Visit the Virginia Air & Space Center

An exciting vacation for the whole family awaits you in charming Hampton, Virginia, and the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina wants to help you get the most of it. As the top Hampton, VA hotel for vacations of any kind, we know how to have a good time in Hampton. Our brilliant location, the only on the waterfront, puts you within walking distance of many of the most popular Hampton, VA attractions including the famous Hampton Carousel, the Visitor Center and, our favorite, the Virginia Air & Space Center. Explore on of the most exciting Virginia museums, and stay at one of the leading hotels in Hampton, VA.

With so much to see and do at the Virginia Air & Space Center, it's a good thing it won't take you long to get there. In easy walking distance of our Hampton, Virginia hotel, the VASC serves as the official visitor's center of the NASA Langley Research Center and also Langley Air Force Base. Home of the original NASA space center and birthplace of the American Space Program, we know a thing or two about spaceflight and aeronautics here in Hampton, and the Virginia Air & Space Center shares that fascinating legacy with you.

Favoring authentic, interactive exhibits, the VASC encourages exploration in the spirit of fun. The largest exhibit is the "Adventures in Flight Gallery". Detailing the long, storied history of human flight beginning with the two the started it all, the Wright Brothers, this exhibit is bustling with genuine artifacts, realistic demonstrations and opportunities to go "hands on". You'll see a replica of the famed Wright Flyer, take controls of a Boeing 717 in a thrilling simulation and even see the latest military aircraft courtesy of Langley Air Force Base.

If you set your sights even higher, you must visit the vast "Space Gallery". Designed to intrigue and entertain space-lovers of any age, this remarkable exhibit offers the chance to interact with science like never before. In one exhibit you can feel the surface of Mars or Mercury based on scientific expectations, while in another you can use a computer simulator to discover how craters are made and make some of your own. You'll also see a variety of spacecraft from a Lunar Orbiter to a Mars Rover.

That's just the beginning! You’ll find plenty more things to do in Hampton, Virginia at the Virginia Air & Space Center. A massive IMAX theatre shows educational 45-minute documentaries as well as full-length feature films when available. If you need a break for some simple fun, head next door to the historic Hampton Carousel. Masterfully-restored from the 1920's, the Carousel is another of the most attended attractions near our Hampton lodging.

The Virginia Air & Space Center is open daily with hours varying by day and season. Admission is available with or without IMAX tickets, so choose carefully. Learn more at their Web site.

For a smart, family-friendly choice in hotels in Hampton, VA near Virginia Beach and the Virginia Air & Space Center, choose the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina. Save big with our exclusive Virginia vacation packages.