Newport News and Hampton have a wealth of things to do, here are a few things you might consider to do before summer’s over.
Open daily from May 5 – Sept. 3, this special museum exhibit lets visitors experience the jurassic period right before their eyes. Take a day to dig through the fossil exhibit and meet the 13-foot T. Rex in the conservation garden.
There are more than 150 exhibits to explore at the Virginia Air and Space Center, including the Apollo 12 Command Module and the Orion PA-1 Test Vehicle. There are interactive aviation exhibits spanning 100 years of flight, more than 30 historic aircraft, a hands-on space exploration gallery, unique space flight artifacts and more, according to the center’s website.
Visit the beach
Hampton has three beaches open to the public, Buckroe Beach being the most popular while Huntington Park’s beach calls Newport News home. Take some time to relax by the water before the daily grind of school begins.
Visit a farmers market
While the Farmers Markets don’t come to and end when the summer months are over, the draw of a warm day and fresh fruit makes visiting a farmers market all the more enticing. The Buckroe Beach farmers market is a popular one this summer season.
Attend a summer music concert
There’s something about taking a lawn chair and listening to a free, outdoor concert and both Hampton and Newport News have their pick. Check out Groovin’ by the Bay in Hampton and Rock The Row Fridays at City Center Oyster Point in Newport News.
Explore Fort Monroe via segway
Fort Monroe has a ton of history to explore and what better way to do it than to ride around the fort on a segway? Patriot Tours hosts segway tours on the fort as an easy way to take in the history without walking around all day.
Take a ride on the Hampton Carousel
Built in 1920, the carousel is completely restored to its original beauty and housed in its own weather-protected pavilion on the city’s downtown waterfront according to Hampton’s website. It is one of only 170 antique wooden merry-go-rounds still existing in the U.S. Rides are $1 and tickets are on sale at the Hampton History Museum.
Learn about the history of the area by visiting local historical markers
The cities of Newport News and Hampton are rich with history and you can learn about them all by visiting the many historical markers placed around the cities. Check out the Historical Marker Database and plan out a day to visit markers near you.
Pet the animals at Bluebird Gap Farm and Peninsula SPCA
Take your kids (or yourself) out to either the Bluebird Gap Farm or the Peninsula SPCA to play with the animals. Both have a petting zoo open to the public for a small fee where you can interact with the animals.
Walk around one of the area’s many parks
There are many parks in both Newport News and Hampton that are open from sunrise to sunset. Take advantage of the nice weather and spend the day in nature.
There’s a lot to do
To learn more about what Newport News has to offer click here.
To learn more about what Hampton has to offer click here.
