Hampton Carousel is hands down the best carousel experience I have ever had, and that goes the same…read morefor my parents who were with me. The gentlemen running it were incredibly nice and gave us an unforgettable tour of this classic piece of Americana. My parents and I had planned to make the Hampton Carousel a focal point of our recent visit to the area since my mother is a member of the National Carousel Association, and we were so glad we did. This was a gorgeous Sunday and despite that the area was relatively empty. We had very few other folks come by the carousel while we were there and so the two gentlemen running it gave us the grand tour, including of the central support pillar, the electronics adapted to assist the century-old organ, and the other historical artifacts lining the walls. They did so out of the kindness of their hearts and a genuine affection for the carousel and its history, which you just don't see in terms of commitment at most venues anymore. The price for all of this? $1 a ride. What a deal! The carousel ride itself was enjoyable, and it's very cool that they have so many tracks of the hit songs from each year the carousel has been open. You never know what you'll hear next! The pavilion containing the carousel is beautiful and sturdy, which is particularly important when it comes to protecting the carousel for the next century or so. This was a fun experience, and you can't beat the $1 ride price. Genuinely great fun for everyone, make sure you stop by if you're in the area! Overall: 5.0 stars ----- Pros: - Amazing staff who go out of their way to make your experience a special one. - $1 carousel rides? The price is right! - Beautiful pavilion in great shape. - Fun decor with a ton of history behind it. Cons: - None, even their hours are great. Make sure you stop by!

Hampton Carousel (HC) is ready for Halloween! I had read about HC from another Yelper and…read morebookmarked it for a day we found ourselves in Hampton and whaddya know, we found ourselves in Hampton last weekend, a lot sooner than I thought so this bookmark came in handy. Our kids love carousels so I knew this would be the perfect little pit stop before we made our way back to the other side. HC is located right next to the Virginia Air and Space Science Center. - Parking - There was not a dedicated parking lot for the HC that we could see, so luckily we found street parking nearby and it was free. - TLC - Two staff members were running the place. One by the admissions desk and one operating the carousel. The woman by the admissions started her spiel like a seasoned actress rehearsing her lines for the next blockbuster movie. She did not skip a beat. She told us that the HC turns 101 years old this year! Wow, pretty neat that they have kept this piece of history well maintained. - Pricing and Ride - The cost is one whole dollar. Cash only. And you get your dollar's worth too. The ride seemed quite long, like a good 5 minutes, but maybe that's just me. I was riding the sleigh (that doesn't even move!) and I was feeling a little queasy by the end LOL. Our kids on the other hand, couldn't get enough. HC was decorated for Halloween. The women encouraged the kids to make their way around the carousel to the different spooky and ghoulish figures to nab some candy before it spooked them. The kids had fun doing that! Well worth the visit to witness a bit of history and super cheap entertainment for the kids. Ride $1, smiles priceless. Stay safe, Friends!

We were in Norfolk for a short time on our cruise, and we docked right next to the USS Wisconsin…read more So we decided we would checkout this historic Navy battleship. The museum is full of historic information and articles to view. One of the coolest part of the experience is being able to board the USS Wisconsin, even for someone like me, a wheelchair user. I was able to tour the deck and check out many areas of the ship. The docents and museum personnel were friendly and knowledgeable when anyone had a question or wanted to know more of the history of "Old Whisky" I am a naval history buff and the chance to be able to get on a ship that helped the US in WWII, it was a treat. Whether you are visiting Norfolk for a long or short visit, put this historic Navy battleship!

Love passing this little backyard I have I live down the street and get to enjoy walking downtown…read moreand seeing the Wisconsin when families in town we do the winner fest on the Wisconsin. I've done yoga on there. I've had a party for girls on the run for a half marathon.

Nice toddler and children park, it's well kept, trash cans, picnic tables, boat launch , lots of…read moreswings, lots of grass area for children to run. Porta potty on site. Ample parking . I have been here several times and it's never crowded, usually only on or two other families. We really like this park! Just wish there was an actual bathroom . Update: park is open. Park was empty besides park workers taking their lunch break in the parking lot. No children at the playground. Park is still well kept. Park is not covered so depending on time of day, the sun beats down intensely. Picnic tables are accessible, drinking fountain is also available as well as a spot to refill your water bottle. They have a small area to exercise on the metal bars provided. Two porta potties on site. The side trail is somewhat overgrown now covering some of the path, luckily there are plenty of branches that can be used as a walking stick to move the overgrown shrubs out of the way.

