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Best Places to Enjoy Summer Vacation in Hampton Roads
Summer Vacation Hotspots in Hampton Roads
Summer vacation never gets dull when you live in Hampton Roads! Luckily, our area offers many adventures for the whole family to experience together. Hampton Roads offers city parks, interactive museums, colonial education, and more! Enjoy our town! Safety is our number one concern here at Rutter Mills, so we want you to text or call us whenever you need assistance. Our lines are open 24/7 at 757-777-7777.
Virginia Beach:
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Location: 717 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.
Does your family have an interest in water-based plants and animals? Well, this aquarium is the place for you! They offer many interactive water habitats and educational movies for the whole family to learn about animal conservation.
Cape Henry Lighthouse
Location: 583 Atlantic Avenue, Fort Story, VA 23459.
This Chesapeake Bay lighthouse is still the oldest standing lighthouse in the states. It is near where the English settlers first arrived in the United States.
Grommet Island Park
Location: 100 2nd Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.
Highlights: This 15,000-square-foot beach park features wheelchair-accessible entrances and an incredible playground that includes poured-in-place surfacing, raised sand tables for sandcastle building at an accessible height, a sensory board for children who are autistic and visually impaired, and a swaying boat. The playground also boasts sculptural features such as dolphins, a surfboard, and a wave that are all fully accessible for children to pretend to ride the waves and swim with the dolphins. Wood polymer decking extends from the playground to accessible seating areas with an umbrella and hand-operated sand scoop designed to be used by a wheelchair, allowing everybody to play in the sand. u200b
Francis Land House
Location: 3131 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23452.
Highlights: The Francis Land House, or Rose Hall, is a historic brick house within the Rose Hall District near Princess Anne Plaza in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Hundreds of acres of farmland once surrounded the historic Francis Land House. It served as the home of Francis Land VI, a wealthy plantation owner from a prominent family in Princess Anne County, Virginia. While the house’s architecture is Georgian, the interior style is Federal. The house is furnished with a mix of period antiques and reproductions to interpret the period that Francis Land VI and his wives and daughters were in residence, circa 1805-1819. Tours of the Francis Land House consider plantation life; the roles of the household members, free and enslaved; Federal style; and ways that the formation of the new nation affected private lives. Tour guides also discuss the house’s colorful history in the 20th century, when it functioned as the Rose Hall Dress Shop.
Bayville Farms Park
Location: 4132 First Ct Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.
Highlights: Bayville Farms Park is a 68-acre park established in 1978 through the cooperative efforts of the City of Virginia Beach, the National Park Service, and Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. The disc golf course is exciting, the first such course in Virginia Beach.
Mount Trashmore Park
Location: 583 Atlantic Avenue, Fort Story, VA 23459.
Highlights: World-renowned Mount Trashmore Park encompasses 165 acres and comprises two artificial mountains, two lakes, two playgrounds, a skate park and vert ramp, and multi-use paths. The main mountain, u200bMount Trashmore, now 60 feet in height and 800 feet long, was created by compacting layers of solid waste and clean soil. Recognized for its environmental feat, this former landfill features a water-wise garden that boasts xeriscaping which requires minimal water. The Park also features a smaller mountain, Encore Hill, and two lakes. Lake Trashmore (located along Edwin Drive) is freshwater and hosts various fish species. Lake Windsor (located along South Blvd.) is brackish water fed by Thalia Creek.
First Landing State Park
Location: 2500 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.
This Park shows visitors where Native Americans canoed, where colonial settlers navigated to the land, and where pirates and military ships were docked during the War of 1812. This experience is like no other; the Park is stretched upon 20 miles of trails and offers lagoons and forests to explore. Stay the night with your family and camp in one of the service cabins on the land.
Norfolk:
The Virginia Zoo
Location: 3500 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23504.
Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! The Virginia Zoo offers over 500 animals spread throughout their aquarium facility and land environments catered to each animal. Learn how habitats are maintained and created to make every animal feel at home.
