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 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.

Ordinarily, plantations would not be on my list of places to visit, given the history of slavery…read more However, I discovered a statue of Grace Sherwood while living in Virginia Beach, and I was intrigued. I had mentioned this to one of my students, and she suggested I visit Ferry Plantation House. I planned a tour with her as I was interested in their ties to Grace Sherwood and stories of paranormal activity. The tour did not disappoint, and I'm always interested in history when it is presented in creative ways. I appreciated that they include tales of the slaves that were a part of the plantations past. As for the paranormal, I felt very drawn to a particular tree on the property. Though, nothing felt menacing, I did get pushed on the stairs after visiting an upstairs room where a former slave women spent a lot of time with the children of the plantation. The push was on my leg leading me to believe it could have possibly been a child. Lastly, I did stop by the gift shop at the end of my tour. My favorite purchase was a Ferry Plantation tea blend. It's worth a visit if you are interested in Virginia Beach history or the paranormal.

I came Ferry Plantation house this past Saturday the 21st. I have been vacationing for years at the…read morebeach but due to the rain and to look for alternative things my family and I could do. While researching I cam across the story of Grace Sherwood (not going to ruin it) which lead me to the plantation. After researching it I decided it would be a great place to drop by to put the story in motion. Since it is fall and almost Halloween I knew my stepdaughter would love it. We unfortunately could not get tickets as I waited last minute so we couldn't go into the house but just roamed the property. They have signs all around of historic significance and just seeing the house puts everything into perspective. I will definitely be back to tour the inside of the house and we heard from a volunteer who was arriving as we were leaving they do tours on Thursdays and Saturdays as well as was in the process of setting up for an event (some kind of funeral/mourning) that they do every year. If we lived closer we would definitely attend. No matter if you believe in the paranormal side of things or not it is still a great place of history located smack in the middle of some beautiful million dollar homes on the waterfront.

A twilight Norfolk Cenetery tour was fun at Elmwood. The subject was death, disease and surgery in…read morethe Victorian period. I could not resist the topic since I'm in healthcare. The eight stones visited had all different causes of death from syphilis, epilepsy, surgery and even teething. One had a corner report listing cause of death as "ate too much ice". The Norfolk Society for Cemetery's typically offer the tours on Friday and Sunday's throughout the year for $5 with different topics. The trio of cemeteries utilized, Elmwood, Cedar Grove and West Point off Princess Anne Road in Norfolk are the oldest in the city. I have visited all three in the past with curiosity. For those interested go to the Norfolk Society website. Also they will host an annual 5k run From Here to Eternity. "Silent Guardians of Forgotten Tales". October 11th.

We took this tour around Halloween but it would be fun any time. Our guide was in a full costume…read morefrom centuries ago and brought both wit and history as he explained who the souls were buried underneath our feet. Norfolk is an old historic town with much to learn about the people who once inhabited it. The $5 donation goes towards preserving the grounds and headstones so your visit makes a difference in preserving history. Wear shoes comfortable for uneven ground and have fun!

Mary Veal and the Colonials were quite the treat. My job went on a staff retreat in Portsmouth and…read morehad the privilege of going on a walking tour with this amazing team. I love the characters that were portrayed by the actors and their narratives. All of the sites that we went to were quite remarkable. I wasn't aware that so many historic homes that meant a lot to America's history lined the streets of Olde Town Portsmouth (and many are in tact and well-kept). I was also impressed by all of the African American history that they weaved into their tour as well as their homage to the Emancipation Oak in Hampton and 1619 - which mean a lot to my hometown of Hampton, VA. Mary was a definite hoot, letting my tour group in on the favorite pastime of women of the 18th and 19th century - gossip! Her funny tales and songs made the walking tour a hilarious and cheeky treat!

From the owner: History Alive provides costumed character guides from many different time periods in our nation's…read morehistory, beginning with Mary Veale and the Colonials representing the 1600s and 1700s and extending to Columnist Jeffrey Wilson representing the 1800s and 1900s. We specialize in walking tours and excursions, but also offer school field trips and programs, classes, entertainment, and events.

