NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA
Rolling Hills and Majestic Skies: Newport News Virginia
Located along the banks of the Hampton Roads Harbor and James River, Newport News is Virginia’s 5th most populated city. This coastal Virginia city is home to the area’s largest employer – The Newport News Shipbuilding – and Christopher Newport University and Ft. Eustis Army Installation.
In this guide, we will discuss Newport News’s museums, universities, boating, dining, and more!
Travel
Newport News is perfect for anyone who travels a lot whether that is for pleasure or for work. Newport News is home to the airport that you can fly through, Newport News – Williamsburg International Airport. This airport offers breakfast, lunch, to-go items, and dinner as well as a full-service bar all past security.
For those who want a more unique travel experience, Newport News Amtrack is the perfect place to start! Amtrak’s history, services, and ridership are what make them such a unique way to travel. Amtrak strives to deliver a high-quality, safe, on-time rail passenger service that exceeds customer expectations so it is the perfect way to travel if you are looking for something new.
Museums & Universities & Parks
Newport News is known for its long history in the area, with many different landmarks enjoying deep heritage status today. Here are a few we think are worth visiting!
Newport News Park was first established as part of George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon back in 1799 and now it is one of the largest municipal parks (7,500+ acres) east of the Mississippi River. Newport News Park offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, biking, camping, picnicking, paddle boating, canoeing, archery, and freshwater fishing. The Park also includes an 18-hole championship disc golf course and a 30-acre aeromodel flying field. It also have a Discovery Center that has hands-on activities, historical artifacts, and nature displays. The park also houses floral gardens including the Japanese Peace Garden with an authentic tea house. Newport News Park has something for everyone year-round and should be on any visitor’s list of places to visit.
The mission of The Mariners’ Museum and Park is to connect people to the world’s waters because that is how we are connected to one another. The Mariners’ Museum sits in an urban oasis – the 550-acre park is now home to the 167-acre Mariners’ Lake and the Noland Trail – a five-mile shoreline trail with 14 bridges. Within the Museum itself, you will find 90,000 square feet of exhibition galleries including the prestigious International Small Craft Center, and the award-winning USS Monitor Center. This state-of-the-art exhibition and conservation lab houses 210 tons of artifacts from the Civil War ironclad Monitor, which were recovered from NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. The Mariners’ Museum Library and Archives is home to nearly 110,000 books; 800,000 photographs, films, and negatives; and over 1 million pieces of archival material, making it the largest maritime library in the Western Hemisphere. If you love anything to do with marine life or Newport News nature this is the place for you!
The Virginia Living Museum connects people to nature through educational experiences that promote conservation. They offer a ton of different exhibits on conservation and Virginia life, which include animals, plants, and geology. It is home to more than 250 species of animals found in Virginia including reptiles, mammals, birds, and fish. They provide a sanctuary for orphaned, non-releasable, or injured animals. Another attraction they have is their Planetarium/Observatory perfect for any space lover.
Christopher Newport University is another awesome place to visit to get a feel for the love of history and community that Newport News has. The mission of Christopher Newport University is to provide educational and cultural opportunities that benefit CNU students, the residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nation. Christopher Newport provides outstanding academic programs, encourages service and leadership within the community, and provides opportunities for student involvement in nationally and regionally recognized research and arts programs.
Golf & Boating
Newport News has great Golf courses that are fun for everyone, even if you have never played before. Newport News offers several options in terms of learning to play or advancing your game at one of Newport News’s many golf clubs. There are plenty of places to choose from so anyone will be able to find the perfect club for themselves. My favorite courses include Newport News Golf Club and Kiln Creek Golf Club & Resort.
Newport News Golf Club is a public facility with 36 holes of Championship golf. There is the renowned Deer Run Championship Course and the original Cardinal Championship Course. The 7,206 courses will test the mettle of even the most experienced golfer. Cut among Virginia hardwoods, the players rarely see another group of golfers.
Kiln Creek Golf Club & Resort is the leisure and recreation hub of the Peninsula. The golf course at Kiln Creek is open to all players, and while much of the play at the course is locally based, a growing contingent of regional travelers as well, because of their newly renovated hotel.
Located right next to Williamsburg International Airport, Kiln Creek offers the most convenient lodging accommodations to regional air travelers.
Whether one is interested in challenging the 18 hole championship golf course, taking a dip in the resort’s pool, catching a quick workout in the new fitness facility, hosting an important meeting, staging a stunning wedding reception, or simply enjoying a relaxing meal, there is something for nearly everyone at Kiln Creek Golf Club & Resort!
