Local Area Information for the 2008 TMC

 

 

The following provides information on local sites of interest, from Historical sites to great malls in the area. You can use the links above to take you to specific areas of interest on this page.

Historical Sites Recreation & Entertainment Points of Interest Fishing and Boating Group Tours Golf Courses Restaurants Shopping

Historical Sites

  • Historic Cape Henry, Fort Story
    First Landing Cross marks the area where, in 1607, America’s first English settlers touched shore in the New World.  The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, built in 1791, is the oldest government-built lighthouse in America.
     
  • Lynnhaven House, 4405 Wishart Rd.
    Visit one of the best-preserved 18th-century buildings in the United States, built in 1725.
     
  • Francis Land House, 3131 Virginia Beach Blvd.
    The Francis Land House, built around 1732, was the home of one of the first families to inhabit Princess Anne County. Four generations of Lands lived there before the city bought the property. Visitors can learn about 18th and 19th-century life on a plantation as well as those of other settlers and Native Americans from guided tours and exhibits including colonial varieties of herbs and vegetables. Take a walk through The Francis Land History Park, a 3 ½ acre retreat to view fall foliage. Or, from April through October, immerse yourself in a field of wildflowers. Interpretive programs are held throughout the year.
     
  • Adam Thoroughgood House, 1636 Parrish Rd.
    Built in 1635, the Adam Thoroughgood House is one of the oldest brick homes in the country. The house was named for an indentured servant who made a fortune in tobacco farming and became a symbol for upward mobility in early American society.

    The Thoroughgood Home is now a part of the Chrysler Museum’s historic homes. The Founders Inn invites you to take a tour of its’ historic herb and flower garden.
     
  • Virginia Legends Walk, 13th St. Park
    Considered a historical site, this state attraction honors Virginians who have made significant contributions to the nation and the world.
     
  • Historic Jamestowne
    Historic Jamestowne is the site of the first permanent English settlement in America.
     
  • Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk
     
  • USS Wisconsin Battleship, Norfolk
     
  • Yorktown Victory Center, Yorktown
    Discover the lives of men and women who witnessed the American Revolution and the formation of the new nation.
     
  • Colonial Williamsburg

Recreation & Entertainment 

Points of Interest

  • Virginia Beach Pavilion Convention Center, 1000 19th St.
    It’s a fantastic vaulted structure, and host to a number of events, including theatrical and musical performances, meetings, craft shows and trade shows.
     
  • Norwegian Lady Statue, 25th St. and Oceanfront on the boardwalk
    This beautiful bronze figurehead gazes out to sea in remembrance of the tragic 1891 wreck of the Norwegian bar, “Dictator.”
     
  • Association for Research and Enlightenment, 67th St. and Atlantic Ave.
    Visit the international headquarters of Edgar Cayce, the best-documented psychic of modern times.
     
  • Tidewater Veteran’s Memorial, 1000 block of 19th St.
    This stunning waterfall sculpture symbolizes the elements of war that unify and divide us all and is a tribute to the area’s military forces.
     
  • Virginia Beach Farmers’ Market, 3640 Dam Neck Rd.
    This open-air market features carnivals, craft shows, food, and a homestyle restaurant.
     
  • Ocean Jet Landing Observation, Oceana Blvd. or London Bridge Rd., NAS Oceana
    See the Navy’s most sophisticated aircraft in action at Oceana, home to F-14 Tomcat fighter planes and F/A-18 Hornets.  Tours of the Air Stations are seasonal.
     
  • Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Route 13
    It’s one of the seven man-made wonders of the world.  The 17.6-mile bridge-tunnel saves 95 miles over inland routes when traveling the East Coast and is a toll facility between Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore.
     
  • Chesapeake Bay Center, 2500 Shore Dr.
    This visitor center with a focus on the environment is complete with aquariums, environmental and historical exhibits and displays, classroom space and information about nature-based tourism activities in the area.
     
  • Mount Trashmore Park, 310 Edwin Dr.
    One of the first and most successful solid waste beautification projects, it turned a sanitary landfill into a 165-acre city park complete with fitness trails, Kids Cove Playground, picnic areas and lakes.
     
  • Virginia Marine Science Museum
     The Virginia Aquarium is one of the top facilities in the country with more than 700,000 gallons of aquariums and live animal habitats, over 300 hands-on exhibits, an outdoor aviary, ten acres of marsh habitat and a 1/3-mile nature trail. Getting to know the area's real "locals" which make Virginia's waters their home has never been more fun. Animal highlights include sharks, sea turtles, harbor seals, river otters, stingrays and more. Seasonal whale and dolphin watching boat trips, and pontoon boat trips take you to the animals for a truly educational adventure and much more!
     
  • Virginia Children's Museum
     
  • Nauticus
    Nauticus is a spectacular maritime-themed science center featuring hands-on exhibits, interactive theaters, aquaria, digital high-definition films, and an extensive variety of educational programs. A gift shop and restaurant complement the experience.
     
  • Chrysler Museum of Art
     

Fishing and Boating

Private charters and group party boats available form the following locations:

Deep Sea Fishing – Saltwater fishing license may be required.

Pier Fishing –You don’t need a fishing license on the piers. However, there is an entrance fee.

  • Little Island Park Fishing Pier – Sandbridge. 757-426-7200.
     
  • Lynnhaven Seafood & Fishing Center - Chesapeake Bay area. 757-481-4545.
     
  • Virginia Beach Fishing Pier - Resort area. 757-428-2333.

Water Sports

  • Enticer Water Sports – Chesapeake Bay area. 757-422-2277.
     
  • Rudee Inlet Jet Ski Rentals. 757-428-4614.

 

Group Tours

  • Colonial Williamsburg Full Day Tour (8 hours)
    Minimum of 15 People
    Step back more than 220 years to the eve of the American Revolution. From 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political and cultural center of Britain’s largest colony in the New World.

    Colonial Williamsburg is the nation’s largest outdoor living history museum encompassing 173 acres including nearly 500 public buildings, homes, stores and taverns reconstructed and restored to their 18th century appearances. You will be able to interact with hundreds of costumed interpreters of varied age, race and social position, providing a first hand view of life in 18th century Williamsburg. Your guide knows the most exciting thing to see and do at each attraction, plus the fastest routes to get you there! This tour includes admission to all buildings and museums, including the Governor’s Palace, DeWitt Wallace Museum and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum.
     
  • Williamsburg Winery Tour and Tasting (3 hours)
    Complimentary Bottle of Wine Included
    Guests will enjoy a professionally guided tour of the Williamsburg Winery Ltd., founded in 1985. The Winery carries on a Virginia tradition that began when the first English settlers arrived at Jamestown in 1607. The grounds consist of 18th century style buildings surrounded by over 50 acres of vineyards.

    Learn about the winemaking process from viticulture, harvesting, and crushing, through fermentation, aging, and bottling. The tour includes a 10 minute video presentation, a tour of the winemaking facilities and underground barrel cellars, a brief history of the property, and a walk through the wine museum. In addition, guests are invited to taste seven wines, and keep the monogrammed tasting glass as a memento of their visit. The unique tasting room features exclusive wine accessories, gourmet gifts and select Virginia and imported wines. And what better way to end the tour than bringing home your very own bottle of Williamsburg Winery’s Winemakers Blend, which will be packaged for pick-up as you leave the Winery.
     
  • Jamestown Settlement Partial-Day Tour (3 hours)
    Minimum of 10 People
    The Jamestown Settlement is an interactive living history museum, which commemorates America’s first permanent English colony, established thirteen years before Plymouth Rock. Replicas of the three sailing ships that carried Captain John Smith and 103 other Englishmen here in 1607 are docked and ready to board in Virginia’s James River. Visitors can explore the recreated version of the colony and the Powhatan Indian village to discover what life was like for America’s early settlers.
     
  • Yorktown Haunting Cruise & Candlelight Walking Tour (3-4 hours)
    Minimum of 45 People
    You likely know that on the historic battlefields of Yorktown, Virginia, the Revolutionary War’s decisive battle took place in 1781, and The United States of America began. But what do you know about the souls that time left behind?

    This fun tour offers a whole new way to experience Yorktown … from the water! During your cruise aboard the lovely Yorktown Lady, hear spine-tingling tales of the York River’s murky past. While on board, relax with a beverage or snack from the full service bar.

    You will then disembark and brave the streets of historic Yorktown by candlelight as your gifted storyteller shares even more ghostly legends from the pages of history. Your haunted and historic journey through the past includes tales of Lord Cornwallis, British soldiers and unexplained occurrences. Just the thing for a haunting good time!
     
  • Yorktown Victory Center Partial-Day Tour (5 hours)
    Minimum of 10 People
    In 1781, Lord Cornwallis surrendered his army to an American named George Washington in the tiny town of Yorktown, Virginia. The American Revolution had been decided and the 13 colonies emerged into The United States of America.

    Today’s Yorktown consists of little except the beautifully maintained battlefields, the town’s residential Main Street and the wharf side Water Street along the York River.

    In provocative indoor gallerias of the Yorktown Victory Center, witness the Revolution through the eyes of those who were there. Outdoors, experience the sights and sounds of the Revolutionary War in re-created Continental Army encampment.

    Nearby, interpreters in the garden, tobacco house, farmhouse, and kitchen introduce life on an 18th century farm. During this guided tour, don’t be surprised if you are overcome with a little bit of patriotism. After all, the United States of America started right here on these battlefields!
     
  • Virginia Beach History Tour (7 hours)
    Enjoy beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay during your narrated riding tour through Virginia Beach. See the historic lighthouses and the First Landing Cross at Cape Henry where the English colonists first came ashore in 1607. Walk out on the overlook to see where the bay and the ocean meet, and where the famous Battle of the Capes took place during the Revolutionary War. Ride down the resort strip and past the Tidewater Veterans Memorial, a unique structure which pays homage to veterans everywhere. Enjoy a stop at the old Cape Henry Lighthouse, built in 1791, this was the first building authorized by the new federal government in 1789. The lighthouse is a registered National Historic Landmark, and serves as the official symbol for the City of Virginia Beach. You will also enjoy a tour of the Virginia Marine Science Museum, where you will enjoy a journey of water through Virginia’s marine environment. Also, visit the Life Saving Museum of Virginia, housed in the Old Coast Guard Station and preserving our maritime heritage through a series of exhibits. The galleries offer exhibits of many of the shipwrecks along the city’s shoreline, as well as permanent exhibits dedicated to the impact of World Wars I and II.
     
  • Military History Tour (6 hours)
    Tour the Norfolk Naval Base, the largest naval installation in the world. Home post to over 100 ships, 26 aircraft squadrons and headquarters of the Atlantic Fleet, the base occupies over 8,000 acres of land and is home to more than 100,000 military personnel. Your tour will take you past the piers, through the Naval Air Station and past the historic homes built for the 1907 Jamestown Exposition on “Admiral’s Row” which now house the flag officers. Enjoy a visit to Norfolk’s premier attraction, Nauticus, the National Maritime Center. Also housed here is the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, one of ten museums officially operated by the U.S. Navy. Highlights of naval battles and exhibits of detailed ship models, artwork and memorabilia are showcased in the museum. A true highlight of your visit to Nauticus will be a tour of the battleship Wisconsin, one of the famous Iowa-class ships. This great ship saw action in WWII, the Korean War and most recently in the Persian Gulf War. Wisconsin remains in the Inactive Fleet and is permanently berthed beside Nauticus where it is accessed by a connecting walkway. The main deck and sections of two upper decks are open for you to explore.
     
  • Norfolk Expanded Harbor Cruise Tour (7 hours)
    A short drive into downtown Norfolk will get you to the Chrysler Museum, the lovely homes along the Hague, the Moses Myers House, old St. Paul’s Church and many other point of interest. Visit the MacArthur Memorial for a glimpse into our country’s history. At Town Point Park, board the magnificent Spirit of Norfolk for a two-hour luncheon cruise. Enjoy a sumptuous buffet, an informative narration, dancing, and a show; all included as you cruise through the Hampton Roads’ Harbor. View the many interesting sights along the waterfront, including the might aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines at the Norfolk Naval Base. The ship has two climate-controlled lower decks and an open-air upper deck. Following your cruise, walk next door to visit Waterside, Norfolk’s exciting festival marketplace overlooking the picturesque harbor and the Elizabeth River.
     
  • Ocean Excursions (2-4 hours)
    A visit to Virginia Beach isn’t complete without an Ocean Excursion Experience.
    Observe bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat aboard a catamaran. Search for fin and juvenile humpback whales along the Virginia Beach coast where these massive creatures have made the food-rich waters of the Chesapeake Bay an annual winter stopover.

    Climb aboard the Miss Virginia Beach and prepare to be amazed by the creatures that live under the surface of the ocean. Examine fish and marine invertebrates up-close in the on-board aquaria. Watch for dolphins, pelicans and other sea life along the way!

    Ride aboard a pontoon boat and get a glimpse of Owl’s Creek Salt Marsh. During the 40-minute cruise, tour guides will introduce you to this special ecosystem and some of its inhabitants.
     
  • Dolphin Watching Boat Trip
         Join the aquarium for a two-hour ocean excursion to search for our local population of bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat. 757-437-2628.
     
  • Eco Images
         Explore the natural areas of Virginia Beach and discover its hidden treasures through programs such as nature walks, plant identification, processing and preparation of wild foods, canoe trips and more. 757-421-3929.
     
  • Cruise the Creek
         Enjoy a pontoon boat tour through the Owls Creek Salt Marsh, and experience wildlife first hand. 757-437-2628. 
     
  • Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
    More mammals call this home than any other local preserve. The refuge covers 172 square miles and includes Lake Drummond, a 3000-acre natural lake. 757-986-3705.
     

Golf Courses

Regional Courses

Local Courses

 

Restaurants

You’ll find these restaurants nearby the Founders Inn hotel

  • Shoney’s Incorporated, 5668 Indian River Rd.
     
  • Waffle House, 5656 Indian River Rd.
     
  • Captain D’s Seafood, 5670 Indian River Rd.
     
  • The Muffin Pan, 5641 Indian River Rd.
    Whether on the run or just in need of a quick cup of coffee; the Muffin Pan offers a grab and go atmosphere with convenience and charm. For a light breakfast or a quick sandwich, stop by The Muffin Pan. The muffin Pan opens at 6:30am daily, serving until 5:00pm Monday-Saturday and until 3:00pm on Sundays.
     
  • Top’s China Restaurant, 5660 Indian River Rd, Ste 115
     
  • Reciprocity, 5660 Indian River Rd.
     
  • Swan Terrance – at the Founders Inn
    Casually Elegant Dining for the While Family! Guaranteed to please the palate, The Swan Terrace specialties include cuisine prepared with only the freshest ingredients homegrown in the Mid-Atlantic region. Peruse our seasonal menus, enjoy our Express Breakfast Buffet served 7:00am – 10:30am or indulge in our Cold Board Lunch Buffet served 11:30am – 2:00pm. Dinner is served from 5:30pm – 9:00pm (Closed Sunday & Monday Evenings). If you are here for the weekend, don’t forget to make your reservation for the “Best Brunch in Virginia Beach” served on Sundays from 11:00am – 2:00pm.
     
  • The Hunt Room – at the Founders Inn
    The newest addition to The Founders Inn, our Colonial-Style Eatery & Dispensary. The best way to unwind after a long day of meetings! Relax in front of our two 36” plasma TVs broadcasting in high definition satellite signal, with a state-of-the-art surround sound system. While you chat with friends, warm your body with a crock of hearty soup or fill up on our “pub style” fish and chips. Serving appetizers and colonial-style fare, beer, wine and ales from 2:00pm – 10:00 pm daily.
     
  • Clubsoda
    Clubsoda fits the bill for sleek and sexy. Despite the name, it’s a dining and drinking destination, not a place for dancing … unless you sneak in a step as you stroll to the bathroom down the runway-style wood floor with iridescent bulbs lighting your way from below. The basement dining room; red, warm and cozy with brick walls and subdued lighting; offers an intimate bar, a semi-private dining room and a venue conducive to dinner conversation.
     
  • Alexander’s on the Bay
    At Alexander’s on the Bay, the view of the Chesapeake Bay is breathtaking. Combined with the light of crash of waves on the beach and attentive service, it makes for a very nice evening out. Be sure to try crab soup which is wonderfully rich and creamy, with a nice sherry presence. The restaurant has been a customer favorite sine 1984.
     
  • Rockafeller’s
    Come to Rockafeller’s and enjoy the pleasure of a relaxed, casual atmosphere as you take in the sunset across Rudee Inlet. Good Eats and Good Spirits make for a wonderful fun-filled dining experience where the food is great and the view spectacular!

 

Shopping

 

 

 

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