I came here after going to a sports card show in Norfolk. It wasn't a planned visit but I was just…read morelooking for something interesting to look at since I had a lot of free time and the weather was nice on Saturday. I thought it would be a lot larger but the spot is quite small but it is very nice to walk around. There are also lots of nice areas adjacent to the garden and terrace as well. I parked in front of the garden went around it and then found the USS Wisconsin and the Naval museum just past the garden. I went around and finished checking out the other side of the garden after. The parking was free for 2 hrs in front of the garden and it seemed like parking in general was plentiful and open this weekend. It looked like college dormitories around the garden and some other residential areas around the middle of downtown Norfolk. There were many nice plants in the garden, the terrace was nice but not open as far as I could tell, and the koi pond was nice if someone would clean out the pond scum from the fish pond. There were small bridges over the water and multiple water fountains in the koi pond. There were a few benches to sit on if you wanted to just relax or meditate in the garden. Overall, it was a nice garden but it is not something to go downtown to see, but it is a nice additional thing to see if you are going to the USS Wisconsin and the Naval museum or if you staying in downtown area. Lots of people were exercising (walking and jogging) so it is a nice scene to pass by if you are doing that.

Great spot to walk around. There's ice cream inside too! Very yummy. Beautiful day to explore.read more

This is a cool lighthouse to see and you can actually walk up to the top of the oldest one. It is…read moremaybe about 100 steps or so and there are good views. You can also walk down the street some and go to an look out point over the ocean. There is also an old chapel there but it is currently under construction. What makes this lighthouse a pain to see is that it is located on a military base and it seems apparent that it is an inconvenience for them and thus they will make it so for you. Once you go through a TSA like process and show you ID 3-4 times, they take the ID for your ticket. Then you are shuttled in by a van. The driver was nice enough and they do come around often to take you back to get your idea. I do NOT recommend doing this if there is any line to get through. It is a slow process. There was no one else in the screening shed and it was SLOW. Plus it must be a hang out location as well because when we got back there were 4 people laid out in all the chairs in there just hanging around. Good lighthouse- unfortunate location

Whether you're a local or visiting, make sure to carve out 30 minutes to an hour to visit…read more Located on Fort Story - a military base, Cape Henry Lighthouse is a historical site with 191 steps leading to the top opening to beautiful views of the ocean and the newer Cape Henry lighthouse in the backdrop. IDs are required to enter base as well as proof of car insurance. Please refer to their website for more up to date info for entrance. If you are a civilian visiting you can still visit but must park to the left upon checking in at the gate. From there a tram will pick you up and drive to the lighthouse entrance. If you have military base access you can park right in the lot at the entrance of the lighthouse. I suggest purchasing tickets on groupon for the best prices. The only restrooms are port a potties to the left of the gift shop entrance. Check in is at the counter in the gift shop. One person from your group needs to sign in. As someone mentioned before, the wifi can be spotty so if you have a groupon or ticket on your phone, you might want to do a screenshot. There are a lot of steps to navigate once you exit the gift shop to the actual entrance of the lighthouse. There was a docent at the top of the stairs that automatically spouted out facts and history about the lighthouse. Although there are 191 steps it's manageable for most people even if you don't exercise on the daily and as long as you have ability to navigate stairs in general. There's one landing on the spiral staircase and a straight ladder to climb to get to the top. It can get hot up there. All three of us were sweating but it wasn't the hottest day either. Maybe roughly 5-10 people max can fit at the top. The views of the ocean are relaxing. We even had a sailboat peacefully sail by. I wouldn't wear a dress to the lighthouse if you're climbing up. If you decide to, wear shorts underneath. Probably not a long dress or skirt or flip flops either so you don't trip going up the ladder. If you have sandals with ankle straps you should be fine. There really isn't much else to see at the lighthouse though. At the base there are more scenic photo ops and a compass on the ground. The newer lighthouse isn't open to the public except on lighthouse day, August 7th, the main reason it's not open to the public the rest of the year is it's a working lighthouse.

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.