Virginia War Museum
Virginia War Museum
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles164 reviews
Excellent
106
Very good
47
Average
11
Poor
0
Terrible
0

chris k
Winchester, VA474 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
The cost of $8.00 was a bit steep for a so-so museum. It was on okay museum but the displays were mostly old uniforms from the major wars in US history. I was hoping to see larger pieces, such as a Sherman tank or an aircraft or two, but no such luck. Overall - rather bland.
Written November 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cindy P
Yorktown, VA47 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Finally ventured over to this great museum and so glad I did. Being a history lover, I found the museum to be very interesting with lots of wonderful exhibits. I was especially glad to see my cousin, Melvin Bailey, remembered for his service in the military and his volunteer work at the museum. It was near and dear to his heart.
Written March 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Deb M
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Couples
From the first display this museum will gain your attention and may change your expectations. A large variety of items covering wars and conflicts in US history. Great price with discounts available. Much bigger than expected from the outside. Would highly recommend
Written August 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mekopp
Middletown, DE1,987 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
I visited this museum with my husband who is a big civil war history buff. This was an excellent museum which chronicled all the wars the US has been involved in. The number of artifacts was impressive. The displays were excellent. The collection of war time posters was interesting. The displays on WWII and the Vietnam war were the most extensive. We spent 90 minutes here and could easily have spent more. There is a lot of information here and it was displayed in a thoughtful, and often emotional, way. Definitely off the beaten path and worth a visit.
Written October 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Martin C
Williamsburg, VA57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
Stopped at this museum because we had a couple of hours to kill in downtown Newport News, and wish we could have spent more time. Substantial displays devoted to every American conflict from the Revolution to the GWOT, including many of the lesser-known conflicts our military has been involved in. Well-presented exhibits, and little of the jingoism that can sometimes be seen at smaller military museums. A surprising variety of weapons and uniforms from opposing forces, which was a pleasant find. All in all, highly recommended, and we intend to return and spend more time in the exhibit sections we had to rush through.
Written December 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

johanna0713
Honesdale, PA76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Family
Friendly staff! Great displays with great variety and many interesting artifacts. We asked for our tickets, and the staff let us know it’d be cheaper for a family rate.

Handwritten letter from George Washington, uniforms from Pearl Harbor, piece of the Berlin Wall, Holocaust display, and so much more!

Great display and experience for a great price!
Written October 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lori G
Aurora, CO9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
We enjoyed this Musuem while visiting Williamsburg. It was very interesting and well planned out. I would recommend this. We only spent an hour here but I didn't read very much. If you wanted to read everything, then plan on spending 2-3 hrs.
Written September 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fssutton1
Charleston, SC871 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
Great museum. I have been to many military museums around the world. This one is first class great quality. External items on display at least need a placard to give basic information
Written June 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

midwestboy75
Irving, TX1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Wow! What can I say? This seemingly, small hole wall in the museum has more military history than museums twice to three times its size. As the title indicates, I find this to be even better than New Orleans' National World War II museum. In particular, it has a wonderful display on the Hitler youth (boys and girls) that I have never seen at any other museum. I know military weapons pretty well, but it has examples of weapons from the conflict that I didn't even know existed. I'm telling you that this is certainly not a place to miss if you have the opportunity to visit it! Happy visit!
Written August 13, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

raj0302
Swansboro, NC964 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
If my review is useful, please give me a "thumbs up" or “helpful” vote.

1. Bottom Line Up Front/frame of reference for my remarks. This was my second visit; my first visit was ten years ago. I am a retired Marine Corps Infantry Officer, history buff and a tour guide aboard a Museum Ship; as such, I have high expectations of military museums and have visited over 30 in the United States (I was not disappointed). This museum contains a great deal of very well-preserved/maintained items and is well-curated with plenty of very informative placards.

2. Details of my visit
2.a. Date & Time. Friday 13 January 2023 (morning).
2.b. Other patrons. The museum was not very crowded (only 4-5 groups of 2-4 adults).
2.c. Length of visit. I was at the museum for 2 hours.

3. Location. I plugged the museum's address (listed on the museums website) in to my iPhone and it took me directly there.

4. Access
4.a. Passenger vehicles. The parking lot can be accessed by any type of passenger vehicle. .
4.b. Buses and RVs. I do not consider the parking lot to be accessible to these vehicles or ones pulling trailers. I recommend looking at the site on Bing or Google Maps to confirm.

5. Parking. No charge; the parking lot is paved.

6. Admission. Check the museum's website for current admission rates.

7. Hours of operation. Check the museum’s website for current information.

8. Handicap access. The museum is handicap-accessible; however, I do not recall seeing any chairs or benches.

9. Child friendliness. I would consider that the museum is child-friendly, but there are no inter-active displays/exhibits

10. Permissions/prohibitions
10.a. Weapons. I do not recall seeing any signs prohibiting weapons; I recommend calling to confirm/deny.
10.b. Photography. Photography is permitted.
10.c. Pets and service animals. Pets are not permitted; I would imagine that legitimate service animals are permitted.
10.d. Food and drinks. I did not see any prohibitive signs but I would imagine that food and drinks are not permitted but bottled water should be permitted.

11. Type/nature of visit. Visitors may conduct un-guided tours; I do not know if guided tours are available; consider calling the museum or checking their website.

12. Size & layout of museum. The museum is approximately 18,000 square feet. It is on one floor and is laid out (more or less in a chronological manner).

Major exhibits. All contain U.S. uniforms, weapons and equipment. Additionally, the paragraphs below indicate additional artifacts of note.

13. The museum contains a huge, unparalleled collection of recruiting and propaganda posters from many nations.

14. Revolutionary War

13.b. War of 1812

13.c. War with Mexico

14. Civil War. A large number of swords, pistols, muskets, rifles and carbines.

13.e. Spanish American War

15. World War I. German uniforms and weapons. French Renault tank. Transport wagon (horse-drawn).

16. World War II. A great deal of German, Japanese weapons as well as those used by the Allies. Of note is a Johnson Rifle. This is unique in that it competed for a U.S. Contract for the new service rifle (losing to the M-1 Garand). However, the rifle was issued in limited quantities to U.S. Marines in the Pacific.

17. Korean War.

18. Vietnam War.

19. Global War on Terror.

20. Other. There is a large exhibit containing machine-guns from the Gatling Gun to those used in the early 1900s.

21. Amenities
21.a. Restrooms. Restrooms are available.
21.b. Water fountains. Water fountains are available.
21.c. Climate control. The museum is heated/air conditioned.
21.d. Food & beverages. Not available.
21.e. Gift shop. The museum has a tiny gift shop.

22. Photos. I was unable to upload any photos.

23. Conclusion. This museum is definitely worth visiting if you are in the area and is worth a special weekend trip (if combined with similar attractions in the area (Army Transportation Museum, Fort Monroe, Battleship Wisconsin and Virginia Beach Military Aviation Museum).
Written January 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Virginia War Museum, Newport News

Frequently Asked Questions about Virginia War Museum

Virginia War Museum is open:
  • Sun - Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Mon - Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM