Virginia Beach has long entranced groups with its spectacular sun, sand and surf, not to mention a bustling boardwalk that unwinds for three miles alongside its beautiful beaches. But the city is also remarkable for the diversity of its military-themed attractions, a panoply of patriotic offerings that veterans and civilians alike can enjoy. Nine major military installations representing all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces are located in the region, as is the only permanent NATO headquarters outside of Europe.
“We have the largest concentration of military personnel outside of the Pentagon,” said Erin Goldmeier, director of media relations for the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “There are almost 100,000 active-duty personnel here. With that many service members located in the area, it’s not surprising we have so many cool museums and monuments that honor the Armed Forces.”
Those include the Military Aviation Museum, where group travelers can easily while away half a day (or more), as well as an array of places tucked away waterside. Some are located within walking distance of each other, so groups can stroll from attraction to attraction on the boardwalk, enjoying the best Virginia Beach has to offer during one blockbuster visit.
Military Aviation Museum
Dubbed “an absolute must” by Goldmeier, the Military Aviation Museum sits on 130 acres at the Virginia Beach Airport, a 20-minute drive from the oceanfront. “It houses the world’s largest collection of flying vintage military aircraft,” Goldmeier said. “They offer guided tours and have a great gift shop.”
Exhibits include more than 50 aircraft from throughout history, many fully restored and operational. They range from a P-51D Mustang, the legendary American fighter from World War II, to a World War I-era Fokker Triplane, the Red Baron’s airplane that Snoopy battled in the “Peanuts” cartoon. After working up an appetite with a tour, groups may enjoy a catered meal at the museum, enhanced by a talk from a veteran, pilot or historian. Or leaders can book entertainment from a Sinatra-style singer or other local musical act.
Whether they’re staying in Virginia Beach for a week or a weekend, group visitors will likely get to hear what city residents call “The Sound of Freedom.” That’s the noise F/A-18s make as they fly into and out of Naval Air Station Oceana, the East Coast Master Jet Base of the U.S. Navy. Leaders may want to complement that modern thrill with a blast from the past — a private air show to wrap up their group’s time at the Military Aviation Museum.
Cape Henry Lighthouse
Cape Henry Lighthouse perches on Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story, near the northern end of Virginia Beach. Groups will need to show valid, REAL IDs to gain entry, but they’ll find the visit well worth the extra step. Most begin with a stop at the Cape Henry Memorial Cross, located a few blocks from the lighthouse. It marks the spot where the continent’s first English settlers landed in 1607.
Group visitors can also check out other nearby monuments that pay tribute to the Battle of the Capes. The 1781 skirmish between the French and the British navies is said to have ultimately helped the U.S. win independence. But Cape Henry Lighthouse, the first public building funded by the newly formed U.S. government in 1789, is the real showstopper. A docent greets guests, who then are welcome to climb the lighthouse’s 192 steps.
“It sits at the corner of the Chesapeake and the Atlantic,” Goldmeier said, “so when you climb to the tippy-top, it really is like stepping back in time. You can see the bay and the ocean, and you feel like you can see where the ships came in 400 years ago, during that first landing. It’s a really cool experience.”
Naval Aviation Monument Park
Group leaders may want to book a guide through the CVB for stops like the monuments at Fort Story and the Naval Aviation Monument Park (or the Navy Seal Monument, located on 38th Street). Guides will provide a rundown of the history and meaning of these powerful tributes and can escort groups from Monument Park to the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum. The two sites are only about a block apart on the boardwalk.
Goldmeier called the $1 million-plus Naval Aviation Monument, which was dedicated in 2006 by the Hampton Roads Squadron of the Association of Naval Aviation, “a great option” for groups. “This free park is on 25th and Atlantic Avenue, right in the heart of the city,” she said. “There are six large bronze statues that represent three historical eras in Naval aviation history.”
The 16,000-square-foot plaza contains statues depicting Eugene Ely, who made the first successful landing and takeoff from a naval vessel in 1910; a WWII pilot and his crewman emerging from a ship’s hatch; and modern-day pilots and a maintenance chief gathered around a bomb skid. An additional statue movingly depicts a naval aviator returning home to his family.
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
A small but indispensable institution, the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum is open to groups for self-guided tours as well as private tours. It tells the fascinating tale of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, which would eventually morph into the U.S Coast Guard, and also delves into the city’s maritime history, according to Goldmeier.
“It’s housed in a wonderful old building on the beach, which was once a life-saving station,” Goldmeier said. “It’s more than 100 years old, with hardwood floors and cedar shake, and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. So, visiting it is just a really cool experience.”
Groups will want plenty of time to browse the charming gift shop and explore the museum’s displays, which focus on topics such as the city’s surf culture and local shipwrecks. Along with artifacts from the wreck of the Dictator, such as a cabin door and a life preserver, the recently renovated institution offers a new exhibit about surfer Tom Blake. He’s the innovator who designed the first surfboard with a fin and the first hollow surfboard.
