There is a free section and a ticketed section…read more The tickets are for the battleship. It is a wonderful museum for all ages who can manage some stairs. This is a must do in Norfolk. The free museum inside the building has Norfolk history, battleship history, port of VA info, and naval history. There are many interactive exhibits. The building is temperature controlled with clean bathrooms. Parking at the garage across the street is free for the first 2 hours. If you do the ship, you will need more than 2 hours but the hourly rate at the garage is reasonable

i went to nauticus and did the self guided tour of the uss wisconsin battleship museum. we got to…read morego inside the battleship and walk through a bunch of different areas, which was probably the best part because it made everything feel more real instead of just looking at pictures or exhibits. the ship itself is huge, and seeing everything up close was really interesting. i liked being able to walk around at my own pace instead of being rushed through it. the deck views were really nice too, and the giant guns were honestly crazy to see in person because they're so much bigger than i thought they'd be. overall it was actually really fun and i'd definitely recommend it if you're in norfolk because it's something different and really interesting to experience. note -- it isn't handicap accessible, there are a lot of stairs you need to go up and down on.

This museum is impressive and free to visit. I would have enjoyed spending 1-2 hours here every…read moreweek during our summer in Norfolk. Several people had mentioned the Chrysler Museum of Art to us but nobody really hyped it up. I wish they had because we didn't end up visiting until our final week in town. I loved the first visit so much I made sure to return the day before we hit the road.

We had a lovely time at the Chrysler Museum…read more Wonderful pieces to browse, and SO many! You can absolutely spend an entire day in here. The museum is beautifully designed. The layout of the museum is also easy to navigate. We look forward to coming back!

Sophia and I have lived in the Peninsula since 2011, but rarely took trips to Fort Monroe to…read moreexplore its history. Shame on us since we've been to many museums for years. But, it's better late than never. And believe me, it's one you definitely want to check out. For admission, it's free. How it works is we're given a 15 min window for entering and plus, it gives you a chance to look around in the visitor center where the galley takes you to the history of Fort Monroe and how the Civil War changed everything. If you've been to museums in Virginia, just about everything is covered regarding the slave trade and wars between the North and South and against other countries. A lot to take in, but beneficial. After we were done scoping the visitor center, we entered the museum itself. A treasure trove of information to soak in regarding Fort Monroe itself. I just turned 45 years old and I can tell you I learned a ton from this visit alone. And there still is more to gain. It's wonderful to see that the staff put their heart and soul into keeping everything in place. You can do a self guided tour like we did or you can do a group tour. Also, the museum shops have goodies for you to buy. Believe me, you should not leave empty handed when you have the chance. A wonderful visit to a place where you'll leave with knowledge. And there's more on site at Fort Monroe. We''ll be back for some more tours when time persists :)

The Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe is exceptionally well organized and free to visit. Be sure to…read moreswing by the Visitor Center to pick up a timed-entry ticket before heading across the bridge. They also offer guided walking tours throughout the day, though times vary. The fort itself is awe-inspiring- the largest bastion fort by area in the U.S., completed in 1834- and it's incredible to think it stood as a Union stronghold, designated "Freedom's Fortress," where escaping enslaved people found sanctuary during the Civil War. The massive interior arches are a testament to enduring design, and walking atop the fort offers an unforgettable connection to history.

Cannot believe that I've never been to the Hermitage Museum and Gardens until yesterday…read more The home is stunning. The wood working, the art collection and the beautiful grounds; all stunning. If you are looking for something to do on a sleepy afternoon this may be the place for you to visit. Almost forgot to mention that they allow dogs to walk the grounds as long as you clean up after your fur baby.

I came expecting "a nice little museum" and accidentally entered the main character phase of my…read morelife. The house looks like Gatsby retired here to start gardening and finally find inner peace. Every room feels fancy enough that you instinctively whisper, even when you're alone judging antique furniture like you suddenly have generational wealth. The gardens? Absolutely disrespectful to regular parks. Trees posing like they know they're beautiful, peacocks walking around with the confidence of influencers, and views of the water that make you question every life decision that didn't involve buying a mansion in 1915. Perfect place for a peaceful stroll, deep thoughts, or pretending you're in a period drama waiting for someone to confess forbidden love near the azaleas.

A self guided tour through out the history of the United States wars. They had so many different…read moreartifacts it was hard not to spend hours wondering through the building staring at different items they had placed on the walls. Some of my favorite items included creepy old gas masks, the war propaganda posters and the tank they had outside the building. If you are really into old guns this would be a great place to go because they have so many of them. It's really neat to see how everything has evolved through history including the clothes, grenades and even the silverware. I definitely recommend this to everyone in the surrounding area.

This is a great museum! It is very cohesive and organized. Excellent display of weapons and…read moreuniforms of the American trooops as they evolved. Excellent WW II uniforms of the German troops. Seemed like a small museum from the outside but it took a couple hours to get through. And the price of six dollars was a bargain for admission.

