Newport News

Newport News is one of seven cities that are part of a regional entity known as Hampton Roads in Southeastern Virginia, also known as The Tidewater area. This location includes one of the world's largest, natural harbors, thanks to the mouths of the Elizabeth River and James River in conjunction with many smaller rivers, all of which empty into the Chesapeake Bay and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean.

In the fall, Newport News offers spectacular scenery and colors in the largest municipal park east of the Mississippi River called Newport News Park. This park also features family-related activities such as year-round camping with 188 campsites, picnic shelters, fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing, archery, and paddle boats. An 18-hole championship disc golf course is also available in Newport News Park along with a 30-acre aero model flying field. Boat and bicycle rentals are always ready for use and children's programs can be found in the park no matter what time of year it is.

Newport News experiences cold winters but usually remains warm enough to make snow a rarity. There are plenty of indoor activities to keep you busy and warm at the same time. Celebrating history is one way that the city accomplishes this. Historic Hilton Village is a neighborhood of 500 English cottage-style homes built in the early 1920's. This neighborhood is also filled with shops, restaurants, the Peninsula Community Theatre, and the Main Street Library.

Another historic neighborhood exists in Newport News known as Historic North End/Huntington Heights. You can find this neighborhood next to Newport News's shipbuilding facilities and contains several more houses from the 1920's era. Both neighborhoods, North End and Hilton Village, have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and they frequently have annual, special events.

The Ferguson Center for the Arts provides entertainment of all kinds, from Cirque du Soleil shows, to country western stars like Clint Black, to the Virginia Symphony and Orchestra. The Ferguson Center has something for just about everyone.

Newport News never misses an excuse to hold a festival and the holidays provide an exceptional reason. From November 22 - January 01, millions of lights are lit and several holiday events occur. This includes drive-through and walk-through light shows, lighted boat parades, city illuminations, music festivals, theatrical performances, and living history re-enactments.

Springtime in Newport News provides very pleasant temperatures of 60-75 degrees. Beautiful colors are abound with blooming Dogwoods and Azaleas. Golf activity becomes very popular, with 63 holes of great golf throughout the city. Spring is a great time to get out and enjoy an open-air gathering place and shopping district known as City Center at Oyster Point. City Center at Oyster Point hosts multitudes of specialty shops, restaurants, markets, cafes, and grand vistas, all next to a breathtaking five acre fountain.

Summer is hot and in the 90's, on average, and it is definitely the prime time. The festivals in Newport News ramp up to their highest frequency, particularly around Port Warwick where outdoor concerts take place all summer long. The port also filled with lots of shops and restaurants, all accompanying the shows.

Huntington Park offers 60 acres of public beach, ball fields, picnic shelters, a public boat ramp, rose gardens, and tennis courts. Kids especially can have fun in this park with the opportunity to play in Fort Fun, a 13,000-square foot playground, overlooking the James River. Beach and food concessions are open all summer.

Newport News contains one of the nation's largest private urban parks known as The Mariners' Museum Park. This park has 550 acres of rolling woodlands and fields, including a 167-acre Lake Maury and a 5-mile hiking trail. Rental boats and canoes for fishing and pleasure rowing are also available, as well as picnic tables.

As if all of that wasn't enough for you, Newport News's neighboring cities in the Hampton Roads area offer plenty of their own amenities and activities. This includes the international resort location of Virgina Beach, only a 45 minute drive away from Newport News, as well as the largest Navel base on the East Coast located only 30 minutes away. A little closer to home is Langley Air Force base in nearby Hampton, only 10 minutes from Newport News and home to the CIA, and the famous Historical Triangle of Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown, the birthplace of America, is ready to be explored only 10 minutes to the north!

Whatever your desire, Newport News offers a great opportunity for a huge variety of fun and adventure by providing a rich assortment of attractions and a central location that offers the perfect access point to surrounding areas which enhance all that Newport News has to offer.