Norfolk – Culture, Coast and Nature
Accommodation in Norfolk
Norfolk combines art, maritime history, coastal landscapes and unusual discoveries to create a diverse destination. You can shape your stay around museums, historic sites, gardens, animal experiences and water activities. This makes it easy to adapt your search for a suitable holiday apartment to your own travel plans: if culture and the city’s history are the focus, your day-trip ideas will differ from those for a stay centred on the coast, nature and walking trails.
Art, History and Maritime Experiences
The Chrysler Museum of Art houses more than 35,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of art history. The collection includes European and American painting and sculpture, glass and photography, as well as African, Asian, ancient Mediterranean and ancient American art. Anyone wishing to explore different art forms in one place will find an especially broad range of themes here.
Norfolk’s history also includes distinctive buildings and memorial sites. St. Paul’s Church was built in 1739 and is the oldest building in the city of Norfolk. A cannonball fired by Lord Dunmore’s British fleet is still embedded in the southeastern wall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The MacArthur Memorial is dedicated to the life and legacy of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The memorial complex includes a museum, an archives and research centre, an education centre, a theatre, a visitor centre and a museum shop.
Located on the waterfront in the city centre, Nauticus is a maritime discovery centre. Interactive exhibitions and the STEM-to-STERN programme provide insights into the marine environment, the maritime industry and the military. Battleship Wisconsin is one of the largest and among the last battleships ever built by the US Navy. The ship can be explored on a self-guided tour; guided tours additionally lead to the captain’s cabin, the wheelhouse and the Combat Engagement Center, or seven decks down into the engine-room area.
Gardens, Animals and Coast
Norfolk Botanical Garden covers 175 acres and contains more than 60 themed gardens. The grounds can be explored by tram, boat or on foot. The range extends from cultivated plants to wild species. The Hermitage Museum & Gardens is a 12-acre waterfront estate along the Lafayette River; its nationally recognised art collection spans more than 5,000 years.
The Virginia Zoo is home to more than 700 animals from Africa, Asia, Australia, North America and other regions. The African Safari Trail features, among others, rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, tortoises and cheetahs. On Asia: Trail of the Tiger, visitors can see exotic animals from dozens of Asian countries. Behind-the-scenes tours also introduce them to zookeepers and animals such as rhinoceroses and giraffes.
Norfolk has more than 7.3 miles of publicly accessible shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay and 13 official kayak and canoe access points throughout the city. The East Ocean View Community Center Pier on the shore of Pretty Lake serves anglers and boaters. Summer concerts and dance events take place at Ocean View Beach Park. For walks, the Elizabeth River Trail–Atlantic City Spur is an option; it runs for 10.5 miles between Norfolk State University and the Port of Virginia.
Choose Accommodation to Suit Your Travel Plans
When choosing your holiday apartment, you can first decide which experiences should define your stay. Visitors interested in culture can include the Chrysler Museum of Art, the MacArthur Memorial, Nauticus and the historic sites in their plans. For days focused on nature, options include the Botanical Garden, the Hermitage Museum & Gardens, the zoo and the coast. The light rail service The Tide connects Fort Norfolk Station with Newtown Road Station and stops near the Chrysler Museum of Art, the MacArthur Memorial and Harbor Park Baseball Stadium. The Virginia Zoo is served by Hampton Roads Transit Route 1; the bus stop is at Lafayette Park, within walking distance of the zoo.
There are also specific options for varied days. The Norfolk Harbor cruise aboard the Victory Rover showcases destroyers, submarines and other ships while passengers tour the harbour. Perry Glass Studio offers a live narrated glassblowing demonstration at noon from Tuesday to Sunday. At Selden Market, local artists and craftspeople, chefs and weekly changing pop-up shops come together in a historic market hall. Norfolk also offers a three-day beer pass for sampling local beer.
Norfolk and North Camellia Acres.
For the higher-level travel overview: Virginia.
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