Heritage Sites

Few cities possess the rich tapestry of multicultural historic sites as those in Hampton, Virginia. These sites encourage us to reflect on the past contributions and advancements of African Americans and inspiring us to rise to parallel achievements.

Statue of Booker T Washington on the Campus of Hampton University

Did You Know?
    Hampton was the site of
        America’s first organized teaching
    of African Americans.

5 Attractions Found
Aberdeen Gardens Historic Museum
The museum celebrates the history, heritage and future of historic Aberdeen Gardens. Built for and by African Americans in 1935 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal Settlement, the neighborhood provided modern homes to African American shipping workers.
57 N. Mary Peake Boulevard
Hampton, VA
(757) 826-1281
(757) 826-7349
(757) 722-2345
  • Hours:  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10am-2pm; For other times, call for appointment.
  • Free admission.
  • Highway exit:  1-664, exit 3


Hampton History Museum
Galleries recount Hampton history from the city's early inhabitance by the Kecoughtan Tribe and the contributions of African Americans. View ten permanent galleries that bridge the past with the present, spanning from Hampton's settlement to the city's role as the founding site for the U.S. space program.
Downtown Hampton
120 Old Hampton Lane
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-1610
(800) 800-2202
  • Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm and Sunday 1-5pm. Closed major holidays.
  • Admission: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, active military, active NASA, AAA, children 4-12. Under 4 free.
  • Free visitor parking is available in the parking garage located at 555 Settlers Landing Road and accessed from History Museum Way, across the street from the museum entrance.
  • Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267


Hampton University Museum
Established in 1868 as the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute to educate newly-freed African Americans, Hampton University’s campus is home to six national historic landmarks. Among them is Emancipation Oak, where Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was read to the citizens of Hampton, and Booker T. Washington Memorial Garden and Statue.
Huntington Building
Hampton University
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-5308
(757) 727-5170 fax
museum@hamptonu.edu
Pick up a walking tour brochure at Hampton University Museum, the oldest African-American museum in the nation. The museum features one of the most exceptional collections of African, Native-American and African-American art in the United States.

  • Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm; Sat, noon-4pm. Closed Sun. Closed major holidays and campus holidays.
  • Free admission
  • Highway Exit: I-64, exit 267

Worldwide Web Link Permanent Gallery Information



Little England Chapel
Built circa 1879, Little England Chapel is Virginia's only-known African-American missionary chapel. The sanctuary holds a permanent exhibit that helps visitors understand the religious lives of post-Civil War African-Americans in Virginia and include handwritten Sunday school lessons, photographs, a 12-minute video, and 19th-century religious books. The chapel is both a state historic landmark and is on the National Historic Landmark. Call for church tour.
4100 Kecoughtan Road
Hampton, VA
(757) 722-4249
  • Hours:  Monday-Thursday 9am-3pm; open other days by appointment; Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
  • Free admission; donations accepted
  • Highway Exit: I-64, exit 265 or 267


Phoebus
Much of Hampton's African-American population settled near Camp Hamilton, adjacent to Fort Monroe in the Mill Creek Area, following Union-General Benjamin Butler's decree that slaves were "contraband of war." A nearby community of shanties became known as Slabtown, Camp Hamilton disbanded in 1865 and the area later became known as Chesapeake City. The area was incorporated as the town of Phoebus in 1900 and became part of the City of Hampton in 1952.
Phoebus Improvement League
Hampton, VA
(757) 727-0800
5 Attractions Found
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Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau   |   1919 Commerce Drive, Suite 290   |   Hampton, VA 23666