Nauticus
Location: 1 Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510.
Highlights: Nauticus is a maritime-themed science center and museum located on the downtown waterfront in Norfolk, Virginia, also known as the National Maritime Center. Open daily from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
Hermitage Museum and Gardens
Location: 7637 N Shore Road, Norfolk, VA 23505.
Highlights: Historic home & picturesque gardens offering a fine art collection, professional program & classes. The Hermitage Museum & Gardens, formerly home to the Sloane family, is an early 20th-century Arts-and-Crafts estate located on the shore of the Lafayette River in Norfolk, Virginia. The Hermitage features a nationally recognized art collection spanning 5,000 years, contemporary exhibition galleries, a Visual Arts Studio, and 12 acres of gardens and grounds that offer art and culture to the community, as envisioned by the Sloanes.
Norfolk Botanical Garden
Location: 6700 Azalea Garden Road, Norfolk, VA 23518.
Highlights: Norfolk Botanical Garden is a non-profit museum for plants. Our mission is to enrich life by promoting the enjoyment of plants and the environment through beautiful gardens and educational programs.
d’Art Center
Location: 740 Duke Street, Norfolk, VA 23510.
Highlights: Connecting community and artists. Watch, Create, Learn, Collect and Enjoy work from diverse artists in an interactive environment.
Newport News:
Huntington Park
Location: 5500 W. Mercury Boulevard, Newport News, VA 23607.
Highlights: Huntington Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, USA. It is run by the Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. It offers a beach, two fishing piers, gardens, tennis, and museums.
Peninsula Fine Arts Center
Location: Mariners’ Museum Park, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606.
Highlights: The Peninsula Fine Arts Center is the Virginia Peninsula’s community resource and social hub for the visual arts. Discover the ever-changing art world at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, where diverse artworks and dynamic exhibitions are just part of the fun. Children can create personal masterpieces in the interactive Hands On For Kids gallery, while adults can find original works by local artists in The Gallery Shop. Regular gallery talks and one-day workshops enhance the visitor’s experience. Special events and evening programs are held year-round. Parking is free.
Riverview Farm Park
Location: Riverview Parkway, Newport News, VA 23602.
Highlights: Riverview Farm Park is home to the Fantasy Farm Playground, a 30,000-square-foot community playground in an open area. Picnic areas and restrooms are conveniently located near the playground and soccer field. Riverview Farm Park is the home of the City’s first Dog Park- Fido Field. The Park is also home to the Grin & Grow Learning Garden. Use of the family-sized picnic shelters is first come-first served. The large barn-shaped shelter, situated in the playground, is for general public use. The three large shelters on the side of the parking lot can be reserved: call (757) 888-3333 or reserve this picnic shelter online. A concession stand is open Saturdays (10 am-5 pm) and Sundays (Noon – 5 pm) from April through October. Skate Park-A 3,100 square foot modular skate park is located inside Riverview Farm Park. It consists of 2 quarter pipes, two bank ramps, two grind rails, and two wedge flats. Registration and a permit sticker are required. All users must wear a registration sticker on their helmets while in the skate park. For registration information, call the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism at 926-1400 or 888-3333. Another attraction at Riverview Farm Park is the two miles of paved multi-use trails surrounding the playground and soccer fields. In addition, a path leading from the Riverview Farm Park Visitor Center (located at the end of City Farm Road) to the shore of the Warwick River also provides a beautiful setting for a leisurely walk. The Visitor Center is currently available (by reservation) throughout the week for groups requesting special interpretive programs. For more information about Riverview Farm Park or other city parks, call 757- 886-7912.
Hampton:
Virginia Air and Space Center
Location: 600 Settlers Landing Road, Hampton, VA 23669.
Highlights: The Virginia Air and Space Center is a museum and educational facility in Hampton, Virginia, that also serves as the visitors center for NASA’s Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base.