Newport News, Virginia is a seaside city in southeastern Hampton Roads. It lies at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and James River. There are many great places to see Newport News boating but we recommend you check out Deep Creek Landing Marina. Deep Creek Landing is a modern 80 slip, full-service marina, and one of the most luxurious and relaxing environments around. They offer everything imaginable for your boating needs, such as repairs, slip rentals, and so much more! The locals say it is the most reliable and enjoyable marina in Newport News!
Dining & Entertainment
Newport News has such a diverse range of restaurants and entertainment options. Newport News is home to many award-winning, innovative chefs who give Newport News dining an international flair. For the most part, the Newport News culinary scene leans toward American fare with Italian being another popular choice among residents here. There are so many different types of places for you to choose from when it comes down to picking your favorite Newport news restaurant! We have everything in this city whether you’re looking for local cuisine or someplace exotic…we got them all.
City Center at Oyster Point is a business district in the Oyster Point section of Newport News. It is a 52-acre high-density mixed-use development that has 230,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurants and 1,000,000 square feet of class-A office space. If you want to do some shopping and dining, this place has everything you need.
The Marketplace at Tech Center is the most desirable lifestyle community in the region, and the perfect location for dining, shopping, entertainment, and all of your daily errands. From casual lunches at sidewalk cafés to boutique shopping and bustling happy hours, you can find everything you might need there.
Smoke BBQ Restaurant & Bar prepares all their dishes using fresh, local, natural ingredients with their hardwood smoked meats makes the restaurant and catering services the best in the area.
Schooners Grill’s motto is local, friendly & downright delicious! It has seafood & a wide range of American grilled dishes and they offer live music, craft beer & a patio.
Harpoon Larry’s Fish House & Oyster Bar is a family-owned and operated restaurant that first opened its doors in 1991. They specialize in fresh, local seafood delivered straight to their back door. Everything on their menu is made in-house from the cocktail sauce to desserts.
FIN Seafood features the finest local ingredients while utilizing organic and sustainable produce and proteins whenever possible. Chef Kenny Sloane has perfected the use of these seasonal ingredients to complement his refined yet robust menu. FIN Bar is an exciting meeting place for locals and tourists alike, featuring an ever-changing martini list, handcrafted by our professional mixologist. FIN bar features Tapas Tuesdays, wine tastings, occasional live entertainment, and a host of other events.
Schlesinger’s Steaks was awarded as one of the Top Three steak houses in Newport News in 2019. Their signature entrée is the kind of prime steaks found only in the finest steak and chop houses in the country. If you love and appreciate quality steak you’ll want to check this steak house out!
Thaijindesu has been a cornerstone in the Newport News community for more than 14 years and has been recognized for its outstanding experience in Thai and Japanese cuisines. They are known for their modern twist on the traditional Thai and Japanese fare and their insistence on using high-quality fresh ingredients.
The Crab Shack is located at the foot of the James River. The restaurant provides casual dining with the freshest and finest seafood available. All their food is fresh and cooked to order. Their food contains no MSG or preservatives and they fry in vegetable oil with zero trans-fat. Their windowed indoor dining room and outdoor dining deck provide a panoramic view of the James River. As the sun sets on the river and the sky turns every hue imaginable, the Crab Shack will provide you with a unique waterfront dining experience time and time again.
Al Fresco, meaning outdoor dining in Italian, celebrates cuisine from North & South of Italy and showcases modern interpretations of traditional regional dishes. To pair with the inspired menu, Al Fresco offers an extensive list of wines, focusing on bottles selected from around the world.
Salsa’s Mexican Grill offers meals of excellent quality and invites you to try their delicious food. They say the key to their success is simple: providing quality consistent food that tastes great every single time.
Tradition Brewing’s goal is to create a space where people from all walks of life could find commonalities and camaraderie over quality craft beer and to have a little fun along the way. They have a 4,000 square foot Taproom with a mezzanine loft, complete with a secondary bar and ample seating. The windows overlook their production area, housing two 20 bbl fermenters, three 40 bbl fermenters, and two brite tanks. You can also often see them fire up their canning line, which is mesmerizing to watch!
Kismet Bistro features casual dining in a relaxed modern atmosphere. They offer an excellent range of starters, seafood, pork, and chicken mains, and amazing pizzas. Open table awarded them “Dinners’ Choice” in 2019.
There is so much beauty, history, and adventure in Newport News. With everything Newport News offers it is no surprise why it is one of Virginia’s most populated cities.
The beauty of the city and everything Newport News offers surprises many tourists but we hope you will take advantage of our suggestions and make the most of Newport News.
I hope you find this guide helpful and if you have any questions or need more recommendations, please reach out to me at Bubba Hutchison.
