NORFOLK, VA - Norfolk, Virginia has realized its potential by improving its downtown harbor, embracing its vast maritime history and cultivating its status as a destination of distinction.

Through more than twenty years of revitalization and restorations, Norfolk has successfully seized its treasured history while becoming a modern-day marvel – home to fine art, thriving restaurants, legendary landmarks and endless opportunities for fun – and a locale fit for an influx of travelers with various interests. However, Norfolk’s waterfront continues to stand out as its top visitor attraction. Teeming with military vessels, pleasure crafts, ferries, tugs, yachts and sailboats, the location is set to unveil a new, $36 million cruise terminal in March 2007, to support the destination’s burgeoning cruise port status. Likewise, harbor cruises are offered each March through December to explore the city by water.

The city is home to the world’s largest naval base, and as was the case at the turn of the century when Norfolk first prospered, visitors continue to experience its strong maritime and naval presence through tours of Naval Station Norfolk, or other memorable attractions including the USS Wisconsin, the largest and last battleship ever built in the U.S.A., located in Norfolk’s harbor. The battleship is part of Nauticus, which also includes the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and Nauticus, an interactive science and technology complex that explores the power of the sea.

Norfolk is home to the world’s largest naval base which ports more than 100 ships of the Atlantic fleet.  Navy personnel narrate 45-minute tours of Naval Station Norfolk, which include a rare glance at the Atlantic Fleet training centers, breathtaking aircraft carriers, formidable cruisers and destroyers, versatile amphibious assault vessels and sleek submarines.  A section of the base includes a strip of preserved historic homes from the 1907 Jamestown Exposition.

For a journey to the bottom of the ocean, Nauticus is a 120,000 square foot, multi-level maritime showcase with more than 150 nautical exhibits.  Visitors can prepare to do battle in a simulated interactive naval destroyer or explore life in the deep blue sea with interesting saltwater aquariums.  For the adventurous at heart, a touch tank will let you feel a real shark. The center is also home to the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, which covers more than two centuries of naval activity in and around the great Norfolk Harbor.  An impressive collection of antique ship models and retrieved underwater artifacts make the museum a very popular part of Nauticus.

The USS Wisconsin, officially launched in 1943 and America’s largest battleship.  In honor of its 57th anniversary, the 887-foot ship, which was involved in World War II, the Korean War and the Gulf War, was tugged down the Elizabeth River to its new port at Nauticus on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 2000.

Harbor Cruises: Norfolk offers several seasonal harbor cruises from March through December to explore the city by water.  The American Rover is Virginia’s only three-masted topsail passenger schooner, which sets sail with 2-hour afternoon tours and evening sunset cruises.  Docked beside Nauticus, the Victory Rover provides a narrated tour of Naval Station Norfolk where passengers will see aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and guided missile cruisers. The Carrie B offers fun and fact-filled tours of the historic Norfolk Harbor while cruising on a replica 19th century Mississippi River paddle wheeler. The Spirit of Norfolk hosts year-round lunch and dinner cruises complete with entertainment and dancing.

Ocean View Beach: a spectacular seven-mile stretch of sandy beaches and the longest fishing pier in North America.  The bay’s calm surface and gentle surf make it ideal for sunbathers, swimmers and families with children.  The beach also offers a six-acre waterfront park and a roster of summer entertainment, from pig roasts, parties and big band concerts that take place in the park’s bandbox, gazebo and promenade areas.

The Waterside Festival Marketplace, overlooking the Elizabeth River, is home to dozens of exciting shops, restaurants and entertainment.

Town Point Park: a seven-acre waterfront park that recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation, offers more than 100 major outdoor concerts, award-winning festivals and special events annually. Home to the Armed Forces Memorial, which commemorates soldiers lost at war, Town Point Park is a waterside favorite for picnics, parties and people watching.

~ Norfolk, Virginia ~

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 revered 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.norfolkcvb.com, or call 757-664-6620 or toll free at 800-368-3097.