Things to Do in Southeast & Central Virginia
- Adam Garrett
- Aug 11, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 17
In this article, I'll be sharing some specific options of things to consider doing in SE VA as well as steps to find some additional options.
Introduction Including Where to Find Things to Do
Look Online - Places Like TripAdvisor & Google Maps will be some of the best places to look. TripAdvisor & Google Maps have different systems, and I like TripAdvisor's ranking system, though it doesn't have as friendly of a map as Google Maps for those things to do closest to you. US News & World Report also has some options in some areas, but typically not for anything but very populous cities/counties
See my SE VA Map, with 9 different categories of free options as well as a paid options category, though keep in mind that I have covered some areas significantly more than others and it's not an exhaustive list of options.
Ask Your Neighbors - Whether you're considering purchasing in a location or whether you already live there, get to know your neighbors and ask them for suggestions for things to do in the area.
Ask Social Media - Ask on localized trash or treasure groups on Facebook (if not against their rules) and especially on 411 groups for your city/county on Facebook. You can also ask things on your profile directly if you're already connected with a number of people in your area on social media. Reddit & Quora are other examples of where you can ask people about what there is to do in the area.
Notation, Patterns Used Below, & Disclosure
6.25.21 in TA #'d order for traveler favorites in VA.
On the left is the "traveler favorites" rating for VA.
On the right is the "Traveler Favorite" rating for the city/county.
I am excluding some items that wouldn't be considered attractions by most, i.e. the Bay Bridge tunnel and anything rated <4/5.
Cities/Counties are listed in alphabetical order within region.
For cities/counties listed by region go to the bottom of my SE VA page.
Disclosure:
(Ranks as of 6.25.21; by their mention, I am not endorsing visits to all areas below for all people, but many have had positive experiences; for instance, you won't find me at the White House for the Confederacy, while someone that is really into history, a civil war reenactor, or otherwise might like it):
Locations Within SE VA:
Greater Richmond
Above - Richmond waterfront view - image by Adam
Hanover County:
Henrico County:
#10 Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
#178 Mid-Lothian Mines Park #1 4.5/5
#253. Robious Landing Park #2 4.5/5
Richmond:
#4 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
#21 Virginia Capitol Building
#45 White House of the Confederacy (see caveat above)
#108 Science Museum of Virginia
#109 St. John's Episcopal Church
#141 Virginia Museum of History & Culture
#145 Virginia Holocaust Museum
(Glen Allen) #210 Lavender Fields Herb Farm #3 (GA) 4.5/5
#214. Agecroft Hall & Gardens #9 4.5/5
#215 American Civil War Museum- Historic Tredegar #20 4/5
#218 Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site #14 4.5/5
#221. T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge #38 4.5/5
Above - Gloucester Point free boat ramp - image by Adam
Gloucester Point Beach Park #3 4/5
The Gloucester Museum of History #5 4/5
That Damn Mary Brewing Company #2 5/5 (see caveat above)
Bridgewaters Salon & Spa #3 5/5
The Swamp Paintball Park #4 5/5
West Point
No Limits Skydiving 4.5/5
Peninsula
Above: City Center of Oyster Point in Newport News - image by Adam
Hampton:
#24 in VA Fort Monroe's Casemate Museum #1
#46 Virginia Air & Space Science Center #2 (pictured above)
#57 Fort Monroe National Monument #4
#127 Sandy Bottom Nature Park #6
#243. Hampton Coliseum #9 4/5 Arena
#32 The Mariners' Museum & Park #1 5/5
#48 Virginia Living Museum #2 4.5/5
#162 Newport News Park #4 4.5/5
#226 U.S. Army Transportation Museum #5 4.5/5
Poquoson
Messick Point Public Boat Ramp (4.8/5 on Google Maps)
Williamsburg :
#22 Jamestown-Scotland Ferry (free)
#27 Governor's Palace
#28 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
#80 Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center
#96 Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
#98 Bruton Parish Episcopal Church
#102 The College of William and Mary
#166 Colonial Williamsburg Capitol Building #10
#181 Williamsburg Premium Outlets #23 4/5
#209 George Wythe House #8 5/5
#219 Waller Mill Park #22 4.5/5
#220 Alewerks Brewing Company #16 4.5/5
#236. DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum #7 4.5/5
#241. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg #37 4/5 Water Park
Yorktown:
#51 American Revolution Museum at Yorktown #1
#133 Colonial National Historic Park #6
#199 Yorktown Beach #3 4.5/5
South Side
Above - Battleship Wisconsin in Norfolk w Nauticus behind it - Image by Adam
Chesapeake:
#69 in VA Oak Grove Lake Park #1
Isle of Wight County (includes Smithfield)
St. Luke's Historic Church & Museum #1
Isle of Wight County Museum #3
Smithfield and Isle of Wight Visitor Center #5
Norfolk:
#8 Battleship Wisconsin at Nauticus #1
#20 Norfolk Botanical Garden #2
Naval Station Norfolk #6
Hampton Roads Naval Museum #7
MacArthur Memorial #8
Pagoda & Oriental Garden #9
#212 Children's Museum of Virginia #1 4.5/5
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum #3
Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve #4
Lightship Portsmouth Museum #5
The Railroad Museum of Virginia #6
#198 Riddick's Folly House Museum #1 5/5
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge #2
Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum #3
Surry
#1 Virginia Beach Boardwalk #1 4.5/5
#30 Military Aviation Museum #4 5/5
#47 Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center #5 4.5/5
#52 First Landing State Park #6 4.5/5
#77 Tarnished Truth Distilling Company #7 5/5
#91 Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge #8 4.5/5
#134 Cape Henry Lighthouse #10 4.5/5
#172 Mount Trashmore Park #11 4.5/5
#183. King Neptune Statue on the Boardwalk #12 4.5/5
#191 False Cape State Park #14 4.5/5
Beyond SE VA:
Beyond SE VA within 7.5 hr drive of Newport News
Above: The Salamander Hotel Outdoor Heated Pool in Middleburg, VA - Image by Adam
More to do within 7.5 hr driving distance (apx hrs drive from Newport News)
Delaware
Baltimore (direct flights)
New York (7 hrs drive to NYC; direct flights available to EWR, LGA, & JFK)
#1 in US The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum #2 Historic Site/Museum 4.5/5 7 hrs
North Carolina
#37 in US Biltmore #1 in Asheville - Historic Site/Museum 6.5 hrs -
Closest direct flight is to CLT >2 hrs away
Pennsylvania
#27. in US Eastern State Penitentiary #1 in Philadelphia 4.5/5 History Site/Museum 5.5 hrs
Direct flights available
Pittsburgh - 7 hrs - direct flights available
South Carolina
#24 in US Middleton Place #11 in Charleston (direct flights w/ Breeze) 4.5/5 7 hrs
#36 in US Broadway at the Beach (Myrtle Beach w/ indirect flights only #13) 4.5/5 5.5 hrs
Tennessee
#35 in US Titanic Museum Attraction 4.5/5 Specialty Museum 7.5 hrs
Washington DC
#14 in US Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History #3 4.5/5 3 hrs; direct flights available from ORF
West Virginia - indirect flights only
Great Falls Park near DC above - image by Adam
Direct flights out of SE VA
For more to do beyond 7 hr driving distance (with direct flights from SE VA (updated 10/11/21) out of RIC (Richmond) &/or ORF (Norfolk); PHF (Newport News) direct flights to CLT, PHL on AA, formerly ATL on Delta):
For the most up-to-date list, go here for Norfolk:
& here for Richmond:
Images courtesy Flight Connections
Newport News/Williamsburg airport fluctuates, sometimes only having 1 direct flight destination, but the most consistent flight is on American Airlines to Charlotte.
Here's a list of some options, but they aren't updated daily:
Arizona:
Phoenix
California:
Los Angeles
#4 The Getty Center 5/5 Specialty Museums
#12 USS Midway Museum 5/5 Specialty Museums
San Francisco
Colorado:
Denver
Connecticut:
Hartford
Florida:
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Myers
Jacksonville
#9 Wynwood Walls 4.5/5 Points of Interest/Art Museums
Orlando
#3 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter 5/5 Amusement & Theme Parks (see caveat above)
Punta Gorda
Tampa
Georgia:
Atlanta
Illinois:
Chicago
#5 The Art Institute of Chicago 5/5 Art Museums
Louisiana:
New Orleans (direct on Breeze Airways - not daily)
#7 The National WWII Museum 5/5 Military Museums
Maryland:
Baltimore
#10 Fenway Park - 4.5/5 Arenas & Stadiums
Michigan:
Detroit
Minnesota:
Minneapolis
Missouri:
Saint Louis
Nevada:
Las Vegas
#2 in US Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area 4.5/5 State Parks • National Parks
Ohio:
Akron (Breeze)
Cincinatti
Columbus (on Breeze)
Pennsylvania:
Pittsburgh on Breeze (seasonal)
Rhode Island:
Providence
South Carolina:
Charleston (seasonal on Breeze)
Tenessee:
Nashville (direct on Southwest)
#8 Grand Ole Opry 4.5/5 Theaters
Texas:
Dallas/Fort Worth
Houston
No major direct flights from SE VA as of 10/11/21 from any international destination & the following major US cities:
Some cities updated since 10/11/21
California:
Only direct options are Los Angeles & San Francisco.
No direct options to:
San Diego (or San Jose)
Kentucky:
Louisville
New Mexico:
no options (i.e. Albuquerque)
North Carolina:
Only direct option is Charlotte
Ohio:
Indianapolis
Oklahoma:
no options (i.e. Oklahoma City)
Oregon:
no options (i.e. Portland)
Tennessee:
Memphis
Texas:
Austin
El Paso
San Antonio
Washington:
no options (i.e. Seattle)
Wisconsin:
no options (i.e. Milwaukee)
Related:
Overarching Related:
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