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.

We stopped at this attraction as part of the free trolley tour that circles Yorktown. My husband…read moreloves military historic and we were both bummed that the museum on site was closed for the government shutdown. We did however make the best of walking around the site and taking in all of the history we could on the grounds. We also observed a ceremony that was going on when we arrived at the Victory Monument and viewed various artillery pieces on the grounds. The town of Yorktown has lots of historic buildings and things to see and do. We enjoyed walking around and taking the trolley around this beautiful village.

Our favorite place to go here in Virginia! So many beautiful and historic buildings. The food and…read moreshops are fantastic. We always bring family here when they visit us. Favorite things in CW: - Walking down the historic downtown - Seeing the gardens and horses - Visiting the shops - Lunch at the cheese shop - The liberty lounge - Soups and snacks at the bakery (raleigh tavern i believe at the end of the street)

Planned my return visibased on my experience 20+years ago. What a disappointment. Many places were…read moreclosed, only a few had tours and some artisan works. Instead of artisan wares many shops sold kichy stuff. SerI woukd rather oay mk eynfor authentic stuff than mass produced junk. No reenactment, there were some some speeches, which were very good. It really just felt dull and ghosttown vibes. Seriously CW go back to how you were. This was just like walking down a street in an old town, nothing exciting

Ordinarily, plantations would not be on my list of places to visit, given the history of slavery…read more However, I discovered a statue of Grace Sherwood while living in Virginia Beach, and I was intrigued. I had mentioned this to one of my students, and she suggested I visit Ferry Plantation House. I planned a tour with her as I was interested in their ties to Grace Sherwood and stories of paranormal activity. The tour did not disappoint, and I'm always interested in history when it is presented in creative ways. I appreciated that they include tales of the slaves that were a part of the plantations past. As for the paranormal, I felt very drawn to a particular tree on the property. Though, nothing felt menacing, I did get pushed on the stairs after visiting an upstairs room where a former slave women spent a lot of time with the children of the plantation. The push was on my leg leading me to believe it could have possibly been a child. Lastly, I did stop by the gift shop at the end of my tour. My favorite purchase was a Ferry Plantation tea blend. It's worth a visit if you are interested in Virginia Beach history or the paranormal.

I came Ferry Plantation house this past Saturday the 21st. I have been vacationing for years at the…read morebeach but due to the rain and to look for alternative things my family and I could do. While researching I cam across the story of Grace Sherwood (not going to ruin it) which lead me to the plantation. After researching it I decided it would be a great place to drop by to put the story in motion. Since it is fall and almost Halloween I knew my stepdaughter would love it. We unfortunately could not get tickets as I waited last minute so we couldn't go into the house but just roamed the property. They have signs all around of historic significance and just seeing the house puts everything into perspective. I will definitely be back to tour the inside of the house and we heard from a volunteer who was arriving as we were leaving they do tours on Thursdays and Saturdays as well as was in the process of setting up for an event (some kind of funeral/mourning) that they do every year. If we lived closer we would definitely attend. No matter if you believe in the paranormal side of things or not it is still a great place of history located smack in the middle of some beautiful million dollar homes on the waterfront.

The story of this house and it's series of residents makes clear that a lot of racial assumptions…read moreabout the Civil War are wrong. Neither the freededmen nor the restored land owner could sustain the farm after the war despite fertile land and roads and rail connections. The docents are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The grounds are lovely. The house is incredible for when it was built. It would make a great mansion in the 1930s but it was built fifty years earlier.

Lee Hall is an interesting historic house museum Built in 1859, on the eve of the Civil War, it is…read moreItalianate in style on the outside, but has a Georgian interior floor plan. When built it was the most prominent house in Warwick County. It was used as aConfederate headquarters in April-May 1862. The basement contains an extensive exhibit on the 1862 Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War. The two furnished floors above are shown on the guided tour. Furnishings are arranged as they might have been in 1861. The bedrooms contain modern-looking closets. Our guide did his best to dispel the oft-repeated story that closets were taxed as though they were rooms (and that is why closets were uncommon). Lee Hall's bedrooms had them. The grounds contain a two-story brick outbuilding identified as the kitchen. It is not open and little was related about it or its configuration and use. Also on the grounds are the remains of Confederate earthworks. Troops camped one the property used it as a base to launch an observation balloon. After 1862, the Civil War largely bypassed the area and the house survived. The house was occupied into the late 20th century and divided into apartments for a time. The city of Newport News acquired it in 1996 and restored it. Definitely recommended for historic house enthusiasts.

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.

This is a cool lighthouse to see and you can actually walk up to the top of the oldest one. It is…read moremaybe about 100 steps or so and there are good views. You can also walk down the street some and go to an look out point over the ocean. There is also an old chapel there but it is currently under construction. What makes this lighthouse a pain to see is that it is located on a military base and it seems apparent that it is an inconvenience for them and thus they will make it so for you. Once you go through a TSA like process and show you ID 3-4 times, they take the ID for your ticket. Then you are shuttled in by a van. The driver was nice enough and they do come around often to take you back to get your idea. I do NOT recommend doing this if there is any line to get through. It is a slow process. There was no one else in the screening shed and it was SLOW. Plus it must be a hang out location as well because when we got back there were 4 people laid out in all the chairs in there just hanging around. Good lighthouse- unfortunate location

What everyone is missing... the construction of this lighthouse was the result of the first ever…read morefederal contract... which was issued by George Washington... the contractor that built the light house was never paid because local folks proclaimed it would never last,.... As a former woman owned federal contractor I was humbled when I climbed the interior stairs to the top... Just gave a SHOUT OUT to that contractor! God Bless his/her descendants!

Love that they saved these pieces of history. John was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide…read more Definitely worth a visit

I've been wanting to visit this for a while and was lucky to get tickets many months in advance…read more It's on a private property and is open only ~8 times in a year. There were different 2-hour times that you can choose from when I bought the tickets. A full day pass is also available that allows you to enter multiple times in a day. The organizers send emails containing directions to get to the place, tips and other reminders. When they tell you not to wear pretty shoes, listen. Even though it had not rained for the past week when we went, there were areas that were really muddy. Wear boots. Went here on a Saturday afternoon. There was a short orientation at the start near the registration area then we went to the heads of the presidents. It was a cool experience seeing all these huge busts of the presidents. Two brief talks during the visit were (1) trivia about the presidents and (2) history of the place/presidents' heads. A gift shop at the entrance/exit had magnets, postcards, tree ornaments, posters, etc. Had a great time here and was lucky to get those tickets ahead of time because they run out quickly.

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!

This was my friends and I first time doing electric bikes and they were so fun! We originally had a…read morestart time for 12pm but we were running late so we called and were able to push it back to the 2pm time. Jill and her husband were super sweet and great! Helmets are required for insurance purposes. Jill gave us a map and had great recommendations on bike routes so we could see the most. It was a really cool experience and definitely highly recommend best way to see Yorktown. Super bike friendly! It was $25 per person so not bad at all.

Me and my wife took a 2 hour Segway tour around Yorktown historical district. First time riding a…read moreSegway but it's real easy to learn and within a few minutes you're ready to go. Great weather and a great guide made for a relaxing and fun 2 hours. Highly recommend this tour with this company

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.