Fort Monroe
Location: 20 Ingalls Road, Fort Monroe, VA 23651.
Highlights: Fort Monroe is a decommissioned military installation in Hampton, Virginia-at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. Fort Monroe is a beautiful place to visit! If you are a history buff, nature lover, or simply looking for a good meal, a day at Fort Monroe is unlike any other. At the Casemate Museum, you can explore the fort’s history, dating back to Captain Christopher Newport’s exploration of the Chesapeake Bay in 1607. If you want to be outdoors, you can enjoy a stroll along the beautiful nature trails or the beaches along the Bay. Fort Monroe is also home to a full-service marina and year-round fishing. Grab a bite at one of the Historic Chamberlin’s waterfront dining options. Round out your day by catching one of the beautiful events at Fort Monroe, such as the summer concert series.
Casemate Museum of Fort Monroe
Location: 20 Bernard Road, Hampton, VA 23651.
Highlights: Museum chronicling Fort Monroe’s colonial roots & its military role from the 19th century onward. Completed in 1834, Fort Monroe was initially designed to protect the Hampton Roads waterway from an enemy attack and is the largest stone fort in America. Within the fort is the Casemate Museum, which chronicles the military history of Fort Monroe from the construction of Fort Algernourne, the first defensive fortification at the site in 1609, through the last major command to be headquartered at Fort Monroe, the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. The museum features the room where Jefferson Davis was held briefly as a prisoner following the American Civil War, highlights the 1861 “Contraband of War” decision that granted three enslaved men, and thousands who followed, the sanctuary at Fort Monroe, earning it the nickname “Freedom’s Fortress.” The museum also features the casemate where Jefferson Davis was held briefly as a prisoner following the American Civil War and tells the history of the US Army Coast Artillery Corps.
Hampton History Museum
Location: 120 Old Hampton Lane, Hampton, VA 23669.
The Hampton History Museum’s primary focus is to educate. The museum strives to educate students and adults more about the history of Hampton and to make awareness of the past events that occur in this town.
Bluebird Gap Farm
Location: 60 Pine Chapel Road, Hampton, VA 23666.
Highlights: Bluebird Gap Farm offers an exciting, family-oriented adventure and educational experience rarely seen in an urban environment. The 60-acre farm has around 150 domestic and wild animals. We have the usual farm animals, such as horses, cows, pigs, goats, and chickens. We are also home to birds of prey, whitetail deer, llamas, alpacas, tortoises, peacocks, rabbits, and waterfowl! Offers regular family programs and free admission: seasonal special events and story times.
Air Power Park
Location: 413 W. Mercury Boulevard, Hampton, VA 23666.
Highlights: The Air Power Park is an outdoor roadside museum in Hampton, Virginia, which recognizes Hampton’s role in America’s early space exploration and aircraft testing. The outdoor Park is open year-round, seven days a week, from sunrise to sunset.
Sandy Bottom Nature Park
Location: 1255 Big Bethel Road, Hampton, VA 23666.
Highlights: Hampton’s premier Park is a 456-acre environmental education and wildlife management facility. Born from borrowed pits and garbage dumps, the Park is truly a success story of the reclamation of our natural resources. From the 10,000-square-foot nature center overlooking Sandy Bottom Lake to the elusive creatures that inhabit the wetland marshes, there is something for everyone at Sandy Bottom Nature Park.
Chesapeake:
Chesapeake Arboretum
Location: 624 Oak Grove Road, Chesapeake, VA 23320.
Highlights: The Chesapeake Arboretum is located in the heart of Chesapeake and is a 48-acre “Nature’s Classroom” that promotes horticultural and environmental awareness through displays, education, and research. Dedicated at its current site in November 1996, it boasts one of Virginia’s finest trail systems that wanders through a mature hardwood forest with wide varieties of trees and plants.
Chesapeake Planetarium
Location: 312 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322.
