Newport News Travel Information
Newport News combines modern shipbuilding with historic maritime history on a slender Eastern shore peninsula between the James River and Chesapeake Bay. There is no real downtown here; the city extends along I-64 and US 60 to touch the largest privately-owned shipyard in the country. Nautical history fills 13 galleries of the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News. From scrimshaw to Civil War relics, the museum is full to the brim with seafaring displays. Learn how to navigate the Chesapeake Bay in an interactive video display or view a collection of 16 miniature model ships best viewed through a magnifying glass. Nearby Peninsula Fine Arts Center has Norman Rockwell works on display. Virginia Living Museum presents wild animals in their natural habitats including a presentation of life on the James River and an aviary of Virginia coastal birds. The Virginia War Museum includes a piece of the Berlin Wall and relics of past conflicts. Historic homes include Lee Hall Mansion, a former Civil War headquarters and 1769 Endview Plantation. Outdoor activities abound including Mariners’ Museum Park’s five mile trail, canoeing and fishing and Newport News Park, with over 8,000 acres for mountain biking, horseback riding, archery and disc golf. The park has 10 miles of Civil War fortifications to explore. Newport News is located in Southeastern Virginia about 80 miles southeast of Richmond, VA along I-64 and US 60.
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