An interesting and historic venue, but one with a serious safety issue. Do not under any…read morecircumstances sit in the balcony. The seats there are cramped and uncomfortable with no leg room. Evacuating the balcony in a timely manner in the event of an emergency would likely be difficult at best.

Amazing display of Black History and the accomplishments made by African Americans. It highlights…read morethe impact on the state, national and the world. The curator was knowledgeable, resourceful, and enthusiastic.

The U.S. Lightship Service began in 1820. The Lightship Portsmouth was constructed in 1915. She…read moreserved for 48 years off the coast of Virginia, Delaware, Massachusetts helping Mariners avoid dangerous shoals, or enter safely into harbors at night. Typically, ships would anchor at a strategic location sea and remain there for months at a time. The maximum crew during service was 15 men. In 1964, the vessel was retired to Portsmouth Virginia and renamed according to the custom of naming lightships after the site were they were stationed. It's cool to see off the water because it's lit up at night. I volunteered as a docent a year back in early 2016 and it was a rewarding experience. In 1989, the Lightship Portsmouth was designated a National Historic Landmark. Today it's a museum with quarters are fitted out realistically and filled with fascinating artifacts, uniforms, photographs & models. It's worth a visit. There are few remaining examples to tour in the country. Exurbs..."Lightship Portsmouth"

It's on land! From afar it looks like it is in the water…read more It is unfortunate that is is closed for the season because I totally would have taken a tour on that ship. I'm kinda geeky like that. This is just right outside of the Renaissance Hotel and within walking distance of the Elizabeth River Ferry. If anything, you could get a great waterfront walk in after snapping some pics with this light ship.

An intensive tour of the Riddick Folly House, our tour guide who's been working and curating the…read morepieces for over thirty year's was informative, funny, and a passionate guide. Be prepared for an hour and thirty minute tour, but it's worth it.

We had such an amazing tour! Lee was so personable and knowledgable and really took his time…read moretaking us through every room in the house.

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.

This is a fun place to visit, especially around the Christmas season…read more I must say I hardly ever step foot in here unless an event is taking place. As a result, my recent visit here was during the Christmas holiday season 2016. During this time, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday the center offers several fun filled activities for the children - well for the whole family. So bring the newborns to great grandmas for a day or two of fun and lasting memories. Events as such: pictures with Santa, arts & crafts, cookie decorating, face painting and ornament making just to name a few are offered in December. And far as I can remember these sort of events have been in existence since the center opened some time ago. You can usually find out about these events online through PortsVaEvents or just by being in the Old Towne area of the city. Circulars and fliers are posted. Again, I haven't shopped nor have I browsed in the center, but from just passing I have noticed different crystals and novelty items are sold here. it's a small house turned into a small shop, very cute. It's also decorated on the inside and outside with Christmas holiday decor. If you choose to not partake in any of the activities, the scenery outside makes for a great background during Christmas time. I'd like to think this place is worth a visit, especially if you are in the area. Oh did I mention...these activities during the days mentioned above in December are FREE!!!! My type of fun!! Parking is available on the street, but if you're one of the unlucky ones, parking garages are within walking distances. And the garages are FREE of charge. The Old Towne area of the city offers several: shops, restaurants and much more. Everything is within walking distance. It's definitely a family oriented town especially during the holiday season. It's a great day to have a great day!!

Not super impressed - not going to lie…read more At Christmas, when we visited, there is an event inside this center which, from the website, seems like it's a Christmas Market or winter wonderland experience. So my friends visiting from out of town and I drove from ALL the way in Pungo to this - only to find that it's $3 entry per person (no biggie) but is mostly for children, there were no vendors selling anything anywhere, very little food or drink, and the displays are more like the dated animatronic Christmas teddy bears from malls of years past. Maybe ok for small small children, but not something for adults by any means, and not paid entry. Major disappointment. I'm glad this is here for locals and I'm sure it has it's time and place. But the description on the website was completely misleading. We looked around the gift shop and roamed the town before heading to downtown Norfolk for more adult friendly Christmas things to do.

Neptune's Park is a must-visit if you're in Virginia Beach. That giant bronze statue of King…read moreNeptune? It's basically the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben of the Oceanfront; towering, iconic, and perfect for photos. I got an amazing pic there with my little brother that I'll always treasure. The park itself is a chill, grassy space right off the boardwalk, often buzzing with live music and people just soaking up the vibe. It's the perfect spot to relax after a stroll or while waiting for the next show to start, there's also beach access not too far from the park if you want to feel the sand in-between your toes, soak up the sun, or hop in the Atlantic Ocean. Surrounding the park is a whole world of things to do; plenty of places to eat, drink, and shop within walking distance. Whether you're in the mood for seafood, a cocktail, or something sweet, it's all right there. Great views, good energy, and that unforgettable Neptune statue this spot is a Coastal Virgina staple for tourists and locals alike.

This public park had an open grass field, a performing stage, and a status on the boardwalk. The…read morestatue is a popular spot for tourists to take pictures. It has plaque describing the contribution of Sidney Kellam King Neptune VI in forming the city of Virginia Beach. It just sits on a concrete extension of the broad walk, a bit underwhelming for such historical landmark. The field across the statues is open to public. People just walk around while going in and out of the beach sand. Bunch of restaurants and shops are nearby to grab food and drinks. The theater is used for scheduled special events. But while visiting the park I noticed few of random people were just sitting on the stage. It felt little sketchy but there was plenty of foot traffic since there was beach shower faucet right across the Neptune statue and the park.

