NORFOLK, VA - Hailed by The New York Times as, “a cultural center of note,” Norfolk takes center stage with exceptional museum collections, critically acclaimed resident performing arts companies and spectacular annual cultural events.  Norfolk has become the cultural capital of the Commonwealth, bringing this city by the sea recognition on the national and international cultural scene.

Renowned for its dedication to the arts, Norfolk celebrates renowned artists from around the world at its annual Virginia Arts Festival.  Spanning eighteen days, the annual spring festival is a world-class event credited by The New York Times as being “an unprecedented flowering of the arts.” The festival is an extraordinary display of cultural events and includes top-rated dance, musical and theatrical performances and exhibitions in venues throughout the historic Waterfront.

Norfolk’s own performing arts companies are some of the most respected in the country with esteemed performances taking the stage every day.  The Virginia Opera, the most acclaimed opera company in the Commonwealth, was named “one of the nation’s very best regional companies” by NBC Nightly News, and earned a reputation in the international opera communities.  Making its home in the magnificent 1,600 seat Harrison Opera House, one of the premier traditional facilities in Norfolk, The Virginia Opera stages five productions annually for sold out audiences including Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and Verdi’s “La Traviata.”

Recognized as one of the nation's leading regional symphony orchestras, The Virginia Symphony gives more than 130 performances a year including classical, pops, outdoor and family series events.

The national historic landmark, Wells Theater, was built in 1913 and is Norfolk’s most splendid historical theater.  Completely refurbished in its original style, the theater is home to The Virginia Stage Company, Southeastern Virginia’s premier professional theater with performances from May to September.

Another historic theater, The Little Theater of Norfolk, was founded in 1926 and is one of the oldest continually operating community theaters in the United States.  The Little Theater produces five top-rated shows each season (May-September) including dramas, comedies, mysteries and musicals.

The Virginia Ballet Theatre is the only professional dance company in the Hampton Roads area and one of only two professional companies in Virginia. Founded in 1961 in Norfolk, The Virginia Ballet Theatre has a long tradition of regional excellence and offers classical performances year-round. The Virginia Chorale is the region’s most popular choral group with anticipated seasonal and holiday performances.

Norfolk offers four majestic concert halls that offer acclaimed concerts, events, and shows year-round.  The newly renovated NorVa is a Jazz Age movie palace and vaudeville house dating back to 1922.  The venue holds up to 1,500 people and features diverse acts such as popular bands such as Matchbox 20 and the Stone Temple Pilots to alternative rock acts.

Chrysler Hall is Norfolk’s premier concert hall with more than 2,500 seats.  The hall presents varied performances year round including symphony, dance and touring Broadway musicals such as Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables and recently the production of RENT and The Lion King.

The Norfolk Scope can host more than 13,000 guests for productions ranging from rock concerts to a three-ring circus and sporting events.

Attucks Theatre is the most recent addition to the Norfolk’s slate of cultural and arts venues. A state and national landmark, once known as “the Apollo of the South,” Attucks was restored in 2004 to its original splendor when B.B King, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole graced its stage. Now this 625-seat performing arts center plays host to various acts such as gospel, jazz, blues, dance and theatre.

Norfolk is home to one of the most quietly respected art scenes in the country.  The Chrysler Museum of Art, the cornerstone of the city’s repute, and is an enclave of world-class art collections and nationally known as one of the top art museums in the country.  Described by The New York Times as “one of the pleasantest places in the United States to while the day away,” the museum is home to more than 30,000 original works of art displayed in 55 galleries.  With rich collections of European, American, Italian and French paintings dating as far back as the 17th century, The Chrysler Museum is considered a rare find in the art world.  The museum houses a gallery devoted solely to photography and offers a world-renowned glass collection including works from the fifth to the second century BC and an extensive Tiffany collection. An on-line database now offers off-site visitors access to view and learn more about each piece in the museum’s collection.

For modern artists or those who are painting in the present, the d’ART Center is a cultural haven, marketplace and working studio for artists of all kinds from visual artists, sculptors, and painters, to potters, jewelers, and glass and calligraphy artists.  The public is invited into the studios to learn about the creative process and to see how the art is made.  Two galleries feature rotating shows and display local art.  The center also offers art classes for adults and children.

The historic Moses Myers House is a late Georgian, early Federal-style house which sits amidst the bustle of downtown Norfolk.  The restored edifice was built by Moses Myers, a prosperous merchant, after the American Revolution and still contains 70 percent of its original furnishings.  The house is the United States’ only historical site to offer visitors a rare glance at the historic interpretations of the traditions and lifestyles of early Jewish immigrants. Special tours and ceremonies commemorate Jewish religious holidays throughout the year.

The Hermitage Foundation Museum is a 12-acre estate built in 1908 as the private summer home of art lovers, William and Florence Sloane, who later turned their home and their art collection into a museum with an outstanding collection of Eastern and Western art.

The Hunter House Victorian Museum was built in 1894 as the home of a local prominent banker.  Today, with its rich architectural detail and authentic Victorian furnishings, the house serves as a museum, giving visitors a view of life in the Victorian era.

The Norfolk Museum at the Willoughby-Baylor House was built on a 200-acre land grant in 1794 by Thomas Willoughby; and after being newly refurbished is now home to the Norfolk History Museum.  In classic Georgian and Federal architecture, the museum showcases the history of the entire region and offers the story of Norfolk at various stages in its long history as an international port and maritime center, as well as exhibits the area's historic buildings and residences at different periods in history.

Considered the dynamic heart of Virginia’s storied Hampton Roads region, Norfolk attracts thousands of travelers each year to enjoy its lively downtown waterfront and 144 miles of shimmering coastline.  Offering a vibrant blend of history and heritage with contemporary attractions, outdoor adventure and the Commonwealth’s most important cultural institutions, Norfolk is an exciting destination.  Here, where the Elizabeth River meets the Chesapeake Bay, visitors will find an easily walkable downtown that offers eclectic dining options, a rich arts scene, high-end shopping and year-round special events.  For more information about Norfolk, visit the city on the Web at www.visitnorfolktoday.com, or call 757-664-6620 or toll free at 800-368-3097.