The Museum was closed when I was here but the park remains open until dusk, which gave me the…read moreopportunity to walk around. There are a number of monuments and memorials here and of course, you can walk over and watch the Great Bridge Bridge open and close if you're fortunate. One highlight is the obelisk commemorating the Battle of Great Bridge. It is a tribute to the Patriot soldiers who fought and died in one of Virginia's earliest Revolutionary War victories. It is a classic granite shaft, inscribed with tributes to the men who helped drive British forces from the colony on December 9, 1775. If you're able, tour the Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways History Museum. Lots of history on the Colonial Era and the brief but decisive clash that marked a turning point: colonial forces routed British troops under Lord Dunmore, effectively ending royal control in Virginia and forcing the British to retreat to Norfolk. [Review 901 of 2025 - 1490 in Virginia - 24457 overall]

We love this park and it's nice and close to home. Sadly I haven't been into the museum yet. But…read morethe nature and the paths to walk are nice. In the front you will find a concrete path with information along the way. The path away from the water has been Newley done with concrete used to be gravel. It will lead you to a oversight and can take you along another path to walk down. The path near the water will take you all the way down to the high bridge. It's a very nice walk and sand at the end with water. Just don't forget some bug spray! And watch for snakes. Also in the front past the building you can find lots of picnic tables to have some hangout time or some lunch. It's in a perfect location lots of places to grab food near and drive to sit and eat.

A must read: The…read moreHampton Roads area is rich with battleground history (Civil War), and I try to learn as much as possible. Dr. Stewart and I did the Battle of Great Bridge museum tour this weekend and learned some interesting facts. One surprising fact was that enslaved people dug the dismal swamp out by hand. An awkward moment was when our docent (a white woman) expressed how she would "not even walk the dismal swamp today and how she can not imagine putting her hands in it to dig." Yes, that's what she said as she led a tour of all black patrons through this museum. There was a lot to learn about the history of the Great Bridge and how it came about. The information given will have you yearning for more. I actually came home and looked up more historical facts about this battleground, and I must say I had no clue how involved enslaved people were in the making of the Great Bridge!

Four stars for history where the British lost. Yay! This marker denotes a battle that occurred here…read morewhere the "Revolutionaries" won. There are markers on the north and south side of the bridge, but nowhere to really stop and read them. I left my car in the drug store parking lot to read the following: In this vicinity, in 1775, was the southern end of a causeway, with bridges, by which the swamp and stream were crossed. Here William Woodford's Virginia riflemen defended the passage. When Lord Dunmore's British regulars attempted to cross the swamp, on December 9, 1775, they were cut to pieces by the fire of the riflemen. This defeat forced Dunmore to evacuate Norfolk.

This place is pretty amazing even if you're not a history buff. Kids enjoyed the place. There's…read moreunmark parking available. Picnic tables available for a luncheon. They have a visitor center for all your questions. They offer ghost tours as well! If you're in the area definitely stop by and check it out!

Built in the 1600's. At one time the largest private dwelling in colonial America. One of 3 large…read moreplantations. 17 fireplaces, 33 bedrooms! Burned down in 1916. This house has been through a lot over the past centuries. A nice stop to see an interesting architectural feat. Stop by the visitor's center for admission and information about this mansions previous grandeur and storied history.

Ghent is a melting pot of cool architecture, museums, schools, churches, unique shopping, music,…read moreupscale dinning, antique stores, sidewalk cafes, street performers and yes hippies. The main drags of the business district are Colley Ave, Colonial Ave and 21 St. The residential area is eclectic pre turn and turn of the century Queen Anne, Tudor and Colonial Revival. Development began in the 1890's. It's name Ghent hales from from a city in Belgium. Neighborhoods include Ghent, West Ghent, East Ghent, Ghent Square. It is a city within a city since its Norfolk. This is where the most wealthy Industrialist of the day resided. The Ghent Historic District is on the National Register of Historic places. The most historic buildings of Ghent on a little research that I did Warren (c. 1925), the Holland (1904), the Mowbray (c. 1914), Eastern Virginia Medical School, Sarah Leigh Hospital (1902), Fergus Reid residence (1892), the Frank S. Royster residence (c. 1900-02), the William H. White residence (c. 1892), the Richard B. Tunstall residence (c. 1892), the Robert M. and Robert W. Hughes residence (c. 1895-1900), and the William Tait residence (c. 1895). On several of my visits on foot I came across residents running, walking, maintaining their yard and even conversing with their neighbors. It seemed like on every block a resident had a renovation underway whether big, or small. I stopped and talked with at least three Ghent residents and found them all to be super friendly. Interestingly even though the homes are very old, most have only turned over two, to three times in ownership per a local. I spent a great deal of time taking pics for this review, I urge you to check them out. My recommendation is to experience Ghent on foot as I have done on almost a half dozen visits. If you have yet to explore this gorgeous and historic area there is no time like the present. Christmas decorations will soon be up and from what I am told it will be spectacular. I think you will agree that it's a treasured place for us all to enjoy no matter where you reside in Hampton Roads.

This is the nicest part of Norfolk. A city that's already on the ocean has a smaller island that is…read morequieter and more expensive (read, more cared for and historical architecture). It's a walking tour paradise.

