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.

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.

Fort Monroe is small, but packs in a lot. From a museum (Casemate), a beach club, public beach…read moreaccess, beautiful properties and stunning landmarks. Make sure to manage your speed and park in designated areas. The beaches never seem to be super crowded. They are generally clean as well. I have noticed boats anchor aching. Not sure how I feel about that, safety wise. There is one area that has lifeguards. The casemate museum is really great. It offers a lot of good education for the area. I highly recommend stopping and spending time inside.

This place did not disappoint. OMG I learned so much, first it was so clean and beauty well kept…read moreplace. Not crowded the videos and speaking set up for the walking tour done by 1619 project was everything. I was in awe. The first place for enslaved people straight from Africa, the house where Abraham Lincoln plan the fight at Norfolk. Just looking at the buildings that are 200 years old built by our ancestors and they are still holding up! Place was just amazing! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the place where the first Africa's landed from Angola was blocked by construction and those little moat entrances that I had to drive my car through

This place is pretty amazing even if you're not a history buff. Kids enjoyed the place. There's…read moreunmark parking available. Picnic tables available for a luncheon. They have a visitor center for all your questions. They offer ghost tours as well! If you're in the area definitely stop by and check it out!

Built in the 1600's. At one time the largest private dwelling in colonial America. One of 3 large…read moreplantations. 17 fireplaces, 33 bedrooms! Burned down in 1916. This house has been through a lot over the past centuries. A nice stop to see an interesting architectural feat. Stop by the visitor's center for admission and information about this mansions previous grandeur and storied history.

A nice memorial paying tribute to WWI service members The…read moreVictory Arch in Newport News, Virginia, is a historic monument that pays tribute to the brave service members who fought in World War I and beyond. Built in 1919, the original wooden structure welcomed soldiers returning from war, offering a grand and heartfelt homecoming. In 1962, it was replaced with the current permanent stone arch to preserve its significance as a symbol of gratitude and remembrance for generations to come. It is not in the best area of town. Parking is available on the nearby lots or on the street. There are several plaques around the one-block site. The engraved inscriptions and plaques on the arch honor the sacrifices of military personnel.The arch stands prominently on 25th Street. It stands about 3 stories tall and has a clean, timeless design that seems to blend very well with its surroundings, creating a respectful and relaxing atmosphere. The site is located in the heart of downtown Newport News. The Victory Arch is surrounded by notable attractions. It's just a short walk from Victory Landing Park, where you can enjoy waterfront views and open spaces. Visiting the Victory Arch is not only a historical experience but also an opportunity to connect with the city's deep military heritage dating back to WWI.

I feel a little weird reviewing an arch... but nobody has yet, and well, this is a very beautiful…read moretribute to our American heroes that served in WWI. It was first erected in 1919 and then rebuilt in 1962. The eternity flame has been lit since the 70's, and according to their Wiki page there was actually some controversy surrounding it and a gas shortage at one point. Almost half a million Americans returned through the ports of the city, so what a wonderful way to honor their valor. It is definitely worth a visit to pay your respects, and the nearby park is a nice place to reflect on the undeniable fact that freedom isn't free.

Great family field trip. My daughter loved it. Clean public bathrooms. Took us a few turns on the…read morepath to find a water access but very beautiful. Lots of agates and little shells.

Great little beach and place to hang out at by the river. Typically pretty clean and not very…read morecrowded. Nice walking trails and some awesome historical information surrounding the location. Worthwhile, even if you're just needed a place to picnic or have lunch... there are picnic tables for this very reason.

This confusing setup has a bunch of national park land adjoined to a privately owned historical…read moresite. Focusing only on the national park site, I found a visitor center with an introductory movie. While I was perusing the exhibitions right outside the theater, they managed to close it and lock it without letting me know the movie was starting. Which is a little irksome, but may have worked out for the best as I got to the outdoor site and managed to get a run of it and take some pictures just as a weather front was heading in. Some people had traveled from Michigan to tour the area, which I think was a good decision for them as you don't get this kind of history up there. The national park site has some ruins and signage after crossing a boardwalk over the swamp. While not huge in scope; I spent maybe an hour on the site in total, it gives you a feel for the challenges that settlers would have faced. The signage provides compelling information for visitors of all ages, and the views of the waterfront and nearby ferry are majestic as well. You'll get a sense of historical nuance with a lot of players in the area, and an aesthetic experience as well. There is a wildlife drive and this place does have a parkway running to Yorktown, albeit currently not fully open due to major construction. I did not have time for everything the area has to offer on this passing visit, but there is a lot regardless of how much time you have.

September 2024- I visited the historic & original Jamestown , the colony was established there in…read more1607. Jamestown is remembered for its iconic historical figures like Pocohontas and Captain John Smith. In the Visitor Center, there is a small museum exhibit of Jamestown. The admission to explore all of Jamestown requires the purchase of two tickets since Jamestowne managed by two separate organizations, Preservation Virginia (Jamestown Rediscovery) and the National Park Service (Colonial National Historical Park). This can be very confusing when entering and getting admission inside Jamestowne. Entrance inside the visitor center & museum as well as the grounds are free for active military and their families, who get free passes to all the national parks. Standard fee is $15. An additional ticket of $15 is required to purchase by ALL (even with a free military entrance pass to all National Parks). It was worth it to me and a fair price to pay. Jamestowne was a fascinating visit to walk through the well maintained and reconstructed historical buildings & ancient ground of Jamestown. I like how they reconstructed Jamestown to show how it appeared during colonial times and showcased the ruins of the old church within its duplicated replica. I spent most of my time in the church, drinking in the views by the River, and walking through the grounds of Jamestowne. We ended our visit at Jamestown by going to the Archaearium, the archaeology museum, last. It covers the history of Jamestown 1607-1624. There was so much unknown information uncovered there about Pocahontas and the dark history of the colonists during times of famine. 1609 - 1610 was a dark and horrific time period of cold winter weather & starvation for the colonial settlers of Jamestowne. Many starved to death, some resorted to cannibalism of dead corpses or killing the living for food to survive. They reserved a room about this dark period and restrict the use of cameras & taking photography/ videos of that area in the museum out of respect for the remains of the dead in the room. Very macabre yet still fascinating. There were many areas we did not have time to explore due to time constraints and our travel agenda, yet we made the best of what little time we had there.