Highlights: On Thursday nights at 8:00 pm, the general public is invited to attend free programs. These programs are provided as a free service of the Chesapeake Public School System. Topics for these programs change every month and are educational. They are designed to give the individual a general overview of astronomy. * It is recommended that children below the first-grade level not be admitted to the planetarium chamber. All quiet children are welcome.
Portsmouth:
Children’s Museum of Virginia
Location: 221 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704.
Highlights: The Children’s Museum of Virginia is the largest children’s museum in Virginia. Children step inside a world where bubbles grow bigger than they are, where the forces of energy electrify and spark their imagination, where they can be a farmer, a banker, a scientist, a star gazer, and more! The Children’s Museum of Virginia is where families and caregivers with children ages 1-11 are encouraged to imagine, explore, and discover together through play.
City Park of Portsmouth
Location: Cpl J M Williams Avenue, Portsmouth, VA 23701.
Highlights: City Park is open year-round from dawn to dusk. The Park offers a multitude of things: a Fishing Pier, a 3-pier boat ramp, a sailboat launch area, a small watercraft beach, ‘The Links,’ a 9-hole golf learning center, a lighted driving range, and natural putting course (757-465-1500), state of the art playgrounds, lighted tennis courts, Friendship Gardens Wedding Area, shelters with picnic tables and grills, and a priceless waterfront view.
Williamsburg:
Colonial Williamsburg
Location: 1 Visitor Center Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23185.
You will never want to leave once you step foot onto this colonial land. Enjoy taking a step back in time and experiencing what it was like to live in the 18th century. Embrace the time and stay the night at an official Colonial-themed hotel.
Veterans Park (formerly Mid County Park)
Location: 3793 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA 23188.
Highlights: Veterans Park, formerly Mid County Park, is home to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial monument donated by resident David Hooker in 1993 to honor residents who gave their lives in the Vietnam War. The 19-acre park is also home to Kingsburg, a 30,000-square-foot lighted playground with separate play areas for children ages 2-5 and 5-12, a ship replica, swing areas, and a zip line. Other park amenities include a 0.6-mile paved ADA-accessible multi-use trail, sand volleyball courts, lighted basketball courts, tennis/pickleball courts, wi-fi connectivity, and open space.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum and 4D Theater
Location: 1735 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185.
This museum and 4D theater give visitors a unique thrill with its extraordinary exhibits and activities. Explore the Impossible Laser Race, the Vortex Tunnel, and 3D / 4D films on their 5o inch screen with sensory experience. The kids will be begging to go back!
Jamestown & Yorktown:
Historic Jamestown
Location: 1368 Colonial Parkway, Jamestown, VA 23081.
By visiting Jamestown Rediscovered, you and the whole family will be immersed in colonial history. Catch a look at the two million artifacts uncovered since 1994, visit the 1907 Memorial Church, experience lunch at the historic Dale House Cafe, and walk through houses in which colonials lived in the 17th century. Take a tour through James Fort with an archaeologist to answer your questions.
Jamestown-Scotland Ferry
Location: 16289 Rolfe Highway, Surry, VA 23883.
Highlights: The Jamestown Ferry is a free automobile and bus ferry service across a navigable portion of the James River.
Watermen’s Museum
Location: 309 Water Street, Yorktown, VA 23690.
Highlights: Located on the Yorktown, Virginia waterfront just upriver from the Riverwalk shopping and dining area, the Watermen’s Museum is the perfect addition to your Historic Triangle visit. Their mission is to demonstrate the role Chesapeake Bay Watermen, from pre-colonial to modern times, have played in shaping our nation. This museum provides a historical display of exhibits, crafts, and methods of their trade and a look into their lives. The Watermen’s Museum offers school and civic groups educational field trips, and we conduct summer children’s programs, such as Archaeology, Boatbuilding, Nature Explorer, and Pirate programs. We also have a volunteer team that operates our Chesapeake Bay boat building program, constructing and refurbishing boats ranging from a two-person skiff to a colonial gunboat being built on our beach.
