Welcome to the Waterfront in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia
Here you’ll enjoy high-energy festivals and events, maritime and military cultural attractions, harbor cruises and sailboat charters, unique dining and lodging establishments, green spaces and tree-shaded benches, historic walking and biking trails, and more. Every experience along this 3-mile promenade comes with salt air, sea breezes, and ever-changing scenes of our active harbor and aquatic life. Join Norfolk’s residents, workers and visitors in discovering endless ways to wind up or wind down at Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront, conveniently located at the Intracoastal Waterway’s Zero Mile Mark, along Norfolk’s Waterside Drive.
What We Have In Store For You and Your Family
World-class Attractions and Activities
TOWN POINT PARK
Celebrate, Commemorate, Meet, Eat, Dance, Relax and Stroll at Town Point Park
Town Point Park is located at the center of Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront on Waterside Drive, between Nauticus and The Waterside District. It’s the area’s central gathering place where half a million people every year come to meet, eat, chat, stroll, listen to music, or simply relax. This eight-acre outdoor space offers spectacular harbor-side views and fun maritime experiences.
A 10-month schedule features award-winning festivals, concerts, military tributes, tall ship visits, holiday programs, recreation and athletic events. Comfortable bistro-style seating and yard games, including volleyball, badminton, bocce ball and more, plus an interactive play fountain open daily, Memorial Day to Labor Day. Norfolk Festevents and several other local organizations, in conjunction with the City of Norfolk, present annual signature events, including Norfolk Harborfest, the Norfolk NATO Festival, The Virginia Beer Festival, Bayou Boogaloo & Cajun Food Festival, The Fourth of July Great American Picnic and Fireworks, the Virginia Children’s Festival, Ribtoberfest,Town Point Virginia Wine Festivals, International Tall Ship visits, the Norfolk Harbor Half Marathon and many other fun family events.
You can find Town Point Park’s latest 2016 entertainment schedule at Festevents .
Connect With Norfolk Festevents and Town Point Park
Official Website for Events at Town Point Park: www.festevents.org
Directions to Town Point Park
Phone Number: (757) 441-2345
WATERSIDE DISTRICT
Be a Part of the 2017 Debut of the New Waterside District
Coming in the spring of 2017, the new Waterside District will be the central gathering place for local residents and visitors. A comprehensive, $40 million overhaul and rebranding of Norfolk’s iconic Waterside Festival Marketplace will feature the best seafood fare and dockside cocktails from local and national brands, along with ever-changing entertainment. Waterside will bring new activity, day-and-night, to Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront.
Check out this exciting video of what’s ahead:
NAUTICUS
Explore the Power of the Sea!
Nauticus is one of America’s most popular maritime science museums, exploring the economic, naval, and natural power of the sea. Nauticus features hands-on exhibits, marine life, 3D movies, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, the Banana Pier Gift Shop, and the awe-inspiring Battleship Wisconsin, one of the largest and last battleships built by the U.S. Navy. Touch a shark, operate a submersible to search for buried treasure, pilot a tug boat up the river, communicate using signal flags—there truly is something for everyone on the Nauticus campus.
Connect With Nauticus
Official Website: www.nauticus.org
Directions to Nauticus: 1 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number: (757) 664-1000
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Battleship Wisconsin
Come Aboard One of The Largest U.S. Naval Battleships
One of the last and largest battleships ever built for the U.S. Navy, the Battleship Wisconsin served in three wars. Now berthed in Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront next to Nauticus, she earned six battle stars for action at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Japan, and Korea. In Desert Storm, the 1991 Gulf War, she led the Tomahawk cruise missile assault on Baghdad. As of December 14, 2009, Wisconsin became the City of Norfolk’s permanent museum ship. She is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The ship is 887 feet long and weighs 45,000 tons; she was, literally, a “city at sea,” with a crew of nearly 3,000 men during her heyday in WWII.
Walk the Wisconsin’s teak decks, explore her from bow to stern, inside and out, up and down several levels. Guided tours are offered-for an additional fee- periodically throughout the day, taking visitors deeper into the ship’s interior. Experience a combat scenario in the Combat Engagement Center, take a captain’s eye view from the Navigation Bridge, or imagine the crew’s life in the galley, ship store, library, and much more.