I recently visited the Virginia Air & Space Science Center in Hampton for the first time. Since I…read morearrived with a group on a field trip, we were permitted to park our vans alongside the building, though the parking locations were not really clear. The museum was clean and well-maintained. The gift shop is conveniently located at the entrance, and the cafe near the IMAX theater offered a good selection of snacks and drinks. The interactive games and exhibits are excellent for young children, and I particularly enjoyed riding the carousel across the lot afterwards. While I found the experience enjoyable, I believe the museum is best suited for families with children rather than adult visitors alone. Overall, I highly recommend the museum for an educational family outing.

Brought my wife and son here. This is the worst $67 I've spent in a long time. Half the exhibits…read morewere closed, and many of the open ones didn't even work at all. There's an observation deck on the third floor that has half-century-old binoculars that require quarters to look through. Quarters! 1) Who the heck carries quarters anymore? 2) I PAID $67 TO GET IN HERE AND HALF YOUR STUFF DOESN'T WORK! Save up a little more of your money, friends, and make the trip to D.C. for the air and space museum there. This place in Hampton is absurd. I will never come back here.

Nice place even during the rain I still enjoyed it. Lots to look at and well kept me and my wife…read morehad fun

Had a absolutely lovely experience here. We had a couple…read morehours to kill at the airport and we were able to walk over to the gardens. Staff were extremely friendly and graciously let us leave our bags with them and gave use recommendations for the time frame we had. We stopped by the cafe which was great and staff there were also super friendly. The greenhouse that was featuring Chihully glass sculptures was awesome with beautiful works amidst the plants. We had a great time and would return and again with a major shout-out to the staff being wonderful people that truly are excited about what they do and helping visitors have a great experience.

The Virginia Zoo is a great way to spend a few hours with the family. If you are local to Hampton…read moreRoads I highly suggest purchasing one of their memberships. The zoo offers discounted tickets to special events for members and even has an event where you can bring your dog! I really enjoy that this zoo offers plenty of different species of animals and wide open areas for kids to explore. A train is normally running and the exhibits have wide trails with plenty of viewing platforms and windows. The staff is always friendly and they have a robust gift shop. I haven't personally ever tried their food but they offer a few cafes and dipping dots throughout the park.

Coming from Philly with the oldest zoo in the nation, I have to give credit where it is due…read more The VA zoo is a nice little zoo. Limited with their animals but a worthwhile experience. Laid out in zones with boardwalk style pathways you will find zebras, a bear, lions, rhinoceros, orangutans , giraffes, meerkats, reptiles, tortoises, turtles and more. While there are no elephants, hippos, camels, or larger primates they do have a nice assembly of animals. The otters and meerkats were especially active during our visit, playing and put on quite a show for us. It took us roughly 2 hours or so to walk the zoo and could have easily stayed longer if the heat was not so oppressive. Many of the animals were seeking relief from the heat as well and hiding so we missed out on the red pandas, cheetah, and some others. While vacationing it's important to know where your excursion dollars are going and what value the experience will hold. The VA zoo receives a two thumbs up and recommendation from me

General Douglas MacArthur was America's war hero for over 52 years and a Norfork, Va hometown…read morefavorite. This memorial is a stunning lifetime tribute as well as a final resting place to an individual (and his 2nd wife) who fought and succeeded in four(4) major wars. A 5-star rating for one of our own 5-star generals well-earned especially since the entire site has FREE Admission for 1. The history/tribute museum 2. A 34 minute biographical movie 3. Memorial/crypts 4. The research library Don't miss this site and it is a worthwhile side trip if ever visiting Virginia Beach too. Plan to spend at least 2 hours which includes the 34 minute movie.......However, be aware: 1. Its closed Sunday and Monday 2. You will need to pay for parking which runs around $4 per hour.

This is an in-depth museum on General MacArthur and the wars of his time. For a history buff,…read moreit's a great visit with lots of text exhibits and a few artifacts. The final resting place of him and his wife is solemn and appropriate. A lot of this museum is paid for by Norfolk taxpayers, so you can decide if that's appropriate. It's in need of an update to be a more modern museum. It's also odd that the exhibits in the two buildings seem to be different versions of the same thing.

We loved going to this museum. We made it a stop on our road trip from NYC to OBX and it was the…read moreperfect place to stop and have the kids explore for a few hours. I would say leave yourself 2ish+ hrs to see and explore everything. Our kids are 4 and 1.5 years old and they both had so much fun. Make sure you buy your tickets online ahead of time. We used our AAA discount. Exhibits include a "pet vet," music space, big fire truck, library, exercise room and market. My one critique would be for the market to be better stocked/ restocked periodically. We go to a local museum where the kid's market closes a few times a day for them to "reset." This could have used a "reset." Overall it was a lot of fun!

So much for kids to do. Even my 15 and 17 year old had fun…read more They have an area called Museum, for me, was the best part. They have about 5-7 tables of attractions where you can sit and solve puzzles, build, draw and experiment. Other than that they had a prop supermarket, bank, fire station, library, train area and so much more!