This is an in-depth museum on General MacArthur and the wars of his time. For a history buff, it'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. read more

General Douglas MacArthur was America's war hero for over 52 years and a Norfork, Va hometown favorite. 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. read more

See all

This is an incredible museum that is rich in history and detail. Two separate buildings that are filled with the details of America's General. Details from his family history, academy and rise to 5 stars this is a MUST do when in Norfolk. Best thing...IT'S FREE!! read more

I was surprised to find out it was free to enter. The displays were informative . Took me about a hour and 1/2 to walk through and read all the displays. I would recommend a visit if you are a vet or if you enjoy history. Worth a visit. read more

This is an underrated and hidden gem in Norfolk. The museum is incredible regardless of your feelings about General MacArthur. The fact of the matter is he went all over the world, served his country, and tipped the scales of history wherever he went from the time he graduated West Point until his death and thus museum has a collection that showcases the history and travels extremely well while providing a worthy memorial for a man and his wife who served their nation for as long as they did. read more

I've been there more than 10 times. You see how much I like this museum. Many things to learn here. Price: Donations. Parking: Free for 2 hours, if you get a stamp at the entrance. read more

See all

We were lucky enough to have a curated tour of the museum. I'm not a history buff but I was definitely interested in learning everything our curator had to say. At the end of the tour, I found out our curator had written a book on MacArthur and that's why he knew soooooooo much stuff about him. Our private tour lasted about 1.5 hours and was definitely informative. MacArthur and his wife are both buried here. His wife lived to be almost 102 years old!!!! There are multiple buildings of this museum. The gift shop is in one building. The movie theater, where they show you a 20 minute film about MacArthur's life is in another building. The main museum with items of MacArthur's life is in another building and is two stories tall. It houses the first purple heart ever issued and the first medal of honor ever issued by the Philippines (MacArthur served in both the U.S. and Philippines military simultaneously). Lots of history here! I had a great visit. read more

See all

This little museum is a great spot to come and find out all about Gen. Douglas MacArthur. What was the best thing about it? It is FREE. Of course, it's always nice to donate money to help keep it running. Everything was beautifully displayed. All the artifact, flags, posters, medals, uniforms, and weapons were organized very well in chronological order. This is a MUST GO-TO when in the area!! read more

MacArthur Memorial - Local Flavor Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

See all

What a great museum. All the exhibits and movies are free. They accept donations. It is definitely one of our national treasures. MacArthur is known as the "Bravest of the Brave". If you have not been here in several years like I have make it s point to come back and bring someone. read more

See all

After over a year of living in Hampton Roads, I made my visit to the museum. Despite being a fan of US history, I knew very little of the general, other than "I shall return" and he fought WW2 in the Pacific. First of all, major props for the museum being free to enter. I would have paid $10-12 for admission and not thought twice about it. The first thing to do is to visit the theater for the 27 minute video which provides an overview of MacArthur's life and times. The rest of the first building contained the gift shop and several rooms with war memorabilia. The second building was much more interesting, starting with the status of the General in front of the steps. I never expected to see the resting places of both the General and his wife inside the building in the main rotunda. The course of the General's life and the context of the wars is very easy to follow with seven rooms going in a circle around the rotunda both upstairs and downstairs. My total visit took a little over an hour. It's well worth the time to visit one of Norfolk's unique offerings. read more

Free and certainly worth seeing when in the Norfolk area. Gen. MacArthur was a military kid and while he considered the Philippines or New York City his home, his mother was from Norfolk so chose to be interred in Norfolk. The building is the old city hall, so certainly stately and fitting for a man of his stature, however limited in space so the museum is small. The exhibits are nicely presented and anyone who takes the time to visit will leave enriched with atleast a finer appreciation of US - Philippine history as both he and his father spent a significant portion of their lives there in governance. The memorial does a good job presenting both he and his father's contributions to the military and their role's in history. read more

See all

Well maintained museum featuring an impressive display of General Macarthur's military life and accomplishments. The Museum includes the grave of his wife and him. Many impressive artifacts from his lengthy military career. Ample parking is nearby. The Museum offers a comprehensive display of artifacts from his days at West Point as a cadet, World War I and II, and finally the Korean War. The display of his dress uniform with his many awards proved extraordinary. Plan on spending 2 or 3 hours here. read more

MacArthur Memorial - Local Flavor Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