Connect With the Battleship Wisconsin
Official Page: www.nauticus.org/battleship-wisconsin/
SAIL NAUTICUS
Sail About Norfolk’s Harbor
An initiative of the Nauticus Foundation, Sail Nauticus is a non-profit community sailing center in the heart of Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront. Sail Nauticus maintains a fleet of Harbor 20 sailboats, perfect for beginners and experienced sailors alike, and offers programs catering to children and adults of every skill level.
Sail Nauticus summer camps are a series of weeklong, hands-on camps that include water- and shore-based activities led by certified instructors. The Sail Nauticus Academy after-school program is designed to have a meaningful, long-term impact on 6th-grade students recruited from area middle schools. Adults can take part in Sail Nauticus’ sailing certification classes, relax on a privately skippered “Sail About” on the Elizabeth River, and take part in an expansive, no-experience-required membership program that provides nearly unlimited access to the water. Sail Nauticus also offers opportunities for larger groups, including corporate events and team-building outings.
Connect With Sail Nauticus
Official Website for Sail Nauticus: www.sailnauticus.org
Directions to Sail Nauticus – 1 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number:(757) 823-4242
AMERICAN ROVER
Set Sail in Norfolk Harbor & Beyond
Experience the salt air and wind in your hair with the friendly and experienced crew of the American Rover, a 125-passenger, sailing schooner. Both daytime and sunset, harbor cruises sail on the smooth waters of the Elizabeth River and the Port of Virginia. Help hoist the sails, take a turn at the helm, or just relax as the captain points out the sights of the historic Norfolk Harbor in the Coast Guard-inspected for safety American Rover. Popular for families, weddings, field trips, group outings, and company parties.
Connect With The American Rover
Official Website for the American Rover: www.americanrover.com
Directions to the American Rover: 333 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number: (757) 627-7245
Photos of the American Rover:
VICTORY ROVER
Claim Your Front Row Seat to the US Naval Fleet
Victory Rover Naval Base Cruises take you through the storied waters of the Elizabeth River to tour one of the world’s busiest sea ports, including the world’s largest naval base, home of the Atlantic Fleet—destroyers, guided missile cruisers, submarines, aircraft carriers, and more. Two-hour narrated Naval Base cruises depart daily. The captain provides a fascinating and entertaining commentary aboard this Coast Guard-inspected vessel. Guests enjoy plenty of comfortable seating, an air-conditioned enclosed deck, an open-air shaded upper deck, a snack bar, and a souvenir shop.
Connect With the Victory Rover
Official Website for the Victory Rover: www.NavalBaseCruises.com
Directions to the Victory Rover: 1 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number: (757) 627-7406
HARBOR PARK
Take Me Out to the Ball Park and Take in the Harborview
Located a short walk from the entertainment district, Harbor Park is home to the Norfolk Tides, the Baltimore Orioles AAA minor league baseball team. The 12,067-seat stadium is situated on approximately 35 acres of waterfront property along the Elizabeth River. Harbor Park also features a complete picnic area for private parties, as well as outstanding food and beverages for stadium guests. The Tide, Norfolk’s light rail system, takes you right to the doorstep of Harbor Park.
