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Description

If you’re interested in local or naval history, or memorabilia from a centuries-old Southern port, you’ll find the Naval Shipyard Museum a delight. Come explore the fascinating history of America’s oldest and largest naval shipyard, which is located on the Portsmouth waterfront.

Summer Hours: Open 10-5 Monday through Saturday; 1-5 Sunday. Winter Hours: Open 10-5 Tuesday through Saturday; 1-5 Sunday; closed on Mondays except for those that fall on a holiday. Admission: $3.00 admission fee covers both the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and the Lightship Portsmouth Museum.

Currency Exchange International

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Currency Exchange International is a Full Service Foreign Exchange located at the Information Desk at the MacArthur Center. We trade in over 80 currencies with low fees and the best rates in Hampton Roads gauranteed.

City Cruises Norfolk

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It's the spirit of fun; two enclosed decks and a 187-foot vessel give you the feel of being on a ocean-going cruise. Lunch, dinner and moonlight cruises on the Elizabeth River. Entertainment on board.

Children's Museum of Virginia

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Step inside a world where bubbles grow bigger than you are, where the forces of energy electrify and spark the imagination, where you can be a farmer, a banker, a scientist, a star gazer. Come to where the big people think you’re having an educational experience and you’re just having a lot of fun! Give them the run of The City! We’ve made it kid size and theirs to explore from the bank to the market, from the fire engine to the pet area. Get the inside track on Trains. Little kids (and big ones, too) love trains, and oh, have we got a huge collection of trains! Clanging and puffing and zooming like you knew they could. Adhesion. Cohesion. And bursts of Laughter. It’s the new Bubble Room. Make them. Pop them. Stand inside one! Once your child has experienced standing in a bubble, science will never be the same! Inspire tomorrow’s Stars. Nothing quite amazes or inspires a child like that first trip to a planetarium. Take that trip with them at the Children’s Museum.

Virginia Sports Hall of Fame

Location: Virginia Beach

The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame brings it 52-year history to Virginia Beach with its new Walk the Hall pedestrian tour through Town Center of Virginia Beach. Residents and visitors alike can Walk the Hall in Town Center and see what makes sports in the Commonwealth so unique. Walk the Hall is FREE and open to the public;

Monday - Friday: 7 am - 7 pm
Saturday: 9 am - 1 pm
CLOSED Sunday

Walk the Hall has 6 locations, each devoted to a specific group of athletes, coaches, and contributors that have brought great pride to Virginia through athletics. While guests can view artifacts and memorabilia in each exhibit, QR codes are available at each stop that link to a mobile site offering guests access to more information via any smart device. Exhibits and sites are as follows;

The Hall of Honor, and The New Class of Inductees Exhibit
Clark-Nexsen Tower Lobby
4525 Main St.
Va Beach, VA 23462

Virginia's Coaching Legends
Two Columbus Center
4500 Main St.
Va Beach, VA 23462

Virginia's Golf Masters
One Columbus Center
283 Constitution Drive
Va Beach, VA 23462

Virginia's College and University Champions
Armada Hoffler Tower Lobby
222 Central Park Ave
Va Beach, VA 23462

Virginia's National Hall of Famers
249 Central Park Ave
Va Beach, VA 23462

Virginia's Year in Sports Photo exhibit
The Westin Hotel
4535 Commerce St.
Va Beach, VA 23462

Lightship Portsmouth Museum

Location: Portsmouth

Commissioned in 1915 and restored to its original condition, the Lightship PORTSMOUTH was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. Visitors can board the vessel and see how the men of the Lightship Service lived during their many months at sea. 
Summer Hours: Open 10-5 Monday through Saturday; 1-5 Sunday. Winter Hours: 10-5 Saturday and 1-5 Sunday; open on Mondays that fall on a holiday. Closed December through February. Admission: $3.00 admission fee covers both the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and the Lightship Portsmouth Museum.

American Rover Sailing Cruises

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The American Rover is the largest three-masted, passenger carrying topsail schooner in the US at 135 feet in length. She is modeled after the Chesapeke Bay cargo schooners of the 19th century, but includes comforts such as topside decks with seating, climate controlled below deck cocktail lounges, and a ship's store.

The Norva

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The Norva is a music-lover’s fantasyland. We have a state-of-the-art V-DOSC sound system, only the fifth installed in the country and only the second installed on the East Coast. You will have a great view of the stage from anywhere in the venue and to be sure you don’t miss a single thing there are several video screens and monitors located throughout NorVa that show the concert. With wooden floors, brick walls, two full bars and two minibars, the room’s clean design and sharp style make any patron (and band) look good. Tickets are available at the Backstage Café and all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are only available at the Box Office on the night of the show. If you would like to purchase tickets by phone please call 671-8100.

Carrie B Harbor Tours

Location: Portsmouth

The Carrie B brings some history of her own to the harbor. She is a replica of a 19th century Mississippi River paddle wheeler. Virginia's Original Sightseeing Tour since 1959. Our tour is the most informative and entertaining way to cruise the World's Greatest Harbor!

Explore the world's largest natural harbor and cruise near the site of t he Battle of the Ironclads between the Monitor and the CSS Virginia (Merrimac). Tours available Memorial Day through Labor Day. Ligh menu Served on board. Departs from the North Landing Dock in Portsmouth and the Waterside Dock in Norfolk.