I love it here! I…read morehaven't visited this park in years. And I must say, when I visited last I do not remember it looking as it did when I visited about a month ago. I toured the park on an early evening during the week. I am looking to host an event here soon and figured I'd check it out first before reserving. One must contact Parks & Rec to reserve the shelters located here. There is a huge shelter towards the back of the park that looks to be perfect for a party size of 100 or less. The park is beautiful. There is a body of water in which one can sit or stand and enjoy the views. Super quiet and I love it. There is also an area in which one can exercise by following the posted exercises in a sand pit. I love this feature! There is a playground for the younger and older children. Swings are even featured here! I love the swings :) This park isn't super huge but I think it's a great size and you are lucky if you are the only one renting a shelter... it's small enough to feature an intimate setting... like a private party but you only rented one shelter. Parking seems decent. I think 20 cars can fit into the parking lot without worry but if more start to show up, this could be a problem. I am not sure if overflow parking is nearby. There is a narrow street leading to the park so one may be able to park on one side of the street... if not...not sure what the back up plan is. I'd say there are plenty of trees at this park so shaded areas are definitely present. At least one grill is located near each of the three shelters. I'd recommend you visit this hidden jewel in Chesapeake. I'm looking forward to returning soon. Have fun and enjoy life :)

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.

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 year was my first time attending the Fourth of July firework display here. My children had an…read moreabsolutely amazing time and I enjoyed watching them have the time of their lives. There were vendors for food (the lines were not terrible while I was in line), but bringing food and coolers of your own were also allowed. The music, firworks, and energy of the crowd made for a good experience . If ever attending, please expect departure to be ridiculous. The parking deck was nearly at capacity when we arrived so we had to park at the very top, the elevator lines were long (we had a stroller) and the elevators were slow due to so many people using them. Despite this everyone was cooperative and rudeness did not exist that night ( thank God). Definitely don't mind going again.

This is a nice park on the waterfront that has a lot of shade trees and good paths for taking a…read morestroll. There is an area for live music and family festivals. The park is across the street from many downtown hotels and businesses.

Lovely playground at the beginning of the VA Beach boardwalk. This was a great find on a red flag…read morebeach day. The equipment is clean, not new but good enough. Space to run around and bathrooms right across the way. Lots of fun musical elements, multiple slides, and climbing features.

This park is located right off of the Boardwalk. There is metered street parking and a few…read morecommercial lots within walking distance that you can park at. The meters cost about $2/ hour and the lots vary in price. There is a restroom facility right across the boardwalk from it, which is a plus. This play park is the epitome of accesible parks. It is titled the "Park for Everybody". The amazing park/play area is 15,000 square feet and features wheelchair accessible entrances. It was built in honor of Josh Thompson, an avid beach lover, who lost his battle with ALS. Josh's family wanted to go to the beach, but he stayed behind because of the difficulty of getting his wheelchair to the beach, across the sand and down to the surf. The park is very nice and has a huge jungle gym with a couple of slides, a sculptural of a dolphins, a surfboard, and a wave that children can play on, raised sand tables for sandcastle building at an accessible height, a sensory board for autistic children, Sway Fun glider, and a pebble walk. What I find really cool is that they have fully accessible playground -beach wheelchairs available at no charge, on a first come, first served basis (only during season though). You will also find some cement pads here, with post marking the spots, that are covered with a little sand, making playing in the sand more accessible. Just outside of the park is a nice statue of a man and young boy holding surf boards. The sculpture is on top of a granite base that has the names of donors and the inspiration behind the park inscribed on it. Definitely worth a look. This first of its kind park is a very nice addition to VIrginia Beach's Boardwalk. It is accessible and fun for all kids to play on. They do suggest that it is best for kids aged 5 to 12. I love everything about this park. There should be more of these around.

We absolutely love this park…read more It is so nice that there is rubber down instead of mulch that gets stuck in the children's shoes. There are several slides so everyone can go down. There is a sunshade over top to help cut down on it being hot from the sun. There is plenty of grass around for children to run in as well if they wanna bring a ball. There are 2 tables with a shade so that you can sit and eat. Plenty of parking and clean restrooms.

I have visited the mariners museum in the past and somehow I missed this amazing little park. I…read moredid some research and found out this is a recent addition to the mariners museum and trails It is absolutely adorable and so cute There is a small garden and several educational spots They seem to have made everything out of recycled materials and mostly wood it is really nice They have a see saw and even a tunnel They also have a giant checkers tiktaktoe and chess boards I saw several children enjoying the park and the parents had benches to keep a close eye one the little ones It is very shaded and if they get restless you have the entire Nolan's trail within walking distance and the entire mariners museum to explore which is currently charging only 1$ for admission Definitely a spot worth taking your kids to or even as an adult to stop by