A fantastic meeting, event and family-friendly destination, Newport News is also known for its beautiful natural setting. The city sits along the scenic Hampton Roads harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors, located at the confluence of the James and Elizabeth Rivers. Newport News' waterside location ties into its economy, as it's home to one of the largest maritime yards in the country. The city also boasts more than 20 international firms, two national laboratories, Virginia's largest naval manufacturer and the U.S. Army's largest transportation unit.
Newport News is thought to be the namesake of Captain Christopher Newport, the commander of the Susan Constant, the flagship of the three-ship English fleet that landed on Jamestown Island in 1607. The city has a rich wartime history, a fact that is made evident in many of its historical sites, attractions and museums. Newport News' Mariners' Museum/USS Monitor Center is the only place in the world where one can walk on the deck of a full-scale replica of the USS Monitor. The Virginia War Museum traces the development of the U.S. military from 1775 through the present, displaying personal artifacts, weapons, vehicles, uniforms and an outstanding propaganda poster collection. Built in 1769, the Georgian-style Endview Plantation was visited by 3,000 Virginia militia members during the Revolutionary War and was utilized as a hospital for both sides during the Civil War.
Newport News is home to an extensive park system, which includes the 8,000-acre Newport News Park. The park is the country's second-largest municipal park and measures in at nine times the size of New York City's Central Park. Newport News Park is home to 30 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a Discovery Center, Japanese Peace Garden, arboretum, 18-hole championship disc golf course, 30-acre aero model flying field, competitive archery range, playgrounds, campgrounds and two golf courses.
In addition to a strong historical, cultural and recreational presence, Newport News is home to a varied culinary scene, with many of its fine restaurants offering private event space. The award-winning Schlesinger's Chop House, named in honor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., serves prime steaks, chops and seafood in an elegantly comfortable setting. FIN Seafood utilizes local ingredients, as well as organic and sustainable produce and proteins, in its contemporary menu, while the fun Crab Shack Seafood Restaurant serves fresh catches next to one of the longest fishing piers on the East Coast. The intimate 99 Main restaurant in the historic neighborhood of Hilton Village serves French-inspired cuisine, while Pearl French Bistro in City Center at Oyster Point specializes in contemporary variations of classic French cuisine.
