MOCA is such a fantastic organization. This is the best grouping of artist that show up. I have to…read moresay the Boardwalk Art Show is stunning. I say this every year. This is the best of the year. AGAIN. This year they had artist painting murals right there amongst the art booths. It was fantastic. I saw a bunch of artist I knew and met some fantastic new ones. I listed my top 5 picks in my pictures

I love art and I love the beach. So the annual Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show brings me to…read morealmost orgasmic giddiness. There's all different types of art and artists: jewelry makers, painters, sculptors and more all with their most eye-catching pieces for sale. If you have deep pockets you can bring the art show experience home with you, but if you're like me most of these pieces are way out of your range. But hey, it's still fun to look. And when you're done baking on the boardwalk, take a dip in the ocean.

This center is such a beautiful location. I visited here for a volunteer event as we were building…read moreoyster habitats. The building and property are absolutely stunning and worth a walk around. I've also seen family photo sessions held here.

Did you know that we have one of the greenest buildings in the world located in Hampton Roads? I…read moredidn't either! The only reason I have discovered the Brock Environmental Center is because one of the organizations I am part of uses their building for a few presentations every year. It's a hidden eco-oasis located on Shore drive. It has an awesome meeting space with a projector. I think we typically fit 50-70 people inside of it. Just visiting the BEC makes you feel like you are living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. They have done an absolutely incredible job and haven't overlooked any sustainable detail. From their water refill stations using only reusable cups to their bathrooms that drop straight down to a compost situation. The whole facility is powered by solar panels, and I believe they also generate their own wind-power as well. They offer several educational programs for students and I believe they also offer tours of the facility. Surrounding the building is a wide network of trails perfect for exploring the beautiful Bay Area.

Absolutely amazing museum the tour guide knowledge of the place was amazing. Would highly…read morerecommend this to anybody with some time to visit a museum in Suffolk, Virginia.

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.

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!

A little more history for you on what was Seatack Station or more specifically on the neighborhood…read morefrom which it got its original name. Seatack was named so because it was the point on the coast of rural Princess Anne County where the community was the target of cannonballs fired from British ships and was where troops came ashore during an attack in the War of 1812. The isolated stretch of beach place became known as "Sea Attack", and was gradually shortened to "Sea 'ttack", and then, finally to the portmanteau of, simply "Seatack". If you're wondering what exactly the British came ashore for they were trying to steal a few cows that were wandering in the dunes where the boardwalk would one day be. There are some people who will tell you the attack came in the 1700s; those people are wrong. It was most assuredly, during the war of 1812 based off of who confronted the British when they came ashore in the first place; the men who would go on a few years later to serve as the first members assigned to Seatack life-saving station number two Seatack men who were already fishing in the Atlantic Ocean & would pull people to safety after shipwrecks in the 1800's including the 1891 shipwreck of the Norwegian barque Dictator off the coast of Virginia Beach that would inspire the Norwegian ladies/sisters. In Norway, there is an exact replica of the one that we have here in Virginia Beach and the two are looking at one another across the vast expanse of the Atlantic hoping and praying for the safe return of a ship who fell victim to the high seas & now rests forever in the graveyard of the Atlantic. Free Black men of Seatack were life-savers before America ever established U. S. Coast Guard life saving stations and for almost 3/4th of a century were what protected those who met hazards at sea as well as cows who faced danger ashore. Virginia Beach & Kitty Hawk station wouldn't open until (1874-1915) - only Virginia Beach remains while the Kitty Hawk Station Located near Mile Post 4 1/2 on Beach Road; 1874 station is now the Station Six Restaurant; 1915 station a private home. Nags Head (1874-1912) - Last station destroyed in 1962 Ash Wednesday storm. Bodie Island (1878-1923) - Once called Tommy's Hummock. The modern Coast Guard, here in the United States, was created in 1915 by the merger of two other federal agencies. The first, the United States Revenue Cutter Service, founded in 1790 and known until 1894 as the United States Revenue-Marine, was a maritime customs enforcement agency that also assumed a supporting role to the United States Navy in wartime. The second, the United States Life-Saving Service, was formed in 1848 and consisted of life saving crews stationed at points along the United States East Coast. The Coast Guard later absorbed the United States Lighthouse Service in 1939 and the functions of the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection via a two-step process in 1942 and 1946. These days the Coast Guard is a branch of the military just as important as any of it's sister services & no longer falls under the Department of Transportation (DoT) as it once did except during times of war, when it fell under the Navy Department and eventually the Department of Defense(DoD) which is now its governing agency at all times. One last thing about SeaTack; its heart exists where the original SeaTack Fire/Rescue station#12 once was on the grounds where the SeaTack Rec Center now stands. SeaTack Station #12 was one of the first fire companies in the United States of America that was owned and operated entirely by African Americans. It remained that way from 1948 throughout the final days of Jim Crow and the station was even around when I first got to town on Feb 3, 1976; I was born at Beach General & I'm as local as the Boardwalk. Virginia Beach Fire/Rescue Station 12 now sits on S Birdneck right next-door to my third elementary school Birdneck Elementary which sits directly across the street from the new SeaTack Elementary; the original is where current & future members of the Virginia Beach, Police Department and Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office train and is also the home of one of Virginia Beach's hidden gems known as Pathways aka Virginia Beach Detox Center a place I hold in my heart because it was my city that took me in as the first military veteran who'd receive detox services at Pathways as opposed to the VA as had always been done previously. This March 16th will mark my 5th year of continuous sobriety so thank you Pathways, City of Virginia Beach, & of course the people of Seatack. Your first patient was a success & God willing I shall remain that way.

