Guidebook for Olde Towne

Javon
Guidebook for Olde Towne

Neighborhoods

One visit to Olde Towne Portsmouth and you’ll be hooked. Amble along the famous Seawall. Stroll through three centuries of historic neighborhoods. Go antiquing. Take in some art. Eat at one of the delightful restaurants. Choose from a wide variety of fine, casual and family dining establishments with many offering outdoor seating. Many of Portsmouth’s attractions are clustered within easy walking distance of each other, making it the perfect place to spend a day.
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Olde Towne
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One visit to Olde Towne Portsmouth and you’ll be hooked. Amble along the famous Seawall. Stroll through three centuries of historic neighborhoods. Go antiquing. Take in some art. Eat at one of the delightful restaurants. Choose from a wide variety of fine, casual and family dining establishments with many offering outdoor seating. Many of Portsmouth’s attractions are clustered within easy walking distance of each other, making it the perfect place to spend a day.

Food scene

619 Cantina is a Southwestern style taco and burrito restaurant. Their goal is to provide a friendly environment to come enjoy flavor of the WEST!!
619 Cantina
619 High Street
619 Cantina is a Southwestern style taco and burrito restaurant. Their goal is to provide a friendly environment to come enjoy flavor of the WEST!!
Bailey’s Bayou offers authentic New Orleans cuisine. Their sole focus on cajun & creole cuisine gives their customers a flavor advantage.
Bailey's Bayou
509 Court Street
Bailey’s Bayou offers authentic New Orleans cuisine. Their sole focus on cajun & creole cuisine gives their customers a flavor advantage.
Traditional Thai cuisine offered in a casual, elegant bistro with Southeast Asian decor.
Bangkok Garden Noodle House
301 High Street
Traditional Thai cuisine offered in a casual, elegant bistro with Southeast Asian decor.
Gino’s Pizzeria serves pizza, pasta, subs, and calzones. Don’t forget to try one of their delicious desserts such as cheesecake or homemade tiramisu. Order online for carryout or delivery!
Gino's Pizzeria
455 Court Street
Gino’s Pizzeria serves pizza, pasta, subs, and calzones. Don’t forget to try one of their delicious desserts such as cheesecake or homemade tiramisu. Order online for carryout or delivery!
Fish & Slips offers the only on-the-water dining as well as the only raw bar in Portsmouth. Enjoy a stroll down the Tidewater Yacht Marina pier to find a large selection of fried, steamed or broiled seafood, including fresh, locally caught fish. Make lunch or dinner memorable with fresh seafood specials, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and comfort food you’ll love.
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Fish & Slips Marina Raw Bar & Grill
10 Crawford Pkwy
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Fish & Slips offers the only on-the-water dining as well as the only raw bar in Portsmouth. Enjoy a stroll down the Tidewater Yacht Marina pier to find a large selection of fried, steamed or broiled seafood, including fresh, locally caught fish. Make lunch or dinner memorable with fresh seafood specials, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and comfort food you’ll love.
Guad’s Mexican Restaurant is Hampton Roads’ premiere Mexican eatery. Our kitchen specializes in fresh, authentic cuisine from south of the border.
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Guads Mexican Restaurant
612 Court St
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Guad’s Mexican Restaurant is Hampton Roads’ premiere Mexican eatery. Our kitchen specializes in fresh, authentic cuisine from south of the border.
Enjoy great-tasting Thai dishes made with only the freshest and finest ingredients.
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Thai basil
