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HotelsWhether your tastes run modern chic or revamped classic, the hotels in Chesapeake always make you feel at home... more
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- Things To Do
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Calendar of EventsAre you more of an art buff or festival lover? No matter what you're into - we're in the center of it all... more
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Meeting HotelsFind distinctive meeting spaces, all-inclusive amenities and affordable accommodations, in Chesapeake/Hampton Roads... more
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Travel ResourcesRely on us to help you design a thrilling tour of the Chesapeake/Hampton Roads region... more
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News RoomTake a look at the latest news from the Chesapeake Conventions and Tourism office!... more
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- About Us
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About ChesapeakeChesapeake is situated in the heart of Coastal Virginia, and offers a unique blend of urban and rural settings... more
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Visitors
Chesapeake Dining
Chesapeake is a foodie's paradise with an array of culinary options from local-o... more
Chesapeake History
Since the arrival of colonial settlers in 1620, the history of Chesapeake has played a major role in the birth of the United States of America. During the American Revolution, colonists in the Chesapeake region celebrated an important victory at the epic Battle of Great Bridge in 1775. This victory was responsible for removing all vestiges of British Government from the Colony of Virginia. Each December, this significant turn in America's fight for freedom is recreated by Revolutionary War re-enactors.
With the construction of the Dismal Swamp Canal in the 1790s, Chesapeake came to prominence as a commerce center. The site of this canal was surveyed by George Washington's land company, and has been in service for more than 230 years. It is the oldest continuously used man-made canal in the United States today. The canal served as an important waterway route for Confederate supplies during the Civil War until it was captured by Union forces in 1862.
History buffs will not want to miss the Virginia Civil War Trails, a series of Civil War battle sites also used as a path for the Underground Railroad. Virginia's Hampton's Road region is rich with other African American historic sites such as the Emancipation Oak, the Newsome House, Hampton University and Museum and the Casemate Museum.
Following the Civil War, the Chesapeake area flourished due to its rich, fertile farmland and access to deep, navigable waters. In 1963, the region was officially designated as the City of Chesapeake. Today, Chesapeake is a thriving, modern metro, rated #85 in Money Magazine's prestigious list of "Best Places to Live" in 2008.
Casemate Museum
- 20 Bernard Road
- Fort Monroe, VA 23651
- Phone: (757) 788-3391
- Fax: (757) 788-3886
Founded in 1951 to display the prison cell of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Depicts the history of Old Point Comfort, Fort Monroe, and the Coast Artillery Corps.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
- Phone: (757) 331-2960
- Fax: (757) 331-4565
Whether you are driving north or south, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel showcases the mighty surge of the Atlantic Ocean, the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay, and the soaring grace of an engineering marvel. Both a tourist attraction and a travel conven...more
Chesapeake Veterans' Memorial
- 306 Cedar Road
- Chesapeake, VA 23322
- Phone: (757) 382-6151
The Chesapeake Veterans' Memorial commemorates the service and sacrifice of Chesapeake citizens and loved ones who are serving or who have served in all branches of the military. The memorial is located on the municipal center grounds and is made up ...more
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
- 3100 Desert Road
- Suffolk, VA 23434
- Phone: (757) 986-3705
- Fax: (757) 986-2353
The Great Dismal Swamp, located in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina has long been recognized as a mysterious place and a place in which people have easily lost their way. During slavery, many African Americans used the Great Dism...more
Hampton Roads Naval Museum
- One Waterside Drive, Suite 248
- Norfolk, VA 23510
- Phone: (757) 322-2987
- Fax: (757) 445-1867
Admission is free to the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. We are an official U.S. Navy museum and part of the Naval History & Heritage Command. Explore over 235 years of U.S. Navy history in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Located in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. ...more
Historic St. Luke's Church
- 14477 Benn's Church Boulevard
- Smithfield, VA 23430
- Phone: (757) 357-3367
- Fax: (757) 365-0543
Historic St. Luke's Church, "Old Brick", circa 1632, is our nations only surviving original Gothic building and the oldest Church of England foundation in America. In 1953, the non-profit corporation Historic St.Luke's Restoration was founded. This h...more
Jamestown Settlement
- 2218 Jamestown Road, Route 31 S.
- Williamsburg, VA 23185
- Phone: (757) 253-4838
- Tollfree: (888) 593-4682
- Fax: (757) 253-5299
The story of the people who founded Jamestown and of the Virginia Indians they encountered is told through film, gallery exhibits, and living history. Expansive gallery exhibits and an introductory film trace Jamestown's beginnings in England and the...more
Lee Hall Mansion
- 163 Yorktown Road
- Newport News, VA 23603
- Phone: (757) 888-3371
- Fax: (757) 888-3373
Built between 1851 and 1859, Lee Hall Mansion was home to affluent planter Richard Decauter Lee, his wife Martha and their children. One of the last remaining antebellum homes on the Virginia Peninsula, Lee Hall offers visitors a step back to the mid...more
MacArthur Memorial
- MacArthur Square
- 198 Bank Street
- Norfolk, VA 23510
- Phone: (757) 441-2965
- Fax: (757) 441-5389
The MacArthur Memorial presents the story of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The museum is housed in Norfolk's historic former city hall. Nine galleries of exhibits surround an imposing rotunda with General and Mrs. MacArthur's crypts. Adjacen...more
Nauticus
- One Waterside Drive
- Norfolk, VA 23510
- Phone: (757) 664-1000
- Tollfree: (800) 664-1080
- Fax: (757) 623-1287
Nauticus is a maritime-themed science museum that explores the natural, economic, and naval power of the sea. It features hands-on exhibits, high-definition films on a giant screen, interactive theaters, the Battleship Wisconsin and more.
Riddick's Folly House Museum
- 510 North Main Street
- Suffolk, VA 23434
- Phone: (757) 934-0822
- Fax: (757) 934-0822
Riddick's Folly was built by Mills Riddick in 1837. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and a Virginia Historic Landmark. There are four floors, twenty-one rooms, and sixteen fireplaces. We have many family pieces and period furnishings...more