A first for me, I didn't know this house existed. I found out about the holiday decor/open house…read morevia an IG story that VBhistory museums posted. Apparently they have been doing these holiday open houses for a couple years or so now. Admission is free but suggested donations range from $3-$5 (there's a sign outside the house and the info is on their website). The holiday open house showcased the house decorated with 18th century decor with flowers, cotton, fruit and oyster shells designed by the garden club. The original house structure contained one room on the first floor and a loft upstairs, but after ownership had transferred across three families -Whitehurst, Bratten and Buffington it has undergone expansions. The house has been occupied up until 1986 and is considered one of of the 50 historically significant structures in Virginia Beach. It was built soon after the first lighthouse was erected in Cape Henry. Daniel Whitehurst was a commissioner and allowed for the VB courthouse to be built near his home. During the holiday open house they had refreshments consisting of mints, various cookies and nuts, with the accompaniment of coffee and cider. The house boasts four fireplaces where on the left, Bob Clark was doing what he does well, playing sweet sounds from the dulcimer. For those not familiar with the dulcimer, it's essentially an open stringed portable piano. The sounds that originate from it are very clean, calming and relaxing. Upstairs are three rooms, one which holds an old singer and a quilt, another with historic maps of the area and the last room has a bed and a bassinet. In an attic? Or small partitioned area was a violinist gliding her bow in a frenzy of holiday cheer. It was neat to see the house, however the kitchen had been updated and renovated in a 1950s style, which truly lives up to a "house over time."

While walking on the West Neck Natural Creek Area with my dog. I thought I could check out the…read moreWhitehurst Buffington House within the area. It was a nice stroll through the trees on the horse trail. I imagined how it was like before cars when one would ride a horse carriage. This place takes me back in time. Unfortunately, they would not allow dogs and I wasn't surprised. I got a peek at the nice house.

Built in 1894 for Mr. James Wilson Hunter & wife Lizzie. Hunter was a prominent merchant, banker &…read morecivic leader. The home is restored close to original and is in private foundation. Located in the Freemason District, one of the original neighborhoods in Norfolk. Beautiful two story eclectic nineteenth century homes line the street. Parking is off street. Hours Wednesday-Saturday 10 AM to 3:30 PM Sunday 12:30-3:30 PM. Ring the door bell and wait for a guide to answer. Admission is $5 adult, $4 senior, $1 child. No pictures are not permitted inside the home. Gift store on the third floor. Definitely a hidden gem off the beaten path that I have enjoyed over the years. Worthy for visitors and locals alike to check out.

Beautiful Victorian home that offers both guided and self-guided tours. Extremely knowledgeable and…read morefriendly staff were able to share fascinating details about the family and customs of the time. Definitely worth a trip when visiting Norfolk!

Cute little beach lighthouse in Corolla. Scenic park it's located in. Definitely worth going to if…read moreyou have the time.

We arrived too late to take a tour, but still enjoyed a fun photo op. Rafter a long day traveling,…read morethe pine scented air and peaceful atmosphere were a blessing. The birds were chatting, but we still felt utterly relaxed on these pristine grounds. When in the area it's worth visiting!

Being a historical buff, thanks Dad, this is a MUST See!~ The employees take it to the next level…read moreof education, which can be seen throughout the location! This includes amazing, informative presentations and exhibits! ~ You can tell that the employee's love is what they do with speaking to them and watching them present to the public, the history. Don't miss this exceptional place during your visit to Jamestown, VA!!!![Especially around the Native American artifacts and presentation!!!]

I'm glad we decided to visit Historic Jamestowne because the NPS staff inspired my husband to…read morefinally get his veteran ID and claim his free America the Beautiful Lifetime Pass. Something a bit unusual here is that part of the site is managed by the National Park Service (Colonial National Historical Park) and part of it is managed by Preservation Virginia (Jamestown Rediscovery), a private non-profit. Everyone needs the NPS ticket (or NPS pass) and people can also add on the additional ticket to tour the Preservation Virginia space. You can buy them together or wait until you reach the PV entrance to decide. There are also Historic Triangle and other bundle tickets so that's worth looking into if everyone in the group is old enough to truly enjoy the historic sites (or young enough to just sleep through them). We were traveling with a 1.5 year old and it was very hot/humid when we were there so we decided to stick to the part fully covered by the America the Beautiful Pass. The little guy seems to like (or not mind?) the heat and humidity but it's hard to know when he'll get fussy or determined to explore/touch something he shouldn't so we currently try to stick to free and low cost places which we won't mind leaving suddenly. We enjoyed the indoor museum in the visitor center and the little guy loved the boardwalk outside. Once we reached the big monument he just wanted to walk circles around it so we eventually put him back in the stroller until it was time to hit the boardwalk again. The walk felt like a walk in the park so I think the visitor center museum was a great addition.

To set expectations, Yorktown Battlefield, like many battlefields in the U.S., is essentially a…read morefield. There isn't much to see, BUT the signs located throughout are helpful. They also have cannons and other items to help bring it to life. For me, the beauty of this battlefield is in the little museum in the visitor's center and the Nelson and Moore Houses. The Nelson House is a historic home that was struck by cannons during the siege. The Moore House is where the end of the war was largely negotiated. Once you arrive at the visitor's center, pay $15 for a pass that's good for a few days. It also gives you access to Historic Jamestown. Staff will give you maps and more info on the self-driving tour.

We had an incredible time exploring the battlefield and driving from location to location. My…read morehusband is a veteran so we got free admission which pleasantly surprised us that I also qualified as his wife. The staff was so nice and explained everything. We took the map and went to each site, read the plaques and paid our respect to those lost. The weather was perfect and everything was clearly labeled and well taken care of. We had a great time learning all about the battle and touring the grounds.