Connect With Harbor Park
Official Website of the Norfolk Tides: Norfolktides.com
Official Website for Seven Venues (Featuring Harbor Park): Sevenvenues.com
Directions to Harbor Park: 150 Park Ave, Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number: (757) 622-2222
ELIZABETH RIVER FERRY
Enjoy a Paddlewheel Excursion with Views of the City & Points of Interest on the River
Take the whole family along for a boat ride on the Elizabeth River Ferry, traveling between Waterside, downtown Norfolk, North Landing, and High Street in Portsmouth. The Elizabeth River Ferry is a system of 150-passenger paddlewheel ferry boats operated by Hampton Roads Transit. This is a fast, economical way to tour the Harbor, with unique view of the river and the waterfront. Ferries operate every 30 minutes, with 15-minute service at peak times on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Connect With the Elizabeth River Ferry
Official Website for the Elizabeth River Ferry: http://gohrt.com/services/ferry/
Directions to the Elizabeth River Ferry:
Phone Number: (757)-222-6100
SHERATON NORFOLK WATERSIDE
A Room With A View
Norfolk’s only waterfront hotel, the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel offers stunning harbor and city views. Great dining, museums, festivals and cultural events are just steps away from our front door. You are sure to find the ideal setting for business events or social receptions within our 46,000 square feet of meeting and special event space. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the Riverwalk Ballroom offer the perfect vantage point to take in views of the Elizabeth River. We are a pet-friendly hotel. Sheraton Norfolk Waterside is “The one and only on the water.”
Connect with the Sheraton
Official Website: www.sheratonnorfolkwaterside.com
Telephone: (757) 622-6664
Directions to the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel: 777 Waterside Drive, Norfolk, Virginia 23510
Waterside Marina
Enjoy Downtown Nofolk, Dockside
Waterside Marina provides dockage and marina services for both local boaters and visitors passing through. Conveniently located in the center of Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront, the marina is within walking distance to the city’s restaurants, shopping, night life, festivals, and cultural facilities. Waterside Marina offers floating docks, Wi-Fi, grocery van service, sheltered harbor, and a no-wake zone, plus new hard docks and recently installed upgraded power.
Connect With Waterside Marina
Official Website for Waterside Marina: www.watersidemarina.com
Directions to Waterside Marina: 333 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number: (757) 625-3625
NORFOLK’S DOWNTOWN ORIENTAL GARDEN
Enjoy A Zen-Filled Afternoon In Norfolk’s Downtown Oriental Garden
This beautiful Oriental Garden in Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront is an exquisitely landscaped oriental garden featuring a magnificent koi pond with waterfalls and colorful plants. This Asian-inspired venue offers a unique romantic spot for weddings, receptions, and rehearsal dinners. Full-service catering is available.
The Chinese Pagoda is the centerpiece of the Oriental Garden. This unique building provides a panoramic view of the beautiful garden, the USS Wisconsin, sunsets over the Elizabeth River, and it contains a restaurant serving American cuisine with an Asian flare known as “Where East Meets West!” The Pagoda is home to Chinese artifacts and an art gallery featuring Oriental brush paintings.
Connect With the Downtown Oriental Garden
Official Website for the Downtown Oriental Garden: www.pagodagarden.org/
Directions to the Pagoda Garden Tea House – 265 W Tazewell St, Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number:(757) 823-4242
THE SPIRIT OF NORFOLK
What Could Be Better than Cocktails and Dinner on the Water?
The Spirit of Norfolk provides one of Hampton Roads’ most memorable cruising experiences for couples, families and corporate outings. In 2016, new interior designs throughout each deck were completed to create a cool, current environment, along with new fresh menus that include organic and vegan food options. With creative eating and lounge spaces throughout both decks, you can wander and find a cozy place to sit and enjoy the view after your meal. Guests enjoy a 360-degree view of the Norfolk and Portsmouth skyline from the Elizabeth River, relaxing on the outside decks with new cocktails created from fresh fruits and juices.
Connect with the Spirit of Norfolk
Official Website for the Spirit of Norfolk: www.spiritofnorfolk.com
Directions to the Spirit of Norfolk – 333 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone Number: (866) 304-2469
CARRIE-B SHOWBOAT
Cruising in the Past for 21st Century Celebrations
Romance, history and roaring good fun is yours when you book your private charter celebration on the Carrie B Showboat. Reminiscent of the majestic river boats that traveled the Mississippi River during the 19th century, the Carrie B Showboat is a modernized replica of an authentic paddle wheeler with all the modern conveniences to make your event spectacular. Featuring a first-class, climate controlled lower deck with seated dining capability and a spacious open-air upper deck, Carrie B can accommodate a wide variety of private charters and special events. Experience the spectacular city skylines and breathtaking sights of local waters—all from a unique vantage point.