Craney Island, actually a point of land in Portsmouth near the mouth of the Elizabeth River, wasn't…read morealways used as a Supply Center by the Navy. Those of us who study the War of 1812 know it for its place in history. The Craney Island Fort was built to protect the Norfolk Harbor during that war. Should the British penetrate Craney Island's defenses, awaiting as further deterrents were Fort Norfolk on the Norfolk side of the river and Fort Nelson on the Portsmouth side. The British did attack. But a highly manned defense held off the assault during the June 22, 1813 Battle of Craney Island. Having served its purpose during the war, it was eventually abandoned. A more recognizable name associated with Craney Island is the Civil War era Battle of the Monitor & Merrimack. The modern Monitor Merrimack Bridge/Tunnel is named for the battle. The ironclad USS Merrimack (or Confederate renamed Virginia) was based at Craney Island. It was also burned there by its crew following the capture of Norfolk by the Union. For years I would see a green haze at the lowest part of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. No one riding in the car with me saw it. I would always tell them that it was the ghosts of the Monitor & Merrimack. Craney Island has had a varied past through the generations. It served as the home of a lighthouse, a dredge dump, fuel depot, bird sanctuary & battleship port. But if you spot Craney Island while crossing the Monitor Merrimack Bridge, picture it through my eyes. It's a fort, teeming with soldiers & sailors, providing critical protection for the Norfolk Harbor during the War of 1812.

We visited Jamestown Settlement on Aug 14, 2025. It had free parking, which was a plus. From where…read morewe parked, we crossed the zebra crossing and walked through Quadricentennial Plaza to get to the museum. Erected in 2007 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the Quadricentennial Plaza's dual files of state flags was remarkable. When looking from the north side - facing the trio masts with the United States flag in the middle - the state flags were arranged in order of ratification starting from the right file with the flag of Delaware, moving state by state to the south side, then making a U-turn and continue on in the other file (with the flag of Michigan), and arriving back to the north side with the final state flag (Hawaii). A plague at the base of each mast briefly described the state's founding. A photo is included showing that of the Tar Heel state. Jamestown Settlement should not be confused with Historic Jamestowne (spelled with an extra "e"). The former is a museum located in Williamsburg while the latter is an archeological site located in Jamestown. When we arrived at Jamestown Settlement at 11:20am, the sky was cloudy; by 2:25pm, it was sunny and clear. The museum had a wide facade. When seen from an aerial view, it is shaped like an obtuse angle. Even through we went during the summer vacation, it wasn't crowded that day. If you're not interested in attending the museum, there plenty of benches to hang out by the lawn area. The first thing we did after purchasing the tickets was to watch a movie. We went to the rotunda (amazing ceiling view), and followed the directions to Gallery Theater where we saw "1607: A Nation Takes Root". This docudrama traces the founding of Jamestown from the point of view of the colonists, the Powhatans and the Africans, with the colonists being the main protagonists (no-brainer). If I had known that the film was already available on YouTube, I'd have skipped it altogether. After the film was over, we proceeded down Great Hall to the Galleries. There were three entrances to the Galleries. We took the first one cloest to the rotunda, called the "Before Jamestown" section. Before Jamestown, life was peaceful for the Africans and the Powhatans as shown by their life-sized dioramas. Then came the stars of the Galleries: British colonists. The layout and decor for their exhibits evoked a colonial marketplace. It included a partial model of a ship. The "1607" doorway to the right of "The Virginia Company of London" exhibit led to more exhibits. More Powhatans, including one devoted to Pocahontas. In addition, there were exhibits about women's contributions during the early years of Jamestown. "From Africa to Virginia" was a particularly interesting treat. In front of visitors were artifacts and written displays, behind them was a long, large screen showing clips of Africans' encounter with the colonists and the subsequent development of the slave trade. Next were additional colonist exhibits. They weren't as impressive as what came next: recreated homes from that time period (early to mid 1600s). Some of them were colonist dwellings and some slave dwellings. Hard to tell which was which as they all looked similar. At one of the homes, a video clip - played periodically on an exterior wall - showed a slave describing what life was like back then. He seemed happy, like Song of the South's Uncle Remus happy. Across from that home was a doorway leading to Great Hall. By the doorway were written displays encouraging visitors to "Turn Legacy Into Action". To the left of the doorway was an exit that led outside to the gazebo and an area called the Mall. The Mall had a walkway surrounding a larger lawn. At the end of the lawn towards the gazebo was the Commemoration Tower. Review continues in the attached image. More photos and videos can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@1Somber. Look for the playlist "2025-3: Jamestown Settlement Museum".

We had time before check in so my family came to the museum. We only had time for the inside, but…read moreit was well worth it. The museum is large but well organized. They have really cool artifacts, and they space items out so you can really appreciate them. The temporary exhibit about Ming China was really neat. We ran out of time to see the outdoor exhibits, but we would come back to see that part.