Things to do in Norfolk

Culture · Ghent, on the Hague

A 30,000-piece collection with one of the finest glass holdings in the world, free to enter every day, plus a working glass studio next door.

Local tip: The glassblowing demonstrations at the Perry Glass Studio are free and run several times a week — go to one before the galleries. Wednesday evenings are the quietest hours in the museum.

Landmark · Downtown waterfront

A maritime science centre wrapped around one of the last and largest battleships the US Navy ever built, moored in the Elizabeth River.

Local tip: The main deck of the Wisconsin can be walked free of charge without a Nauticus ticket. Time it with the ferry to Portsmouth for the best view of the working harbour.

Landmark · Waterside to Portsmouth

A pedestrian ferry across the harbour that costs the same as a bus ride and has been running in some form since 1636.

Local tip: This is the cheapest good view in the region and a real commute for people who work in Portsmouth — it dodges the tunnel tolls completely. Ride it at dusk when the carriers are lit.

Nature · Beside the airport, Azalea Garden Road

175 acres built by WPA labour in the 1930s, with a canal system you can tour by boat and one of the largest azalea collections in the country.

Local tip: Go in the second half of April for the azaleas, and take the boat tour rather than walking the whole thing. The garden sits on the flight path, which locals find charming and visitors find surprising.

Neighborhood · West of downtown

An early-1900s streetcar suburb of brick and shingle houses around a tidal inlet, with Colley Avenue as its high street.

Local tip: Walk it at high tide as well as low. The most beautiful streets here are also the ones that flood, and seeing that yourself is worth more than any map before you rent.

Culture · Lloyd Road, on the Lafayette River

An Arts and Crafts house on twelve waterfront acres, stuffed with a century of collected art and surrounded by gardens running down to the river.

Local tip: Almost nobody outside Norfolk has heard of it, including plenty who live here. The grounds alone are worth the trip, and the visiting-artist studios mean the contemporary work changes constantly.