Overview
Newport News is a city in Virginia in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It's on the James River, and much of the area has been developed into a city starting in the late 19th century.
9 sights · 4 things to do · 2 places to eat · 7 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Newport News
Endview Plantation
James A. Fields House
Lee Hall Mansion
The Mariners' Museum
One of the largest and most comprehensive maritime history museums in the world, this museum is the home of the USS Monitor Center.
Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center
An ever-changing array of exhibitions, programs, events and studio classes.
Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. Summer highs reach about 90°F; winter lows dip to about 32°F. Very hot (Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Aug and Sep.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PHF Newport News Williamsburg International Airport, Newport News — 4 mi away. Directions
- ORF Norfolk International Airport, Norfolk — 20 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning The Mariners' Museum, Virginia Living Museum, Ferguson Center for the Arts
- Lunch Vinny's Pizza & Pasta
- Afternoon Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center, Peninsula Community Theatre
- Dinner Crab Shack on the James Seafood Restaurant
Day 2
- Morning Endview Plantation, Lee Hall Mansion
- Afternoon Newport News Park, U.S. Army Transportation Museum
Day 3
- Morning James A. Fields House, Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center
- Afternoon Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center, Virginia War Museum
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Location of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and a number of industrial complexes, most notably Newport News Shipbuilding.
Get in
By plane
- Norfolk International Airport ORF in Norfolk (Virginia), about 20-25 miles to the southeast, offers more discount flights (including Southwest Airlines) and destinations.
By train
Go Newport News Transportation Center
There are generally at least two trains a day in each direction between Newport News and Boston or Springfield, stopping at all major points along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. The trip to Washington, DC is four hours and 20 minutes. Serves as the southern terminus for the Amtrak Northeast Regional route.
By car
Get around
- HRT - Hampton Roads Transit provides local bus routes, as well as express buses across the tunnels to the southside of the Hampton Roads area.
- Main Roads - Jefferson Avenue and Warwick Boulevard are the two main north/south routes through the city. All directions lead you down one of these streets.
See
Do
Do Newport News Park
One of the largest municipal parks in the country, this 8,000 acre park is home to a variety of native wildlife, including deer, foxes, otter, raccoon and beaver. Miles of walking and biking trails wander through woods, swamps and meadows. Rowboats, paddleboats and canoes are available for rent, and there are over 180 campsites available for reservation.
Do Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center (Downing-Gross)
Multi-purpose space owned and operated by the City of Newport News Parks Recreation and Tourism Department. Throughout the year, the center features various theatrical productions and shows on the Ella Fitzgerald Theater stage, as well as gallery exhibits, classes, and workshops for all ages.
Buy
Shop Hilton Village
Hilton Village is recognized as the United States' first Federal war-housing project, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are dozens of shops and cafes in Hilton, so do go and spend the afternoon in this quaint neighborhood.
Eat
Eat Crab Shack on the James Seafood Restaurant
During the Spring and Summer, eat out on the covered patio and enjoy the views of the James River.
Eat Vinny's Pizza & Pasta
You have to peruse the pizza case before you sit down and order, otherwise you'll never believe half of what's on the menu. Baked ziti pizza? Cheesesteak pizza? This place is good, authentic Italian food housed in an old Hawaiian-style Pizza Hut building!
Sleep
Go next
- Colonial Williamsburg - 20 miles northwest of Newport News on I-64 in the historic district of the town of Williamsburg, this "living history museum" in recreates Virginia's 18th-century capital as it appeared preceding and during the American Revolution.
Nearby
Hampton
City / town · 17 listings · 8 mi away
Carrollton
City / town · 21 listings · 10 mi away
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
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Colonial Williamsburg
City / town · 67 listings · 18 mi away
Williamsburg
City / town · 34 listings · 18 mi away
Norfolk
City / town · 42 listings · 19 mi away
Portsmouth
City / town · 20 listings · 19 mi away
Chesapeake
City / town · 11 listings · 21 mi away
My experience
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