606 High St
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Enjoy great-tasting Thai dishes made with only the freshest and finest ingredients.
Breakfast and lunch with a southern twist! The restaurant offers breakfast all day and has two bars and an outdoor seating area. When the weather is warm, a glass garage door can be raised to create an open atmosphere for the 150-seat restaurant.
The Look Salon & Day Spa
1433 Sam's Drive
Breakfast and lunch with a southern twist! The restaurant offers breakfast all day and has two bars and an outdoor seating area. When the weather is warm, a glass garage door can be raised to create an open atmosphere for the 150-seat restaurant.
In 1994, Tom Martin opened the little Tasting Room/Pub off of an old gravel road called West 6th Street in Richmond’s Historic Old Manchester District. Serving Legend Beer and a short list of sandwiches along with pub fries, the small pub became a popular fixture for the city’s nightlife scene. With their main location in Richmond, Legend has opened a satellite location right at the foot of High Street to be Olde Towne’s premier brewery. Enjoy the amazing view of the Elizabeth River, delicious food, and wonderful craft beer.
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Legend Brewing Depot
1 High St
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In 1994, Tom Martin opened the little Tasting Room/Pub off of an old gravel road called West 6th Street in Richmond’s Historic Old Manchester District. Serving Legend Beer and a short list of sandwiches along with pub fries, the small pub became a popular fixture for the city’s nightlife scene. With their main location in Richmond, Legend has opened a satellite location right at the foot of High Street to be Olde Towne’s premier brewery. Enjoy the amazing view of the Elizabeth River, delicious food, and wonderful craft beer.
German specialty gifts, including food, wine, and beer, along with traditional German attire, souvenir shirts, and much more.
Bier Garden Gift Shop & Markt
461 Dinwiddie Street
German specialty gifts, including food, wine, and beer, along with traditional German attire, souvenir shirts, and much more.
Known for delicious barbecue, Twisted Pig smokes all meats in house using a mix of hickory, apple-wood, and mesquite. Full bar, pool tables and live music on the weekends. Opens daily at 4 PM, and at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
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Twisted Pig Ale & Smokehouse
722 Mt Vernon Ave
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Known for delicious barbecue, Twisted Pig smokes all meats in house using a mix of hickory, apple-wood, and mesquite. Full bar, pool tables and live music on the weekends. Opens daily at 4 PM, and at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Locally owned cafe with a wide variety of coffees, lattes, freshly baked pastries, sandwiches and salads. Open daily at 7 AM for breakfast and lunch. Indoor and sidewalk seating. https://www.facebook.com/The-Coffee-Shoppe-120883284610379/
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The Coffee Shoppe
300 High St
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Locally owned cafe with a wide variety of coffees, lattes, freshly baked pastries, sandwiches and salads. Open daily at 7 AM for breakfast and lunch. Indoor and sidewalk seating. https://www.facebook.com/The-Coffee-Shoppe-120883284610379/
American food with a nod to the Mediterranian, with subs and pizza, along with schwarma, falaffal, kabobs, and more. Must try a variety of homemade hummus. Dine in, carry out, or delivery.
Five Boroughs Restaurant
2019 Colley Avenue
American food with a nod to the Mediterranian, with subs and pizza, along with schwarma, falaffal, kabobs, and more. Must try a variety of homemade hummus. Dine in, carry out, or delivery.

