Norfolk - Chesapeake Bay & Eastern Shore Attractions

The Gwynn's Island Museum displays collections of 18th and 19th Century clothing, furniture, weapons, and every day items. The town has had an active interest in the museum since it began the collection, which has increased substantially.

The Eastern Shore Railway Museum in Parksley features a variety of railcars, railroad memorabilia, as well as outdoor picnic areas and a pavillion. The museum is housed in a 1906 railroad station in the Parksley business district.

The Stratford Hall Plantation was built by Thomas Lee in the 1730s. He and his wife raised their family at Stratford Hall Plantation, including Robert E Lee who was born here in 1807. Today the plantation is owned by the Robert E Lee Memorial Association. Tours of the site are available to the public.

The island of Tangier has a very small population. The 600 or so inhabitants who call this small island home are noted for their very unique dialect of American English. Researchers have theorized that the dialect spoken on Tangier sounds the same as what the early settlers to America would have sounded like. The island is only accessible by boat and is quite some distance from the mainland.

The small town of Tappahannock has just over 2,000 inhabitants. The unusual name is derived from the Algonquian language and has several meanings including "river of quick", "rising water", or "where the tide ebbs and flows". A pleasant day can be had taking a walking tour of this historic town. In a three-block radius visitors will find buildings dating from the mid 17th Century right up to the late 18th Century.