Connect with the Carrie-B Showboat
Official Website for the Spirit of Norfolk: www.carrieb.com
VINTAGE KITCHEN
Dine with Award-Winning Cuisine and Sweeping River Views
Enjoy a dining experience that will stimulate all the senses in the elegant setting of Vintage Kitchen. Chef/Owner Phillip Craig Thomason brings his international culinary skills back to his hometown of Norfolk, preparing modern cuisine with only the finest and freshest ingredients. A marble lobby, burled wood floors, leather appointments and a copper bar embrace you like a warm hug, and provide the setting for a lunch or dinner you will always remember.
Connect with Vintage Kitchen
Official Website for Vintage Kitchen: www.vintage-kitchen.com
Phone Number: (757) 625-3370
NORFOLK BOXING AND FITNESS CENTER
Get Fit with Boxing or Enjoy a Ringside Seat Watching America’s Olympic Hopefuls
Opening next year, The Norfolk Boxing and Fitness Center at Harbor Park will be home to Team Norfolk Boxing Club and will host a boxing fitness program that will be open to the public. The public will get a rare, up-close view of the skills and training of athletes with Team Norfolk, who will participate in competitive, in-house and travel boxing shows as part of a local Olympic training program. Athletes and guests will find two boxing rings, three types of punching bag stations, a weight lifting area, a training area, men’s and women’s locker rooms, concessions, a lounge area, and ample spectator seating.
Connect With the Norfolk Boxing and Fitness Center
Find out more about what to expect via Norfolk.gov
DOMINION TOWER
Dominion Tower is quite unique along Norfolk’s thriving downtown waterfront as it is the only Class A office building located on the banks of the Elizabeth River. This special feature will be enjoyed for many years ahead as there is no more land on the water’s edge to construct competitive office space. Our tenants enjoy spectacular, unrivaled views of the river as well as that of dynamic Downtown Norfolk. Only a few steps out our door finds one enjoying a walk along the bulkheaded sidewalk by the water, eating lunch on our landscaped esplanade, or the adjacent, outdoor amphitheater on the waterfront.
Dominion Tower’s 403,276 rentable square feet confined in 26 stories of steel, granite and glass make it Norfolk’s tallest, largest and most identifiable office building. The impressive lobby of Dominion Tower introduces a tenant roster fit with the building description that rivals the quality of interior features that include handsome Ducessa rose marble fabricated in Spain and polished granite imported from Finland. The combination of the three makes for a most formidable image to visitors and permanent residents alike. The lobby’s nautical theme reflects the charm and character unique to one of the world’s busiest harbors.
Dominion Tower’s lobby is an attraction in its own right, featuring restaurants, a full service bank branch with ATM, a massage therapist, a shoe shine stand and more including…
Vintage Kitchen boasts elegant, award-winning cuisine in a relaxing, first class setting, with sweeping views of the Elizabeth River. Vintage Kitchen’s modern cuisine uses the freshest local ingredients, with a focus on artisan-crafted Virginia wines, cheeses and micro-brewed beers. Vintage Kitchen has earned top ratings from all area newspapers and many other publications.
Tinto Wine & Cheese is a gourmet shop carrying a selection from small, family owned wineries that are mostly exclusive to the store. Tinto offers private tastings, as well as themed public tastings nightly, and makes most of its wines available to taste before purchase.
Café Crema is a café/artisan coffee shop with a wide selection of coffees, espresso, lattes and more. Café Crema bakes pastries fresh daily and offers lunch specials including soups and salads.
Pandasia Gourmet features a unique oriental menu of healthy foods as well as a wide selection of convenience items and snacks.
As you would expect from the premiere office building in Hampton Roads, Dominion Tower boasts of a tenant roster that is second to none in the marketplace. A foundation of Fortune 500 firms such as Forrest Laboratories, Merrill Lynch, New York Life, Nationwide Insurance, A.G. Edwards, CACI, KPMG, and Wachovia Bank is complimented by strong local and regional professional firms such as the headquarters for the Bank of Hampton Roads. The legal community is well represented with outstanding law firms including Williams Mullen, Hofheimer Nusbaum, Breit Drescher & Imprevento, Weinberg & Stein, and LeClair Ryan. All enjoy a tradition of excellence as is reflected in their choice of an office environment second to none.
