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Norfolk, Virginia City Guide

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Norfolk Meeting Planning

Norfolk Downtown

With lovely weather and abundant historical, cultural and recreational attractions, it's no wonder that Norfolk welcomes approximately two million visitors each year. A standout among convention destinations, the invigorated city offers a compact, affordable and easily-managed seaside setting for meeting and convention groups. Travel to the area is a breeze with two-thirds of the U.S. population within one day's drive. Also convenient, the Norfolk International Airport is located only six miles away from the newly revitalized downtown area.

The spotlight of Norfolk's convention facilities is the Waterside Convention Connection, an alliance that provides 1,200 first-class rooms and suites, 55 meeting rooms and 121,000 square feet of convention space within a 10-block radius. Just steps away, the Norfolk Scope Arena offers an additional 85,000 square feet of meeting space. The large complex boasts many amenities and services, which have not been overlooked by meeting and event organizations. Norfolk's Convention and Visitors Bureau was honored with the prestigious Meetings & Conventions 2007 Gold Service Award as well as the Southeast Tourism Society's "2007 Shining Example Award."

Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center

Norfolk's distinctive essence can also be experienced at any one of many unique venues peppered throughout the city. The  Chrysler Museum of ArtChrysler Museum of Art
Chrysler Museum of Art offers a number of spectacular spaces for functions such as the Tiffany Gallery, which can accommodate groups up to 100 people and features the museum's exquisite collection of Tiffany glass. The museum also offers the 375-seat George M. and Linda H. Kaufman Theatre, featuring state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment perfect for corporate meetings and presentations. For larger functions, the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center is an 80,000-square-foot waterfront facility that can accommodate up to 1,500 guests. With five breathtaking spaces overlooking Norfolk's historic waterway, the Celebration Center has been host to such prestigious events as the Luncheon for His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the Sail Virginia Governor's Ball.

Norfolk serves as the North American headquarters for NATO and the corporate headquarters to a number of companies including Norfolk Southern, Landmark Communications, Dominion Enterprises, FHC Health Systems, Portfolio Recovery Associates and BlackHawk Products Group. Norfolk is also home to high-profile colleges and universities including Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University and Wesleyan College.

Key Statistics

About Norfolk / Additional Info

Waterside Marketplace

Nestled between the waters of the Elizabeth River and the Chesapeake Bay, the scenic port city of Norfolk, Virginia, has undergone a stunning urban renaissance. The decades-long renewal has reinvented Norfolk as a thriving hub for finance, culture, shopping and entertainment while remaining true to the city's rich history and quaint Southern charm.

With the riverfront to the west and the bay to the north, the 96.3-square-mile city consists of 42.6 square miles of water. Centrally located along the mid-Atlantic coast, Norfolk is one of nine independent cities and seven counties that comprise the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. Other cities include Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Poquoson, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. The oldest of the nine cities, Norfolk is widely considered the historic, urban and financial center of the region.

With a population of approximately 238,832 people, Norfolk is the Commonwealth of Virginia's 2nd largest incorporated city. Dating back 400 years, the port city of Norfolk played a significant role in American history. Recognized for its easy access to water, the region had long been a strategic military and trading center for the New World. By 1775 Norfolk had already become Virginia's most prosperous city, and it continued to expand with the city's annexation of the nearby naval base in 1923.

Today, Norfolk's naval base is the largest in the world, earning the city the nickname as "The Navy Capital." Norfolk's numerous historic, maritime and patriotic offerings, such as the Cannonball Trail, Fort Norfolk, Historic Ghent,  the MacArthur MemorialMacArthur Memorial
MacArthur Memorial, St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Norfolk History Museum at the Willoughby-Baylor House, are a testament to the city's prominent and multi-faceted role in American history.

As the heart of culture for the region, Norfolk is home to a thriving art scene that includes the Virginia Opera, Virginia Stage Company, Commonwealth Theatre Company, Hermitage Foundation Museum and Virginia Symphony. See pieces by renowned artists Renoir, Degas and Monet at the nationally-acclaimed Chrysler Museum of Art, designated by The New York Times as the finest art museum in the state.

Beyond the arts, Norfolk offers a number of attractions that reveal the area's charm and natural beauty. Take a stroll through 155 acres of azaleas, roses and more at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. Experience Norfolk's maritime history at NauticusNauticus
Nauticus, a 120,000-square-foot maritime-themed science center designed to resemble a military ship. Or stop by Norfolk's surprisingly hip downtown core, featuring a theater district, upscale shopping, antique stores and a lively cruise port.

Beach lovers will enjoy Norfolk's close proximity to Virginia Beach. Only fifteen miles away, this quaint beach town offers more than 35 miles of waterfront property, numerous museums, shopping and over 200 restaurants, serving the freshest of local seafood. Virginia Beach also offers one of the largest ballrooms on the east coast, totaling more than 31,000 square feet. With more than 7,800 hotel rooms in the Oceanfront Area alone, there are more than 11,000 hotel rooms available in Virginia Beach.

With so much to offer, the new face of Norfolk has been creating buzz around the country and garnering national media attention. In fact, USA Today called Norfolk, "One of the Top 10 booming downtowns," and The Baltimore Sun named it, "The next gleaming gem of the so-called new South."