Sightseeing

The Commodore Theatre, named for Commodore James Baron, was opened in 1945 by Portsmouth native William Stanley Wilder who owned a chain of theaters in the Tidewater area. It was designed by Baltimore architect John Zink who produced a classic example of the streamline Art Deco style. Built during World War II when building materials normally were not available for private commercial undertakings, Wilder was able to procure what he needed as the theater was to offer entertainment to the area’s large population of military personnel. The Commodore is especially significant for preserving many of its original Art Deco appointments, including the marquee, ticket booth, ticket-taker’s stand, and various architectural ornaments. Impressive Art Deco murals on the auditorium walls were reproduced when the theater underwent a meticulous restoration in 1987-89. The Commodore now serves as a motion-picture dinner theater. The Commodore is listed on both the Virginia and the National Register of Historic Places. (Courtesy of Virginia Department of Historic Resources). Experience dinner and a movie is this 1945 restored art-deco theater. Dine on sandwiches, pizza, salads, desserts, and of course popcorn too. Enjoy your movie in comfortable restaurant style seating. Beer and wine available. Dolby THX sound system. Open daily for dinner with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. The venue is available for day rentals on any day when a matinee is not scheduled. AV needs and catering provided onsite. Downstairs features restaurant style seating for 120 and upstairs balcony overflow seating for another 200.
The Commonwealth
901 Bank St
The Commodore Theatre, named for Commodore James Baron, was opened in 1945 by Portsmouth native William Stanley Wilder who owned a chain of theaters in the Tidewater area. It was designed by Baltimore architect John Zink who produced a classic example of the streamline Art Deco style. Built during World War II when building materials normally were not available for private commercial undertakings, Wilder was able to procure what he needed as the theater was to offer entertainment to the area’s large population of military personnel. The Commodore is especially significant for preserving many of its original Art Deco appointments, including the marquee, ticket booth, ticket-taker’s stand, and various architectural ornaments. Impressive Art Deco murals on the auditorium walls were reproduced when the theater underwent a meticulous restoration in 1987-89. The Commodore now serves as a motion-picture dinner theater. The Commodore is listed on both the Virginia and the National Register of Historic Places. (Courtesy of Virginia Department of Historic Resources). Experience dinner and a movie is this 1945 restored art-deco theater. Dine on sandwiches, pizza, salads, desserts, and of course popcorn too. Enjoy your movie in comfortable restaurant style seating. Beer and wine available. Dolby THX sound system. Open daily for dinner with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. The venue is available for day rentals on any day when a matinee is not scheduled. AV needs and catering provided onsite. Downstairs features restaurant style seating for 120 and upstairs balcony overflow seating for another 200.
Take the ferry from Portsmouth to Norfolk and a five minute walk to Nauticus. Located next to Nauticus, the Battleship Wisconsin is one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy. The “Wisky” served in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean War. After a modernization, she participated in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, before being decommissioned later that year. Explore its deck through a self-guided tour or, with an additional charge, a guided Topside Tour that will take you back in time to experience this majestic ship that earned five battle stars during WW II. The Battleship Wisconsin is included with your admission to Nauticus.
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USS Wisconsin BB-64
1 Waterside Dr
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Take the ferry from Portsmouth to Norfolk and a five minute walk to Nauticus. Located next to Nauticus, the Battleship Wisconsin is one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy. The “Wisky” served in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean War. After a modernization, she participated in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, before being decommissioned later that year. Explore its deck through a self-guided tour or, with an additional charge, a guided Topside Tour that will take you back in time to experience this majestic ship that earned five battle stars during WW II. The Battleship Wisconsin is included with your admission to Nauticus.
Hampton Roads Transit operates three 150-passenger ferries on the Elizabeth River between Norfolk and Portsmouth. They travel between North Landing and High Street in Portsmouth and the Waterside District in downtown Norfolk. They’re fast, economical and offer a unique view of the river and the waterfront. Ferries operate every 30 minutes with 15-minute service during the summer at peak times on weekends. Schedules are subject to change based on operating situations (weather, mechanical problems, etc.). The ferry is wheelchair accessible and allows boarding passengers to walk on with their bicycles. When the Norfolk Tides have home games, take the ferry non-stop to the ballpark from Portsmouth’s North Landing. The ferry requires exact fare. Adult fares each way are $2.00. Children under 17 ride free with a paid adult. Senior discounts apply. You may use a credit card at the ticket machine located at the Visitor Kisok , foot of High Street. Purchase a one-way, round trip or day pass. If you plan to travel more than once each way in a 24 hour period, purchase the day pass. It is good for all HRT busses and the Tide transit too.
Elizabeth River Ferry
6 Crawford Pkwy
Hampton Roads Transit operates three 150-passenger ferries on the Elizabeth River between Norfolk and Portsmouth. They travel between North Landing and High Street in Portsmouth and the Waterside District in downtown Norfolk. They’re fast, economical and offer a unique view of the river and the waterfront. Ferries operate every 30 minutes with 15-minute service during the summer at peak times on weekends. Schedules are subject to change based on operating situations (weather, mechanical problems, etc.). The ferry is wheelchair accessible and allows boarding passengers to walk on with their bicycles. When the Norfolk Tides have home games, take the ferry non-stop to the ballpark from Portsmouth’s North Landing. The ferry requires exact fare. Adult fares each way are $2.00. Children under 17 ride free with a paid adult. Senior discounts apply. You may use a credit card at the ticket machine located at the Visitor Kisok , foot of High Street. Purchase a one-way, round trip or day pass. If you plan to travel more than once each way in a 24 hour period, purchase the day pass. It is good for all HRT busses and the Tide transit too.
Having begun service in 1896 as part of the Hog Island Light off the Great Machipongo Inlet on the Eastern Shore, today this first order Fresnel lens is valued between $750,000 and $1 million. It stands about 10 feet high, weighs 2,500 pounds and is among the largest and brightest of its kind, with more than 250 prisms of optical glass. Housed in a 16-foot-wide pavilion, this lens is the only one displayed outside of a museum setting.
Fresnel Lens
Having begun service in 1896 as part of the Hog Island Light off the Great Machipongo Inlet on the Eastern Shore, today this first order Fresnel lens is valued between $750,000 and $1 million. It stands about 10 feet high, weighs 2,500 pounds and is among the largest and brightest of its kind, with more than 250 prisms of optical glass. Housed in a 16-foot-wide pavilion, this lens is the only one displayed outside of a museum setting.

Things to Do

Named Best Municipal Course in Virginia by Golf Digest. Bent Grass greens. Narrow and challenging fairways lined with majestic pines. Picturesque lakes and ponds. First-class clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant and facilities. This is Bide-A-Wee, dramatically reshaped into a Curtis Strange signature championship golf course. Pro shop includes most everything for your golfing needs as well as apparel touting the Bide-A-Wee name.
Bide-A-Wee Golf Course
1 Bide-A-Wee Ln
Named Best Municipal Course in Virginia by Golf Digest. Bent Grass greens. Narrow and challenging fairways lined with majestic pines. Picturesque lakes and ponds. First-class clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant and facilities. This is Bide-A-Wee, dramatically reshaped into a Curtis Strange signature championship golf course. Pro shop includes most everything for your golfing needs as well as apparel touting the Bide-A-Wee name.
Take the ferry to Harbor Park for an exciting game of baseball. A dedicated ferry runs from the North Landing in Olde Towne Portsmouth directly to Harbor Park stadium during every home game. It begins an hour before start time and runs every 30 minutes until shortly after the game ends. The beautiful waterfront stadium is home to the Norfolk Tides, a AAA affiliate team of the Baltimore Orioles. Website/Tickets: https://www.milb.com/norfolk
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Norfolk Tides Baseball Club på Harbor Park Stadium
150 Park Ave
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Take the ferry to Harbor Park for an exciting game of baseball. A dedicated ferry runs from the North Landing in Olde Towne Portsmouth directly to Harbor Park stadium during every home game. It begins an hour before start time and runs every 30 minutes until shortly after the game ends. The beautiful waterfront stadium is home to the Norfolk Tides, a AAA affiliate team of the Baltimore Orioles. Website/Tickets: https://www.milb.com/norfolk
Take the ferry to Norfolk and rent an electric bike to pedal around Norfolk or Portsmouth. Take the ferry to Norfolk and walk less than 10 minutes to Pedigo Bikes. Pedigo specializes in electric bike sales, rentals, and tours. You can explore the trails around Norfolk and bring the bike back across on the ferry and ride all around Portsmouth. Don’t have a car, this is a great way to explore Paradise Creek and other outlaying areas of the city. Locals tip: Buy a DAY PASS for $4.50 and you can ride the ferry, the train, or any bus as much as you like all day. https://pedegoelectricbikes.com/dealers/norfolk/
Pedego Electric Bikes Norfolk & Onewheel CoVA
223 E City Hall Ave
Take the ferry to Norfolk and rent an electric bike to pedal around Norfolk or Portsmouth. Take the ferry to Norfolk and walk less than 10 minutes to Pedigo Bikes. Pedigo specializes in electric bike sales, rentals, and tours. You can explore the trails around Norfolk and bring the bike back across on the ferry and ride all around Portsmouth. Don’t have a car, this is a great way to explore Paradise Creek and other outlaying areas of the city. Locals tip: Buy a DAY PASS for $4.50 and you can ride the ferry, the train, or any bus as much as you like all day. https://pedegoelectricbikes.com/dealers/norfolk/
This is a farmers market with some arts/crafts items offered based on space available as the season progresses. While our focus is on food and farm-related products, we also have soaps, candles, jewelry, and handsewn/knitted items (masks, hats, scarves, aprons–and even dog apparel)! Find us Saturday mornings at the corner of High and Court Streets. https://www.facebook.com/Portsmouth-Olde-Towne-Farmers-Market-106639089426039
Portsmouth Olde Towne Farmers’ Market
400 High St
This is a farmers market with some arts/crafts items offered based on space available as the season progresses. While our focus is on food and farm-related products, we also have soaps, candles, jewelry, and handsewn/knitted items (masks, hats, scarves, aprons–and even dog apparel)! Find us Saturday mornings at the corner of High and Court Streets. https://www.facebook.com/Portsmouth-Olde-Towne-Farmers-Market-106639089426039
Boat house, bait and tackle, jon boat rentals 3990 Bayview Boulevard Portsmouth, Virginia 23707 757-397-4215
Culpeppers Boat House
3009 Bayview Boulevard
Boat house, bait and tackle, jon boat rentals 3990 Bayview Boulevard Portsmouth, Virginia 23707 757-397-4215
A 93-acre, beautifully landscaped park along the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River, which includes a nine-hole executive golf course with a 30-station lighted driving range, a challenging natural grass putting course, a pro shop and a learning center. The park also features boating, tennis, picnic shelters, a covered amphitheater, and a concession stand. City Park offers launch and retrieval piers for personal pleasure boats, fishing boats, sail boats, jet skies and more. Short term trailer parking available. Fees for non-Portsmouth residents. https://portsmouthparks.com/169/Portsmouth-City-Park https://www.facebook.com/Portsvarec
