Hampton Travel and Things to Do Guide

Welcome to the Hampton Meetings and Events Planning Guide, a city guide for meeting professionals. From its rich history, exciting entertainment and Chesapeake Bay beaches, to its variety of event venues, versatile convention center and nearly 3,000 hotel rooms, Hampton offers the complete meetings destination package. It is situated at the heart of Virginia's Hampton Roads area, near Norfolk, Newport News, Williamsburg and Virginia Beach, and within 30 minutes of the ocean. A laid-back, casual destination, Hampton celebrates its heritage throughout its museums and historic sites, as well as welcomes visitors to enjoy its variety of entertainment options. The city's Coliseum Central district is home to more than 700 shops, restaurants and entertainment venues, including Peninsula Town Center, Power Plant of Hampton Roads, Hampton Coliseum and the Hampton Roads Convention Center.
Hampton is conveniently located within a 30-minute drive of two international airports with easy interstate access. Norfolk International Airport offers nonstop service to such major markets as New York, Washington DC, Boston and Chicago, while Newport News Williamsburg International Airport serves such cities as Atlanta, Philadelphia and Charlotte. Newport News Williamsburg International offers public bus service to downtown Hampton via Hampton Roads Transit. The transit system offers the Hampton Roads area fixed route bus, light rail and ferry service, with Hampton buses running Monday through Saturday.

A hallmark of Coliseum Central, the Hampton Roads Convention Center puts guests within walking distance of 1,200 hotel rooms, including 295 rooms at the Embassy Suites hotel that is connected to the convention center by a covered walkway. The convention center offers 344,000 total square feet of versatile space, including a 102,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 28,000-square-foot ballroom and an outdoor terrace overlooking some of the center's many indoor and outdoor water features.
Also situated within the Coliseum Central area, the 84,000-square-foot Hampton Coliseum offers year-round entertainment, as well as private rentals. The coliseum features full-house seating for 10,899 people and a total capacity of 13,800 people, and can also be transformed into the intimate Stars Theater, with a set-up for 6,183 people. Smaller group functions and events can be held at Hampton's variety of unique venues, which range from a harbor cruise to a historic vaudeville theater. Groups can hop aboard the Miss Hampton II Harbor Cruise for a three-hour harbor tour, evening charter or all-day cruise. Points of interest along the tours include Blackbeard's Point and Norfolk Naval Base warships. The historic, 392-seat American Theatre welcomes private events in its theater space and adjacent studios and classrooms, while the Hampton History Museum offers private event space in its galleries and 100-seat Grand Hall. Serving as the visitor center for NASA Langley and the Langley Air Force Base, the Virginia Air & Space Center showcases the innovations of America's past, present and future explorations in air and space through a variety of suspended aircraft and hands-on exhibits. The Virginia Air & Space Center welcomes out-of-this-world events at its IMAX theater, gallery space and observation deck, among other areas.