This museum site is situated in the beautiful, old buildings that made up Norfolk's Town Hall in the nineteenth century. There is a museum, gift shop and theater that plays a movie highlighting MacArthur's life. I work a block from MacArthur Square and find it a wonderful sitting place for a break during the day. There are park benches in the cobblestone square, with a few trees for shade. I like to sit with a book or bring my lunch to this quiet place. It's never very crowded, so it would be an easy stop for a day of sightseeing in Norfolk. read more

See all

Great display of of history of one of Americas leaders. Presentation is well put together and grounds are maintained. The museum offers guides, I think mostly volunteers that can explain almost every corner and item. read more

MacArthur Memorial - Local Flavor Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

See all

My draft had the following: "great, free, plan". The "plan" was my reminder to mention to plan on spending more time here than you might think. I'm not a history buff, and historical museums are not really my cup of tea, but I did find this museum more interesting than I was expecting too. In fact, were it not free, I would even say it would be worth paying to visit (an act I typically reserve for science museums). The most surprising thing to me was seeing General MacArthur's Tomb (and his wife Jean) in the rotunda. If you are not much on reading, there is a theater that shows "The MacArthur Story is a 27 minute High Definition film that uses newsreel footage, animated maps and artifacts from the MacArthur Memorial collection to provide an excellent introduction to the life and legacy of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur." There is also a large gift shop, with a decent variety of kitch (corncob pipe anyone?) and bonafide items of historical interest. Bottom line: If you are a history buff, you are not going to want to miss this museum. If you are not a history buff and/or don't like the subject matter, give it a try, you might surprise yourself, Hey there's nothing to loose except a little time. Disclaimer: This review was sitting as a draft since 6/23/2013, and I'm trying to post my backlog of drafts. read more

I did not even realize this was here. It was a great museum and memorial. There are two parts to it. I spent the most in the rotunda. There you learn about his family and his career in the military. There were really interesting snippets regarding his career, childhood, and family. The film and book store in the other building were fine. However, the film strikes me as propaganda as opposed to historical significance. I think it was overstating for the film to say the Japanese loved MacArthur since the U.S. just dropped two nuclear bombs on their country and we were an occupying force. The bookstore was overpriced. I bought the books elsewhere for way cheaper. There were some on his speeches that were only $5. read more

This museum is phenomenal. It tells the full story of General MacArthur across his entire life good, bad, and other. The lay out of the museum takes you sequentially from birth to death including some of his family. This place also shows his impact on the US Army. If you are into history you should be in here. read more

MacArthur Memorial - General MacArthur's tomb. - Local Flavor Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

It's a very interesting museum that tells the story and dedication to heroism of General Douglas MacArthur. It is small but everything is place accordingly. The sequel and continuation of the storyline are superb. The staffs are polite and knowledgeable. Free admission too. read more

MacArthur Memorial - Local Flavor Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Great way to spend a free morning or afternoon. Highly recommend the guided tour if available. read more

See all

An amazing place to visit. Don't miss it if your in the area. Amazing exhibits and amazing dedicated staff.

This is a great place to take out of town visitors since few people know that General MacArthur was from around these parts. For the morbidly curious you are initially greeted by the tombs of the late Master of East Asia (Returner to the Philippines...Overlord of Japan...Crusher of North Koreans) and his wife. Some people just dig seeing the grave sites of famous people. The rest of the museum is well laid out with plenty of artifacts and interactive displays. Even people who have never heard of this guy find it interesting. They will even arrange to have a curator provide a guided tour for groups and it is well worth the time. Also, its free, which makes it a great place to kill some time before seeing a movie at the nearby Regal cinemas in MacArthur Mall. But I always make a donation on the way out the door. read more

We went to see this exhibit as we were in town for a couple of days and wanted to see what Norfolk had to offer. Of course visiting in January probably isn't the best way to make an opinion, it was quite cold/windy/rainy etc. We first went to the movie, and unfortunately had to wait. Some VIP Bosnian General and his staff were in town and the theater requested we wait a few minutes for them for the showing. What were we going to do, it was just my wife and I? Of course we waited, and then we felt extremely awkward with all the protective security guards and stuff...but none of this was the museums fault so we can't blame them. The movie was very informative, and then we high tailed it out of there to the main exhibit. About halfway through the exhibit the General and his staff showed up. Discomfort to the extreme! So we only got through about half of the exhibits and snuck out! But what we saw was very well presented and informative. read more

This is an extensive museum covering the career of Douglas MacArthur. It spans two floors of the Old City Hall and the new addition facing MacArthur Plaza. There are plenty of items on display owned, given to or used by the five-star general that are exhibited in context to the world events in which he was involved. Free admission. Thumbs up: historical significance, exhibits, price read more

