Black Meetings and Tourism

Black Meetings & Tourism June/July 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 51 Culture in the old Main Street post office. Two other notable Black heritage sites include Melrose, a 133-acre estate built by slaves and free men, and the William Johnson House, home of a prominent local Black businessman who was both a former slave and a slave owner. Both sites are part of Natchez National Park. At the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, where admission is free, visitors can view three ceremonial mounds, explore a nature trail and shop for Native American crafts. For more information call (800) 647- 6724. NORFOLK, VA Largest meeting venue: Norfolk Scope Arena — 85,000 sq. ft. Number of area guestrooms: 5200 "Norfolk is an incredibly affordable, walkable city with a variety of amenities, says Donna Allen, vice president of sales & marketing for the Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Norfolk is the heart of the Virginia waterfront area. In addition to seeing all that Norfolk offers, our guests are within an hour's drive of a variety of regional experiences." Hampton Roads Transit has routes throughout Norfolk, with connections to Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News and Suffolk. It also operates the free Norfolk Electric Transit shuttle bus service in downtown Norfolk. In 2010, the Tide light rail will make its debut. Home to the nation's largest navy base, Norfolk has a number of attractions con- nected to its maritime heritage, along with some notable sites that showcase the region's Black history and culture. The his- toric Attucks Theatre, once called "the Apollo of the South," now houses an African-American cultural center. The West Point Monument in Elmwood Cemetery is dedicated to African- Americans who fought in the Civil and Spanish-American wars. America's largest battleship, the USS Just one of the exhibits on display by Natchez Association for the Preservation of African Americans Culture Photo Credit: Natchez CVB

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