-led tours are available on the hour. Visitors may also stroll the waterfront and 12-acre gardens and view contemporary art exhibitions.

The MacArthur Memorial is the burial place of one of America’s most distinguished military officers. General Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) agreed to this navy town as the site for his memorial, museum, and research center because it was his mother’s birthplace. In the rotunda of the old City Hall, converted according to MacArthur’s design, is the mausoleum; 9 adjoining galleries house artifacts of MacArthur’s career, including his signature corncob pipe and a few of the pens used to sign the Japanese Instrument of Surrender that concluded World War II. However, this is a monument not only to General MacArthur but to all those who served in wars from the Civil to the Korean War. Its archives and library hold some 2 million documents and more than 100,000 photographs and assist scholars, students, and researchers from around the world. The visitor center contains a rotating special exhibit gallery, a theater, and a gift shop. MacArthur’s last staff car is on display in this building.

The Federal redbrick Moses Myers House, built by its namesake between 1792 and 1796, is exceptional, and not just for its elegance. The furnishings, 70% of them original, include family portraits by Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Sully. A transplanted New Yorker as well as Norfolk's first Jewish resident, Myers made his fortune in Norfolk in shipping, then served as a diplomat and a customs officer. His grandson married James Madison’s grandniece; the home passed down through several generations of the family and eventually to Norfolk mayor Barton Myers, who carried out early architectural restoration in 1892. Exhibits throughout the house feature letters and other artifacts from several generations of the Myers family.

A popular attraction on Norfolk’s redeveloped downtown waterfront, Nauticus is a maritime discovery center featuring interactive exhibits that tell the story of Norfolk’s maritime environment, industry, and the military. Visitors can walk the historic decks of the Battleship Wisconsin, the largest and last battleship of the U.S. Navy, learn to sail through an award-winning sailing program, and charter a tall ship for an educational cruise along the Elizabeth River.

Nauticus is undergoing a major transformational redesign project, opening in stages. Phase I features a new children’s exhibit, Aquaticus, encouraging experiential play, as well as "Norfolk in Time," a look at the past, present, and future of Norfolk. Stage 2 opens in 2024 to include the addition of three state-of-the-art exhibit galleries.

The springtime Azalea Festival is one highlight of the lovely 155-acre Norfolk Botanical Garden on the eastern edge of the city. In addition to an abundance of azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias, there is a delicately landscaped Japanese garden with trees native to that country, including unusual strains of cherry and maple. From mid-March to October, trams carry you along routes to view seasonal plants and flowers, including 4,000 varieties of roses on 3½ acres. Year-round, you can stroll 12 miles of paths. Eleven marble statues of famous artists, carved in the late 19th century by Moses Ezekiel, enhance the natural beauty of the gardens. The lakeside is ideal for picnics. Fall brings a 3-acre children's garden.

Constructed in 1739, St. Paul's Church was the only building in town to survive the bombardment and conflagration of New Year's Day 1776; a cannonball fired by the British fleet remains embedded in a wall. An earlier church had been built on this site in 1641, and the churchyard contains graves dating from the 17th century. Get a free visitor parking pass in the church office.

Between Nauticus and Waterside Festival Marketplace, this park is the site of many free outdoor festivals and concerts, the annual Fleet Week and Harborfest, and a wine festival. Fun, food, and music are here most Fridays from May through October. Check the website and local newspapers for events.

The largest in the state, Virginia Zoological Park has more than 400 animals in 100 species living on 55 acres—including rhinos, ostriches, African elephants, and Siberian tigers as well as such domesticated animals as sheep. In the Africa exhibit, elephant demonstrations are scheduled regularly in summer, and nine new species have been added in an expansion, including zebra, lion, giraffe, red river hog, and meerkat. With the assistance of docents, children can handle some of the animals.