This place is awesome! Definitely Family and child friendly!…read more Stop by and enjoy the Historic Life saving Museum quick tour and interactive activities . Its been 10 years since my last visit and the museum is unrecognizable because of all the renovations. Thank you VA Beach for keeping the tradition of lifesaving alive. Free for children under 17 and $5 for Military veterans.

The Thoroughgood House has been a feature in my life since I first moved to Virginia Beach. It…read moresits on a portion of the 5,350 acre 1635 land grant to Adam Thoroughgood along the Lynnhaven River. Nestled in the back of the Thoroughgood neighborhood, the lure of its colonial history has drawn visitors for many years. It's also a central point for activities in the neighborhood. During my son's elementary days, field trips to the house were greatly anticipated. This time, before its acquisition by the City of Virginia Beach, provided a wonderful interpretation. One downstairs side of the house was 17th century with the other side 18th century. It was beautiful. I mourn the loss of the period pieces and wonder what the city did with the treasures. During that time period there were many school buses that traveled Thoroughgood Drive for field trips, I haven't seen them during recent years. After the City of Virginia Beach took ownership there was a reinterpretation that closed the house for many years. The beautiful previous interpretation has been abandoned. ;( For many years there were conflicting opinions on the construction date based on evidence in the construction materials. The city dated its construction as about 1712, which may or may not be correct. It was obvious that the house hadn't been the original home of Adam Thoroughgood. That house was most likely in what is now the Baylake Pines neighborhood. The homes then were near a waterway. A hurricane changed the course of the Lynnhaven River causing the nearby Lynnhaven Parish Church to be moved and the graveyard to be under the Western Branch of the Lynnhaven River. Legend is that many years ago boys swimming in the river felt the tombstones, now most likely covered by the river's silt. Regardless of the interpretation and the controversy of who built the home, it's well worth a visit. Explore the early colonial period and experiences of the family who first owned the property many of us live on. What archeological items could be hiding under our grassy lawns?

I never realized they organized such fun and informative events. They really do an excellent job…read moreexecuting them. They have the perfect team and tour guides that are passionate about what they do. I've been back to the house, three or four times. One would think, do I truly need to return, AGAIN? The answer is yes. It's the same house but you will find some new information and history each time you visit for their various events. They've held a Highland tea on the lawn, where we learned about the history of perfume and listened to the technical skills of a bagpipe player, donning A kilt while sipping on tea and enjoying a lovely presented table setting with a charcuterie board and petite fours. Or a ghost tour, learning about the local ghosts and stories of the ill informed and misguided public re: determining one's innocence on whether they were a witch to playing ghost hunters and holding conversations by the bonfire. They have great Christmas events showcasing the various holiday traditions as well as their history and how a typical Christmas dinner would look. VB History museums truly make learning fun and entertaining!

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 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.