Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA

Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFreeOutdoor Adventure

Fort Monroe

30 Ingalls Rd · Hampton, VA

Why you should go…

Fort Monroe is a moated, six-sided stone fort built between 1819 and 1834 at Old Point Comfort, now a national monument. In 1861 enslaved people who reached its gates were declared contraband of war, and Jefferson Davis was later held here. You can see his cell in the Casemate Museum, walk the Seawall Trail, and visit the 1619 African Landing Memorial and Old Point Comfort Lighthouse.

  • #civil war history
  • #national monument
  • #historic fort
  • #military museum
  • #beach

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Fort Monroe, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Free

    Chrysler Museum of Art

    Free

    A free art museum spanning 5,000 years, with one of the largest glass collections in America and live glassmaking demos.

    10 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Cape Henry Lighthouse

    Under $25

    Climb the 1792 sandstone lighthouse at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on a guided tour inside Fort Story.

    17 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    First Landing State Park

    Under $25

    Hike cypress swamp and maritime forest trails, then hit 1.5 miles of Chesapeake Bay beach where English colonists landed in 1607.

    17 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Yorktown Battlefield

    Under $25

    Tour the earthworks, Moore House and Victory Monument where the 1781 siege ended the Revolutionary War's fighting.

    19 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Virginia Beach Boardwalk

    Free

    Stroll or bike a three-mile oceanfront promenade lined with hotels, restaurants and the King Neptune statue.

    21 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Colonial Williamsburg

    $25–$50

    Walk an 18th-century capital where costumed interpreters work trades and restored buildings line Duke of Gloucester Street.

    29 mi awayMore like this