Local Area

LOCAL AREA

Click HERE for a look at many of the activities you can explore while visiting Norfolk. From weekend ideas, to museums, and things to do, you will find lots of fun things to make your trip memorable. From tours to weekend fun, kids activities and everything in between, visit the links below to plan your trip.


Bikeable Norfolk
Biking through Norfolk, VA has never been easier! With bike lanes, rentable bikes and bike repair stations through Downtown and the Elizabeth River Trail (ERT), you will find that Norfolk is super bike-friendly. It’s easy to see that the city has a strong love for this mode of transportation. Click here to explore maps and find rental bikes.


Water Sport Rentals
With 144 miles of coastline, Norfolk is the perfect spot to play on the water. Whether you’re exploring the Chesapeake Bay or Lafayette River we have the equipment for you! Norfolk Watersports and Norfolk Kayak Rentals offer all the water sport rentals you can imagine from jet-skis, jet-ski dolphin tours, fly-boards, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and more! Click here to explore.


Museums
Norfolk is filled with plenty of museums for you to explore; offering everything from art-focused museums such as the Chrysler Museum to those filled with our region’s history like the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. As you plan your itinerary, keep in mind, that many of the city’s museums and historic sites can be found within 12 walkable city blocks of the downtown waterfront. To find out more, click here.


Virginia Living Museum
Virginia Living Museum is offering a $10 discount on admission to all JMIH2023 attendees, just show your name tag at the front desk! The VLM is located at 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd, Newport News, and is home to more than 250 species of animals native to Virginia including reptiles, mammals, birds and fish, as well as native plants and arthropods too. Think of it like a combination museum and zoo, with emphasis on conservation and education about local plants and wildlife. The museum is also designed in a way that showcases the diversity of natural habitats found in Virginia that those species occur within. It is very family friendly as well, for anyone traveling with kids to JMIH.


Newport News Park
Newport News Park (13560 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News) is a park on the peninsula that is great for reptile and amphibian diversity. It is over 7,500 acres and home to a variety of wildlife and habitat types to explore. You can regularly sees a minimum of 30 species at this park each year in the span of just two afternoon 2 visits (not bad for all the development around the park!)! Some highlights include four-toed salamanders, Northern cottonmouths, Hognosed snakes, Mabee's Salamanders, and Narrow-mouthed toads. It's a great spot with several trails of varying lengths and bridges over the reservoir (great for turtle and bird watching!). For attendees looking for a good park for a morning or afternoon hike that is not too far away but hosts a good diversity of flora and fauna, Newport News Park is a great nearby choice.



Norfolk Trip Planning Ideas
Check out these guides and itineraries from Visit Norfolk. To find out more, click here.


Activities


Kid Activities