Opportunities for Fun
The CVB likes to ask visitors this question: “How much fun do you want to have?” There is plenty to do in and around Hampton. A good place to start might be the Hampton History Museum, whose galleries are filled with four centuries of the area’s past. It takes visitors from the lives of the early inhabitants, the Kecoughtan tribe, to the important contributions of African-Americans who came to the area as slaves, and continues through to the present and Hampton’s role as the founding site for America’s space program.
Local history continues at Fort Monroe, the largest stone fort in the United States and now a national park. In the early 1600s, it was the entry point into America for many Africans. Toward the end of the Civil War, the fort became a sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of escaped slaves and became a symbolic site for their early freedom.
“It was the beginning of slavery and the end of slavery, all in this one location: Hampton,” said Fugere. Today, there is outstanding outdoor recreation around the fort with a swimming beach, fishing, sailing, camping, bikes and Segways for rent and waterfront dining. The park’s picturesque Commanding General’s House offers a distinctive site for small off-site meetings. Also an option is the fort’s Paradise Ocean Club, which has a ballroom for rent.
The Hampton area serves as the East Coast epicenter for the military, with Air Force, Marine Corps, Army and Coast Guard facilities nearby. Langley Air Force Base celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. It is the original training site for the Mercury astronauts of “The Right Stuff” book and movie fame. The Virginia Air and Space Center “is NASA’s official welcome site, with 100 hands-on exhibits,” said Fugere. Visitors will enjoy the “Adventures in Flight” and “Space Quest” galleries that include such things as the Apollo 12 command module, moon rocks and a piece of a Mars meteorite.
Racing fans will enjoy Langley Speedway, voted one of the top five NASCAR Weekly Racing Series tracks in the country. Now in its 66th season, Langley Speedway has hosted some of stock car racing’s biggest names. There are all kinds of speed cars from Late Model, Grand Stocks and Modifieds to Legends, Enduros and Super Trucks.
People who want to get out on some of the numerous waterways of Hampton Roads can try Miss Hampton II Harbor Cruises. Tourists can board a double-deck tour boat that has daily narrated cruises of the Hampton Roads harbor and Chesapeake Bay. They’ll learn about the seafaring culture, including the busy fishing industry and the huge commercial ships that ply the waters.
The CVB welcomes every opportunity to serve meeting planners and their professional charges. “Whether its transportation, entertainment or a dessert reception, we look for ways we can contribute to an event and make it memorable for every attendee,” Fugere said.
Fugere is proud of the work her staff does promoting Hampton. “The CVB is eager to work with meeting planners who are looking for a unique venue and setting that extends beyond the meeting world,” she said. “Hampton can provide an exceptional, quality event that shares our extensive history. We avoid a cookie-cutter approach and consider the needs of every group.”
Hampton, Virginia
Location: Southeast Coast of Virginia
Access: Interstate 64, Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, Norfolk International Airport, Amtrak
Major Meeting Spaces: Hampton Roads Convention Center, Hampton Coliseum, Boo Williams Sportsplex
Hotel Rooms: 2,200 in Hampton
Offsite Venues: Virginia Air and Space Center, Fort Monroe
Contact Info:
Hampton Convention and Visitor Bureau
800-487-8778
www.visithampton.com