This FREE museum is for you if you are a military history buff. Beautifully displayed and organized. Full of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's personal items and in the Visitor's Center- other WW1 and WW2 artifacts from not only the US but Germany, Russia, Belgium and other a few countries. There are uniforms, medals and a few posters that articulate the transportation and operations of the US American Expeditionary Forces to Europe. Spent about 2 hours min to read most things in both buildings and there is a video in the theater of the visitor's center that plays every half hour. read more

See all

Absolutely fantastic museum! General McArthur has done so much for this country and this place does a great job covering his accomplishments. Take your time here and enjoy a day of learning about one of the greatest Generals in U.S. History! read more

This is a great FREE attraction if you have out of town guests visiting. The upgrades they made to the visitors center are amazing! Start in the visitors center am watch the short film...it a great overview! read more

What a special time to be able to share such a wonderful testimonial to the life and legacy that was Macarthur.

Fantastic museum with just great flow of information, artifacts, information, just really well done. Great to see so much of the Philippines strife in WWII also represented so well! read more

See all

One of the best museums I have been to. They really utilize their space and displays. The information is clear and concise, not too long. The print is a good size so it doesn't cause strain. Use of pictures, videos and other more interactive items are great. And it's all free! I read everything and it took me about 3 hours, including the film which was a little shaky (perhaps due to the projector) but overall great. read more

I was amazed at the history of this museum. A tour guide with all the behind the scenes information was outstanding. If you are near Norfolk, I would definitely go here. Most historians either love or hate MacArthur, what an amazing story of one of America's greatest. read more

See all

Phenomenal memorial and museum with a number of historic artifacts. This is a must see for any history or military buff visiting the Norfolk area. The museum is well organized and takes you on a journey of American and World history through the life of MacArthur. Did I mention it's free too? Make sure you add this to your list and honor this extraordinary Warrior, Statesman, and Scholar! read more

See all

This is a great museum they have a series of galleries and artifacts pertaining to the life of General Douglas MacArthur. The main part of the museum is the crypt with his and his wife's graves. That part is kind of spooky. I learned a lot about MacArthur from this museum, more then I ever knew before. The museum made me even like him better. His many awards were amazing. I would plan on spending an hour or so here because there is so much in it. Everything is beautifully displayed from the flags to the awards to the uniforms etc. Everything is also in chronological order which help it make it easier to understand. And the best best part about this museum is that it is FREE! There is absolutely so much to do and see in this museum. I highly recommend visiting this Museum when you have the chance. read more

I eat lunch almost every day in the courtyard behind the museum and it's gorgeous and peaceful. I decided to finally go inside after 3 years, I was so happy I went. First of all it's totally free and really cool exhibits. The whole tour would take about an hour if you just do the cliff notes version. I love learning new things and rehearing history from a different perspective so I can definitely guarantee that I will be back on a few lunch breaks. It's really clean and easy to navigate. I would highly recommend you check out this museum. You will not be disappointed. read more

This is a smaller Museum, but it gives you a good high level overview of World War I. Not much MacArthur memorabilia as I thought there would be, but his and his wife's grave are inside. I was ushered off the 2nd floor 10 minutes before closing though, so perhaps I missed something. read more

Went here with my dad and had a blast. It's a great museum and much larger than expected.

FREE museum. Great place to visit with lots of WW1 info and nice displays. Definitely the best free museum I've ever been to. Should definitely hit it up when visiting the area. read more

Hidden historical gem in downtown Norfolk. This is a city owned museum. The historical pieces cover some of his father's life all the way to his wife's death in 2000. They are both entombed here and it is worth a visit. We had a tour and the man is amazing. If you are interested in American history, or military history this is a must see while you are here. MacArthur was a general in three huge Wars and lived from the time of fighting with bows and arrows by the Indians to nuclear warfare and jet aircraft. Not a large museum, it will only take up about an hour or two, but it is worth it. Across the street is the mall so plenty of parking and food choices for after the visit. Park in the South ramp and the museum will validate your parking. The museum is getting more pieces everyday, and just remodeled I think. I did not got to the gift shop but I'm told there is even more to see there. Please go, if you like history, you won't be disappointed! read more

What a great find! Amanda Williams and James Zobel were over the top helpful. We enjoyed the museum and make sure you see all the buildings and grounds. Very well done and it is free which is amazing in these times. read more

A wonderful museum! The staff is great! I can't believe it is free. Be sure to visit if you are in the Norfolk area.