I loved the festival and the whole fun vibe. It was hot so not too crowded; hopefully, next year…read morewon't be so hot, so the crowds will come back out again. Food, crafter, restaurants, Main Street vibes entertainment - all fun. Next year - Check Them Out!

It was time for the third annual History Bites during Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend at Mariners'…read moreMuseum, and I was excited to meet Honest Abe and eat some good food! This was a special event, combining food with history. "Top restaurants and caterers in Hampton Roads will compete in a food-tasting event of historic proportions. The contestants will prepare a selection of traditional 19th century dishes representing the North, the South and the Navy, preparing their best interpretations of dishes" (http://www.marinersmuseum.org/event/history-bites/). The details: The ticket got you into the event, allowing you to eat as much as you wanted (Piggy Town--woohoo!) and a ticket for one alcoholic drink (beer, wine or spiked lemonade). You were free to walk around, table to table, trying all of the selections from the contestants. There were some tables -some real large, sit-down tables and some small, tall tables for standing- but they were filled up pretty quickly. I was alone, but if I had a partner, I would have kept one person at a table, and the other go around and grab food. Once you finished eating all of the items, you needed to pick just ONE selection on the ballot. The Goose Grey- The first item I tried was The Goose Grey's Grandma's Bean Soup and Plum Cobbler. Unfortunately, these were probably some of my least favorites. The "soup" needed seasoning real bad and the cobbler was dry and disappointing. Not a good start to the event. Soup/Cobbler 2*/3* Harpoon Larry's- Fried Clams and Apple Custard were from Harpoon Larry's and those clams were awesome! They served them on top of a lemon aioli and in a sea shell--so cool! Delicious and one of my top three favorites. The Apple Custard ended up being kind of like a shot, and added some brandy in a cup. It was okay, but not my thing. 5*/3* Ms. Mary's Catering- To Make Olla (a Spanish-type soup) and Common Cheesecake were next up for my taste buds. The soup was good, had several types of meat, good flavor with some spice and sweet, and overall was tasty. The cheesecake didn't really work for me. Something about it had an odd flavor. Olla/Cheesecake 4*/3* Smoke BBQ- To Roast a Pig and Johnnycakes and their plate reminded me of Thanksgiving. The pork came out like pulled pork without the sauce--moist and good flavor. It was served with some stuffing that I liked, and a dense Johnnycake, drizzled with molasses. I really enjoyed their plate, and probably was my third favorite restaurant overall. 4* The Catering Co.- 1845 Chicken Salad and Same Potatoes Salad according to the ballot, but they also served some baked beans with it. The salad tasted like deviled eggs--kind of different, but I liked it. The Potatoes Salad had no flavor, but the beans were really good. Chicken Salad/Potatoes Salad 3*/2* The Chamberlin- Fried Salt Pork and Trifle were two of my top three favorites. The Fried Salt Pork reminded me pork belly--nice and crispy and to die for! It was served on top of puréed butternut squash and topped with an apple slaw. The presentation was beautiful and the taste was outstanding. It was the only item I went back for seconds. The trifle was delicious, too, and easily the best dessert there. Pork/Trifle 5*/4* Encore- Chicken Salad and Bounce--I'm sorry to say that I only tried Bounce. I was getting full at that point and the chicken salad didn't seem appealing to me. But, I'd heard that Bounce was amazing and I needed to try it. It was like a cherry cordial, warm and inviting. Very good. 4* Fin- Clam Chowder and Sweet Potato Biscuits was my last trip to the tables. While the "chowder" was very flavorful, it didn't seem chowder-like to me. Not thick at all. Maybe they tried to thin it out and stretch it? It also was cold--much like most of the items and I like my food hot. I understand that is probably difficult--just sayin'. The biscuit was heavy, but I'm comparing to Blue's amazing sweet potatoes that I tried last week. 3*/3* Schlesingers/Opus 9- Macaroni Pudding and Ginger Beer were their entries, and sadly I didn't try either. Their table was the only one I didn't get to visit. I am not a big fan of rice/bread pudding and the idea of Macaroni Pudding did not excite me. However, I did talk to a lady and it was her favorite of the night. Now I wish I had tried it! My Picks: 1st The Chamberlin's Fried Salt Pork 2nd Harpoon Larry's Fried Clams 3rd The Chamberlin's Trifle Honorable Mention Smoke BBQ's To Roast a Pig I had a great time, and can't wait to find out who the winners were since I left before they were announced. Overall, it was a fun event, but it was very crowded in there! Too bad they couldn't use a larger room and spread out. All of the contestants were fabulous dealing with the people, and so cool to be held at a museum. Huzzah!

I won tickets for the 2019 History Bites event and am so glad that I attended. I tried about 97% of…read morethe dishes and loved 75% of them. That's a lot of math lol. My favorite item, by far, was the lemon pudding. It tasted like a lemon cornbread with whipped cream. It was so good, I tried to find a recipe on Pinterest- with no luck. Other dishes that stood out were the asparagus soup (tasted like a cream of broccoli) and an apple fritter which changed my WHOLE understanding of what a good fritter should taste like (this is a compliment). Usually fritters I've tried are hard and overly sweet. The texture of the fritter was more like a donut and absolutely divine. As you can tell from my photo, the best part of the night was taking a pic with Abe! Had a great time and hope to attend next year.