Portsmouth Pavilion

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Located right on the Elizabeth River, Harbor Center offers concert seating under a pavilion as well as lawn seating.

Fresnel Lens

Location: Portsmouth

Having begun service in 1896 as part of the Hog Island Light off the Great Machipongo Inlet on the Eastern Shore, today this first order Fresnel lens is valued between $750,000 and $1 million. It stands about 10 feet high, weighs 2,500 pounds and is among the largest and brightest of its kind, with more than 250 prisms of optical glass. Housed in a 16-foot-wide pavilion, this lens is the only one displayed outside of a museum setting.

Portsmouth Community Concerts

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Portsmouth's oldest presenter of concerts continues to bring to the stage of Willett Hall many nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. Call (757) 686-5447 or visit www.portsmouthcommunityconcerts.com for concert information.

Commodore Theatre

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A luxuriously restored 1945 Art Deco-style motion picture theater that shows first-run movies while serving light dinners. Among the many features are a 42-foot screen, THX Digital sound system, upholstered seating and crystal chandeliers. Call 757-393-6962 or visit www.commodoretheatre.com for hours, admissions and showings.

Hampton Roads Pride

Location: Norfollk

Pride at the Beach will feature free music and entertainment from 2 - 8 pm at the 24th St. Park on the Boardwalk. Pride at the Beach follows the area's annual PrideFest event (Sun., 6/25/23) to celebrate the diversity of our community and our allies on the East Coast. Hampton Roads PrideFest is a public celebration providing Virginians with the opportunity to unify through the celebration of inclusion and equality.

Norfolk Tides Baseball

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Come have fun in the best minor league park in the country while you root for the home team, the Norfolk Tides, the Triple A minor league affiliate of the New York Mets.

USS Wisconsin at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum

Location: Norfolk

Berthed adjacent to Nauticus, the Battleship Wisconsin is one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy. Explore its deck through a self-guided tour that will take visitors back in time to experience this majestic ship that earned five battle stars during World War II. The City of Norfolk has assumed stewardship of the Battleship Wisconsin, which is now included in regular Nauticus admission. Admission fees help preserve and maintain the battleship for future generations.

Hampton Roads Naval Museum

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The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is an accredited museum operated by the United States Navy that celebrates the 237 years history of the fleet in the Hampton Roads region. We are located on the 2nd floor of Nauticus in downtown Norfolk. Berthed at Nauticus, the Battleship Wisconsin is one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy. Explore its deck through a self-guided tour or, with an additional charge, our guided Topside Tour that will take you back in time to experience this majestic ship that earned five battle stars during WW II. See Civil War artifacts from the shipwrecks USS Cumberland and CSS Florida and learn why Naval Station Norfolk is the world's largest naval base. Open daily Memorial - Labor Day 10a.m to 5p.m The remainder of the year the museum and ship are open Tuesday - Saturday 10a.m. to 5p.m., and Sunday 12 to 5p.m.The City of Norfolk has assumed stewardship of the Battleship Wisconsin, which is now included in regular Nauticus admission.

Virginia Symphony Orchestra

Location: Norfolk

Recognized as one of the nation's leading regional symphony orchestras, the Virginia Symphony has enriched the cultural life of the Hampton Roads community for more than nine decades. Recent great achievements of the Virginia Symphony under the baton of Music Director JoAnn Falletta include five compact disc recordings for national release, a performance of Peter and the Wolf which was aired on National Public Radio, and groundbreaking performances at the Kennedy Center and New York's Carnegie Hall. Performances are held in various venues: Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach, Regent University, Virginia Beach, Harrison Opera House, Norfolk, St Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg

Hurrah Players Incorporated

Location: Norfolk

Dedicated to the idea that children learn by doing, the Hurrah Players provides a joyous learning experience for children through a variety of theatre arts instruction. Classes include acting, dancing, singing, musical theatre and stage craft, all of which serve to build artistic and creative skills. This instruction is then translated into a hands-on educational experience through the mounting of four main-stage productions per season. Students have the opportunity to join in these productions, fulfilling their personal dreams. Recognized repeatedly by local and regional media and theatrical organizations, the Hurrah Players have received many awards for our creative and innovative work. Our students have been invited to perform in Washington, D.C., New York City, Disney World and London.

Virginia Stage Company at the Wells Theatre

Location: Norfolk

Virginia Stage Company moved into the Wells Theatre in 1979 and, in 1986, completed a $3.5 million restoration, resulting in this Beaux-Arts gem's designation as a National Historic Landmark. The theater is located on the Corner of Tazewell and Monticello across from McArthur Mall.

Parking: Parking free along the street after 6 PM and Sunday. A $5 valet/park is available in front of building

Virginia Arts Festival

Location: Norfolk

Since 1997, the Virginia Arts Festival has transformed the cultural scene in southeastern Virginia, presenting great performers from around the world to local audiences and making this historic, recreation-rich region a cultural destination for visitors from across the United States and around the world. The Festival has presented numerous U.S. and regional premieres, and regularly commissions new works of music, dance, and theater from some of today’s most influential composers, choreographers and playwrights. The Festival’s arts education programs reach tens of thousands of area schoolchildren each year through student matinees, in-school performances, artists’ residencies, master classes and demonstrations.