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Portsmouth City Park
Cpl J M Williams Avenue
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A 93-acre, beautifully landscaped park along the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River, which includes a nine-hole executive golf course with a 30-station lighted driving range, a challenging natural grass putting course, a pro shop and a learning center. The park also features boating, tennis, picnic shelters, a covered amphitheater, and a concession stand. City Park offers launch and retrieval piers for personal pleasure boats, fishing boats, sail boats, jet skies and more. Short term trailer parking available. Fees for non-Portsmouth residents. https://portsmouthparks.com/169/Portsmouth-City-Park https://www.facebook.com/Portsvarec
LeMans Karting Experience the thrill of authentic racing & laser tag! Experience the thrill of authentic racing at LeMans Karting! From high speed indoor karting on our challenging ¼ mile indoor track to indoor lasar tag and RC Cars, LeMans Karting delivers real and exhilarating indoor entertainment in Portsmouth. Private meeting space for small groups or take over the facility for birthday parties, social gatherings, corporate team building events, and more. Catering available. https://www.lemanskarting.com/portsmouth-va
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LeMans Hi-Speed Indoor Karting & Entertainment Center
2882 Airline Blvd
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LeMans Karting Experience the thrill of authentic racing & laser tag! Experience the thrill of authentic racing at LeMans Karting! From high speed indoor karting on our challenging ¼ mile indoor track to indoor lasar tag and RC Cars, LeMans Karting delivers real and exhilarating indoor entertainment in Portsmouth. Private meeting space for small groups or take over the facility for birthday parties, social gatherings, corporate team building events, and more. Catering available. https://www.lemanskarting.com/portsmouth-va
A 40-acre creation – part urban renewal, part industrial art, and part environmental education center – is a public private partnership between the City of Portsmouth and the non-profit Elizabeth River Project. The park offers a variety of classes on native plants, herb gardening, and preservation of eco-systems. But mostly, it’s a place to walk along two miles of trails, kayak through the watershed, watch the kids enjoy the playground, and to take in some wonderful works of art. At Paradise Creek, you will see first-hand how nature and industry can live side by side. http://paradisecreek.elizabethriver.org/
Paradise Creek Nature Park
1141 Victory Blvd
A 40-acre creation – part urban renewal, part industrial art, and part environmental education center – is a public private partnership between the City of Portsmouth and the non-profit Elizabeth River Project. The park offers a variety of classes on native plants, herb gardening, and preservation of eco-systems. But mostly, it’s a place to walk along two miles of trails, kayak through the watershed, watch the kids enjoy the playground, and to take in some wonderful works of art. At Paradise Creek, you will see first-hand how nature and industry can live side by side. http://paradisecreek.elizabethriver.org/
This museum-on-the-tracks features a five-car train, with a 1910-era steam locomotive, two walk-through gallery mail cars, a dining car, antique Norfolk-Southern caboose, and a depot-style platform. Norfolk and Western No. 1134, also known as the Lost Engine of Roanoke, was built in 1910 and is the center piece of this museum. It was retired in 1950 and sat in a scarp yard until it was rescued by the museum at the beginning of the 21st century. The Virginia Railroad Museum connects two key elements of Portsmouth’s heritage: Shipping and the American Railroad.
Railroad Museum of Virginia
Harbor Center Way
This museum-on-the-tracks features a five-car train, with a 1910-era steam locomotive, two walk-through gallery mail cars, a dining car, antique Norfolk-Southern caboose, and a depot-style platform. Norfolk and Western No. 1134, also known as the Lost Engine of Roanoke, was built in 1910 and is the center piece of this museum. It was retired in 1950 and sat in a scarp yard until it was rescued by the museum at the beginning of the 21st century. The Virginia Railroad Museum connects two key elements of Portsmouth’s heritage: Shipping and the American Railroad.