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.

Located in front of a church, this marker to Justin Holland remembers an important part of the…read morelocal history. Born here, Justin Holland moved on to be a part of the equal rights movement. The marker reads: Justin Holland was a 19th-century pioneer African American of the classical guitar, community leader, and abolitionist. Born in Norfolk County about 1819, he left for Massachusetts in 1833. There he took music lessons and learned to play the guitar. He moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1840s, became a music teacher, and arranged several hundred pieces of music for the guitar. He also played an active role in the movement to secure equal rights for African Americans and attended the first National Negro Convention in Philadelphia in 1830. He died at his son's home in New Orleans on 24 Mar. 1887.

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!

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 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.

Completed in 2004, the Great Bridge Bridge (no, I didn't stutter) handles an average of 35,000…read morevehicles per day and opens on the hour between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with on-demand openings overnight. This twin bascule span bridge carries Battlefield Boulevard across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Great Bridge gets its name from a pivotal moment in early American history--the Battle of Great Bridge, fought on December 9, 1775, during the Revolutionary War. This brief but decisive clash occurred near a strategic crossing over the Elizabeth River, where a wooden bridge connected the surrounding marshlands. The battle 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. The name "Great Bridge" originally referred to that wooden span itself, which was considered "great" not in size but in strategic importance. And so the area became as Great Bridge. And this bridge (obviously not the one from the 1700's) is the Great Bridge Bridge. There is no toll to cross it. I did stick around for a bit but there was no traffic on the waterway such that it needed to raise. [Round number review 900 of 2025 - 1489 in Virginia - 24456 overall]

There is very little here now except for a highway offramp and a difficult intersection in front of…read morea large farming community. But there was something here before. The marker reads: In 1908, the first long-term Polish settlement in Virginia was established in Norfolk County, now Chesapeake. The Piast colony, named for Poland's first royal dynasty, was called Sunray after the Virginia Railway Company depot that opened here in 1910. The immigrants first worked in mines and factories on the East Coast and then moved to this farming community platted by the Southern Homestead Corp. of Norfolk. They had to dig drains and grub the stumps of timbered lands, but soon built prosperous family farms. They maintained ties with the Polish diaspora and continued to be joined by new colonists for decades.

Located in front of a rather run down shopping plaza not far from where I-64 and I-264 and I-664…read moreconverge, this marker remembers the birthplace of an important Naval leader from the American Revolutionary War. The marker on the side of the road reads: Just north is the birthplace of Commodore Richard Dale (6 Nov 1756 - 26 Feb 1826). He served on the United States brigantine Lexington. The British captured and wounded him several times during the Revolutionary War. Captain John Paul Jones chose him to be first lieutenant on the Bon Homme Richard. On 19 September 1779, the Bon Homme Richard defeated the British Ship Serapis due largely to Dale's actions. He served as superintendent of the Norfolk Naval Yard in 1794. In 1801 he commanded a fleet of five vessels against the Barbary pirates. He later retired to Philadelphia.

One of the most historic sights in Norfolk. Find the…read morecannonball fired by Lord Dunmore and see the graves of some of the founders of Norfolk.

This is a review for the historical building and cemetery; not the services offered…read more St Paul's was built in 1739 and we always enjoy stopping here for a glimpse back in time. Walking around the peaceful grounds, you forget you are in downtown Norfolk with a mall next door. The centuries-old headstones, the English cannonball embedded in the brick wall of the church from the Revolutionary War and the architecture all add to the charm.

Perhaps inspired by the Zero Mile Stone in Washington, DC, this one here in Norfolk Virginia reads:…read more "Point of measurement for distances from Norfolk on highways of the United States. Erected by The Boy Scouts of Norfolk, February 8, 1929." It is located in downtown Norfolk in front of the building that used to be City Hall and is now the MacArthur Memorial.