The Hampton Roads region offers many options for group tour planners. Explore the MacArthur Memorial Museum containing several exhibit galleries, archives and a 24-minute film about the colorful and controversial General. His final resting place is a monumental rotunda surrounded by inscriptions, banners and flags heralding his military career. Nine separate galleries circle the rotunda portraying the principal periods of his life.
Plan a guided bus tour of the Norfolk Naval Station, the worlds largest naval installation and homeport to the Atlantic Fleet, with its aircraft carriers, amphibious our assault vessels, sleek submarines, destroyers and cruisers.
There are more than 20 themed gardens featuring large collections of azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons at the 155-acre Norfolk Botanical Garden that is designed to preserve the regions horticultural heritage. It includes a rose garden and a fragrance garden for the visually impaired; and it is the nations only botanical garden that can be toured by trolley ride.
Shoppers will appreciate the spectacular three-story MacArthur Center located in the heart of historic downtown, featuring 140 specialty shops, themed restaurants and a megaplex theater.
There is also the Historic Ghent antique district just minutes from downtown, a charming neighborhood of treelined streets and turn-of-the-century architecture that offers an eclectic mix of restaurants, cafes, boutiques and antique shops.
The Virginia waterfront is the centerpiece of the Hampton Roads region with its beautiful beaches, bustling harbors, historical excursions and fascinating nautical, marine and aeronautical museums, such as the National Maritime Center, Nauticus, and the Mariners Museum. Living history venues such as the Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg are also major cultural attractions.
Located in the heart of the Hampton Roads coastal region, the 400-year-old seaport of Norfolk is proud of its rich maritime history; and known for its scenic waterways, historic sites and architecture, lush landscape and cultural attractions. Situated at the mouth of the Elizabeth River on Norfolk downtown waterfront is the Waterside Festival Marketplace, a unique and colorful shopping, restaurants and entertainment complex.
Explore the power of the sea at Nauticus, The National Maritime Center, located on the banks of the Elizabeth River. It is a maritime-themed science center that includes the USS Wisconsin, the largest and last battleship built by the U.S. Navy, touch tanks, interactive exhibits, movies and displays; and also houses the Hampton Roads Naval Museum featuring over two centuries of naval history, including large Civil War and World War II galleries.
At the Chrysler Museum of Art, a jewel in the city cultural crown, there is a world-class collection of more than 30,000 pieces of original works of art, an extensive European and American collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts, plus a world-renowned Tiffany-glass collection. It also maintains and operates two notable historic houses; the stately Moses Myers House (circa 1792) with its Federal-style architecture and many late 18th century furnishings, and the Willoughby-Baylor House (circa 1794), a classic example of Georgian and Federal architecture and furnished with 18th century pieces.
