Notice the maritime-themed science center and museum rising along the downtown waterfront in Norfolk, Virginia — Nauticus, also known as the National Maritime Center. Feel rooted where a civic idea formalized under the National Maritime Center Authority in February 1988 became a living place when the following month Rear Admiral Jackson Knowles Parker, retired commander of Norfolk Naval Base, took the helm as founding executive director. This building rose from the former site of Norfolk’s Banana Pier: construction began there in February 1992, and Nauticus opened to the public in June 1994.
Turn your attention to the busy, civic waterfront life around you — attractions nearby include the Virginia Zoo, Norfolk Scope, and Harbor Park, home to the Norfolk Tides. At your feet and alongside the museum is the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center, opened here on April 7, 2007: an 80,000-square-foot passenger-friendly facility with views of the Elizabeth River, an enclosed elevated passenger gangway, a retractable bridge, distinct floor tile in the entrance, a separate lounge and check-in area for VIP passengers, and a security-focused Customs and Border Protection area with an embarkation station. Look now to the river and the cruise center that frame this stretch of waterfront.