Additional building services include Hampton Road’s premiere YMCA comprises 4,500 square feet on our fourth floor. A sauna, full range of cardio vascular strengthening equipment and always-clean locker rooms await your visit. After getting you body fit, improve your mind with a visit to the City of Norfolk’s Law Library located on floor thirteen (13). Open to the public six (6) days per week, the Library is an invaluable asset to the research departments of our customer base.
Dominion Tower is managed and leased by Harbor Group Management Company an award winning, knowledgeable, highly experienced on-site management team consisting of a property manager, an assistant property manager, administrative assistant, building engineer and maintenance technicians. They are exclusively here to serve the clients of Dominion Tower.
Dominion Tower enjoys the strength and stability brought by the national ownership of Dominion Tower Financial Associates, LLC, an affiliate of Harbor Group International The on-site personnel exhibit the day-to-day intensity and commitment one would expect from an owner. The stability of Dominion Tower’s ownership is unparalleled in Norfolk, providing the building with the long-term quality ownership that can provide substance to its promise of long-range commitment to the property.
Connect With the Dominion Tower
Directions to Dominion Tower – 999 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510
Historic Fort Norfolk – A Norfolk Waterfront Gem
Fort Norfolk is the last remaining of 19 coastal fortifications authorized by President George Washington in 1794. The fort’s four-acre site overlooks the Elizabeth River and includes earthwork embankments, ramparts, a dungeon, officers’ quarters, powder magazine, enlisted barracks and guardhouse, all within masonry walls. Most structures at the fort date to 1810.
The fort was used during the War of 1812 and the Civil War. It supplied men and munitions to the CSS Virginia during its 1862 battle with the USS Monitor and was later used as a prison for Confederate blockade runners. Graffiti left by the prisoners may be viewed today on the second floor walls of the Officers’ Quarters. Since 1923, the fort has been home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the property of the United States Army. Norfolk Historical Society has funded restorations and given tours of the fort since 1991.
Fort Norfolk is open for self-guided tours of the grounds Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. There is free parking behind the guard house at the entrance. Visitors must show a picture ID to gate guard to gain admission. Norfolk Historical Society offers tours from mid-June through September on Sundays, Noon – 4:00 PM. Open other weekends for special events only.
Admission Cost: Free
Connect With Fort Norfolk
info@norfolkhistorical.org
Directions to Fort Norfolk – 801 Front St, Norfolk, VA 23510
Official Website for Fort Norfolk – www.norfolkhistorical.org
About Us
Welcome to Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront, one of the special places in America where you can enjoy an outdoors-oriented, waterfront lifestyle in a city setting. This website will help you discover all there is to do and see—from festivals and ball games, to harbor cruises and museums.
Visitors come from all over the Hampton Roads region and beyond to enjoy high-energy festivals and events, dine, stay the night, or work with an extraordinary view. Come explore maritime, military and cultural attractions, get out on the water and feel the sea breeze in your hair! Stroll along the historic 3 mile tree-lined waterfront promenade with many open green spaces along the way to enjoy the ever-changing riverfront views. Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront is simply the place to be!
Norfolk is experiencing a renaissance as an amazing place to live, work and play, with even more transformational change coming in 2017 – with the openings of the $40 million Waterside District, an entertainment and dining gathering place, and The Main, a $147 million entertainment, dining, meeting and hotel destination.
People of all backgrounds, ages and interests are moving into the city center, creating one of the most diverse and authentic urban waterfront communities in America. Residents of the City and neighboring communities in the Hampton Roads region, and visitors from across Virginia and the nation gather together along Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront to enjoy all that we have to offer.
Come join us for one of our nearly 300 high energy events and attractions or discover the quiet hideaways along the waterfront. When you do, you may find the lifestyle and hometown you’ve always been looking for. Let us know how we can help you plan your next visit to Norfolk’s Downtown Waterfront!