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All the United States Virginia Portsmouth

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Portsmouth

4 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Portsmouth, Virginia

Updated March 1, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Portsmouth

First Order Fresnel Lens

Portsmouth, Virginia

Hog Island Lighthouse First Order Fresnel Lens

Get up close and personal at this Fresnel Lens.
Lightship Portsmouth Museum

Portsmouth, Virginia

Lightship Portsmouth Museum

A lightship turned museum, outfitted with artifacts from the vessel's past as part of the U.S. Lighthouse Service.
Richard Dale Monument

Portsmouth, Virginia

Commodore Richard Dale Monument

Dedicated to a veritable Houdini among P.O.W.s who escaped imprisonment on five separate occasions.
The Hiker Monument - Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth, Virginia

The Hiker Monument

Honoring combatants from Portsmouth who served in Cuba and the Philippines during the Spanish-American War.
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Norfolk, Virginia

Mary Hardy MacArthur Memorial

The childhood home of the famous general's mother is now a small, walled garden.
0 miles from Portsmouth
Cannonball in Church Wall

Norfolk, Virginia

Cannonball in Saint Paul's Episcopal Church

This cannonball stands as a reminder of the final act of a fleeting governor amidst a revolution.
1 mile from Portsmouth

Norfolk, Virginia

Cementiscope

A cement mixer-turned-kaleidoscope in downtown Norfolk offers different views of the city.
1 mile from Portsmouth
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Explore Portsmouth, Virginia

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    wants to go to Lightship Portsmouth Museum

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    wants to go to Commodore Richard Dale Monument

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    wants to go to Lightship Portsmouth Museum

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