Discovering History on a Virginia Beach Vacation

There is more to a Virginia Beach vacation than surf and sand. While this is why most families visit, there is still hope for Mom and Dad to slip a little bit of culture and education into the family vacation. If there is a rainy day or a little bit of time to use up before checking in to the Virginia Beach hotel, visit one of the many museums and historical points of the resort city. These are just a few.

Virginia Lifesaving Museum
On the Oceanfront at 24th Street, the Old Coast Guard Station features stories of shipwrecks and heroic watery rescues along the Virginia Atlantic Coast. The historic museum is most well-known for its large anchor protruding from the ground and makes for an un usual photo opportunity for children. Its proximity to the 24th Street stage next door makes it a popular destination in summertime when free concerts and entertainment take place on the weekends. There is an admission fee.

Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum

The DeWitt Cottage is located on Atlantic Avenue at the South end of Virginia Beach near 12th Street. For duck and decoy enthusiasts, the historic home-turned-museum is a step back in time. The building was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1988 and renovated in the early 1990s. Decoy exhibits, live carving demonstrations and local historians are now showcased in one of the earliest vacation homes in Virginia Beach. The cottage was built by the Holland family in the late 1800s and later sold to the DeWitt family. It was expanded to 22 rooms in 1917. It was eventually sold in 1988, then renovated and converted into museum through a public-private partnership. The house was restored to most of its
historical features, including a widow’s walk on the building’s roof.

Francis Land House

When there’s been a little too much sun on a Virginia Beach vacation or the family history buff wants to go exploring inland, swing by the Francis Land House. It is located at 3131 Virginia Beach Boulevard. An early plantation house in Colonial Virginia, the Francis Land House has been restored and turned into a museum of sorts. The 18th-Century building is nestled behind a shopping center, but retains its historic aura. It is furnished with period correct antiques and still features a sizable garden. Like many historic sites in the resort city, it has accumulated many names over the years based on who bought it, built it or changed it. The Land House is also referred to as Rose Hall. There is an admission fee.

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