Free & Cheap Things to Do in Hampton

Family Fun

The official NASA Langley visitor center, with the actual Apollo 12 command module, a genuine moon rock, more than 30 aircraft suspended in a soaring atrium, a hands-on space-exploration gallery, and a giant-screen IMAX theater. The Peninsula's marquee science attraction, on the downtown Hampton waterfront.

Address: 600 Settlers Landing Rd, Hampton, VA 23669

Tip: General admission $23.50 adults / $20 children — over the site's usual $20 line, but it includes a free IMAX film and it's the area's top science stop. IMAX-only tickets run $10.50/$8.50. Reserve online; allow 2-3 hours. Cheap garage parking next door.

History & Military Sites

The largest stone fort ever built in America, ringed by a moat and wrapped in 565 acres of Chesapeake Bay shoreline. The free Casemate Museum tells its story — from Lincoln's Civil War headquarters to 'Freedom's Fortress,' where escaped enslaved people found refuge starting in 1861. Free beaches and a lighthouse, too.

Address: 41 Bernard Rd, Fort Monroe, VA 23651

Tip: All free. Start at the Visitor & Education Center for a timed Casemate Museum ticket and a walking-tour map; free ranger-led tours run on weekends. Free Outlook Beach and the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse are on the grounds. Ample free parking.

Family Fun

A free 60-acre city farm and small zoo with around 100 animals — goats, pigs, peacocks, bison, deer, and barnyard favorites — plus a big playground, a nature trail, a master-gardener display garden, and shady picnic areas. One of the best free family outings in Hampton Roads.

Address: 60 Pine Chapel Rd, Hampton, VA 23666

Tip: Free admission and parking, open daily 9-5 (check seasonal Monday closures). The playground, paddle-craft launch, and display garden are bonuses. Great for younger kids; allow an hour or two. Bring a picnic.

Quirky Landmarks

A free outdoor museum of the jet and space age — real fighter jets, missiles, and rockets parked across a 15-acre green, including a Nike missile and aircraft tied to NASA Langley next door. A quirky, photo-friendly stop you can wander any time.

Address: 413 W Mercury Blvd, Hampton, VA 23666

Tip: Free, open daily during park hours. The aircraft and missiles sit outdoors for close-up photos; the indoor gallery of models and memorabilia keeps shorter hours. A kayak/canoe launch is on site. Quick but genuinely cool for aviation fans.

History & Culture

A well-done downtown museum covering 400+ years — the Kecoughtan and Powhatan peoples, England's first permanent settlers, the golden age of piracy (Blackbeard met his end just offshore), the Civil War, and NASA's Space Age. Nine galleries make it an easy, affordable rainy-day stop.

Address: 120 Old Hampton Ln, Hampton, VA 23669

Tip: $5 adults / $4 seniors, military, and children 4-12; under 4 free. Open Monday-Saturday 9-5, Sunday 1-5. Two hours of free garage parking next door. Pair it with a walk along the downtown Hampton waterfront and carousel.

Arts & Culture

The oldest African American museum in the country, founded in 1868, with a renowned collection of African, Native American, and Harlem Renaissance art — including major works by Henry Ossawa Tanner and John Biggers — on Hampton University's historic waterfront campus.

Address: 14 Frissell Ave, Hampton, VA 23668

Tip: Free admission, open Monday-Friday 8-5 (closed weekends). The African and Native American collections are world-class. Combine with a stroll of the historic campus and the nearby Emancipation Oak, where the Emancipation Proclamation was read locally. Free campus parking.

Parks & Nature

Hampton's classic Chesapeake Bay beach — three-quarters of a mile of clean sand with free parking, a nautical-themed playground, picnic shelters, an observation pier, and a stage pavilion that hosts free summer concerts and outdoor movies. Calm, shallow water that's good for kids.

Address: 100 S First St, Hampton, VA 23664

Tip: Free beach and parking. Lifeguards Memorial Day-Labor Day, 10-6. Beach chair, umbrella, and bike rentals in summer; free Sunday-evening concerts and Tuesday 'Groovin' by the Bay.' Restrooms with outdoor showers, and sand-ready mobility chairs available.

Parks & Nature

A wild, undeveloped 475-acre preserve of salt marsh, tidal creeks, and more than two miles of Chesapeake Bay beach at Hampton's northeast tip — prime for birding, shelling, and long quiet walks far from any boardwalk. A favorite of local nature lovers.

Address: State Park Dr, Hampton, VA 23664

Tip: Free, open sunrise to sunset; street parking only on State Park Drive. No restrooms, trash cans, or services — pack out what you bring. Excellent for migratory birds and horseshoe crabs. Pets banned on the main beach April 15-Sept 15. Wear shoes for the marsh walk.