Hampton is a city where art and history are everywhere you look. With museums that preserve many untold stories and galleries showcasing local talent, there are numerous ways to experience the culture here. These are a few spots worth adding to your list to visit!

110 Gallery LLC

110 E Mellen St, Hampton, VA 23663

110 Gallery is a creative space in Phoebus where you can both view and create art. The space shows work from local and regional artists, including paintings, pottery, fiber art, sculptures, and more. There’s also a pottery studio and workshop area in the back, where classes and events invite visitors to get hands-on.

Aberdeen Gardens Historic Museum

57 Mary Peake Blvd, Hampton, VA 23666

Aberdeen Gardens is a nationally recognized historic district, built in 1935 as a New Deal community for African American families. The museum, once the home of a resident family, preserves that history through photographs, artifacts, and personal stories that bring the neighborhood’s legacy to life.

Art Central Gallery

118 E. Mellen St, Hampton, VA 23663

Art Central Gallery provides local and regional artists with a space to showcase and sell their work, including paintings, photography, folk art, and mixed media. With rotating exhibitions, it’s a space where visitors can discover new talent and often meet the artists themselves.

Blue Skies Gallery

26 S King St, Hampton, VA 23669

A collective gallery in Downtown Hampton, Blue Skies Gallery, showcases regional artists in painting, photography, jewelry, pottery, and more. It’s a great spot to shop for unique, handcrafted gifts while supporting the local art community.

Casemate Museum

20 Bernard Road, Fort Monroe, VA 23651

Within the stone walls of Fort Monroe, the Casemate Museum delves into a rich history spanning over 400 years. Exhibits cover everything from early seacoast defenses to the Civil War, including the imprisonment of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Visitors can tour at their own pace or join a guided experience.

Fort Monroe Visitor & Education Center

30 Ingalls Rd, Fort Monroe, VA 23651

Fort Monroe’s rich history comes alive at the Visitor & Education Center. This center highlights the fort’s 400-year history, offering interpretive exhibits, research, and archival resources, including the 1619 arrival of the first enslaved Africans, and the story of the “Contraband Decision” that granted freedom to thousands of enslaved people during the Civil War, making Fort Monroe known as “Freedom’s Fortress.”

Hampton History Museum

120 Old Hampton Ln, Hampton, VA 23669

The Hampton History Museum features ten galleries that connect Hampton’s past and present, from the Kecoughtan tribe and African American heritage to the city’s role in the U.S. space program. Visitors can explore four centuries of history, meet Blackbeard the Pirate, experience the burning of Hampton, and learn how the Contraband Decision became the first step toward freedom for thousands.

Hampton University Museum

14 Frissell Ave, Hampton, VA 23669

The Hampton University Museum is a hidden gem. As the oldest African American museum in the country and one of the oldest museums in Virginia, it boasts a collection of more than 9,000 objects. The galleries encompass African, African American, Native American, Asian, and Pacific art and history, providing visitors with an educational and inspirational experience.

The American Theatre

125 E Mellen St, Hampton, VA 23663

The American Theatre brings Hampton’s art scene to life with a year-round lineup of music, comedy, dance, theater, film, and more. Once a vaudeville house, the restored venue now mixes the historic charm with performances that bring the community together.

The Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center

4205 Victoria Blvd, Hampton, VA 23669

Once Hampton’s public library, the Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center is the city’s place for visual arts. Visitors are welcome to explore the gallery, which hosts rotating exhibitions featuring local, regional, and statewide artists. The center also offers art classes and workshops for all ages.

Hampton offers numerous opportunities to experience art and culture. These museums, galleries, and theatres each share a piece of the city’s story, and together, they show why Hampton is such a unique place to explore.