A battleship and a tall ship in the harbor are both open to visitors. Due to its maritime locale, it's perfectly reasonable to encounter life-sized, wildly costumed and artist-designed mermaids floating in fountains, front yards, medical centers, libraries and even the zoo. You can make a game of spotting them as you wander the waterfront and the rest of this great, seafaring city.
In the Navy
Naval Station Norfolk is the home of the Atlantic Fleet, and Navy personnel serve as the guides for your 45-minute bus tour, which includes destroyers, frigates, aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, the adjacent airfield, and historic houses from the 1907 Jamestown Exposition. The Nauticus National Maritime Center features an aquarium with horseshoe crab and shark touch tanks, a hurricane simulator and a deep-water submersible vehicle that you can climb into. The second floor of the Nauticus Center is home to the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, where you can take a self-guided tour of the World War II Battleship Wisconsin. If you can plan to be in Norfolk during the second weekend of June, you’ll be able to enjoy Harborfest, which features a parade of tall ships, musical events, food and craft vendors, and the largest fireworks display on the East Coast!
Chrysler Museum of Art
From glass art to Gauguin, the Chrysler Museum of Art has notable examples of a wide range of different art styles—from ancient to classic to contemporary art—and free admission every day. You can admire ancient Egyptian art, Pre-Columbian materials, gilded Byzantine icons, decorative arts, Renaissance paintings and modern American art. Free glass art demonstrations are given in the Glass Studio at noon from Wednesdays to Sundays.
Norfolk Botanical Garden
Not only can you explore the art of naval warfare in Norfolk and art in its traditional sense, you can also discover the art of the garden. You can tour the gardens of the world at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, which features a variety of themed gardens, including Japanese, Desert Plants, Colonial, Terrace, Holly, Rose and Sunken. The Botanical Garden also has a tram for your aching feet, a reflecting pool and the Children's Adventure Garden, which features summer fountains, bubblers, foggers and jet sprays. On Second Saturdays in the summertime, kids can also enjoy a scavenger hunt for edible plants, a seed planting, and food-related games and crafts.
Say Cheese
Located in a charming, old house that has been converted into a wine bar and restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, Press 626 (626 West Olney Rd., Norfolk) offers delicious grilled four-cheese sandwiches and divine pressed sandwiches—choose from Cuban, Portobello and veggie. No Frill Bar and Grill (806 Spotswood Ave., Norfolk) is a local favorite that lives up to its name. The menu of Southern comfort food includes burgers, melts, wraps, pitas, salads, crab cakes, meatloaf, and fried chicken. The servings are generous, and there is a kids' menu for the little ones. If you go for brunch, try the shrimp and grits or the crab cake Benedict—you’ll be glad that you did!
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