TIDEWATER AREA  - NORFOLK

       When Douglas MacArthur was born January 26, 1880, in Little Rock, Arkansas, the Norfolk, Virginia paper reported, "Douglas MacArthur was born...while his parents were away."  This was not a medical first, simply a hometown paper commenting on a local personality.  His mother, Mary Pinkney Hardy MacArthur, had been born in Norfolk and since his father, Arthur MacArthur, was a peripatetic military officer, Norfolk was always their "home by choice."

Although General Douglas MacArthur never actually lived in Norfolk, he nevertheless acceded to the city's suggestion of a memorial in 1960 and helped plan the complex you'll see.  Norfolk redesigned the 1850 city hall done by Thomas Walter, who is noted for his work on the U.S. Capitol dome and its House and Senate wings.  The MacArthur Memorial opened in 1964 on the general's 84th birthday.  When MacArthur died on April 5, 1964, he was buried in the rotunda he helped design.  Not for him Washington, D.C., where he said he had never won a battle.

Begin your visit at the MacArthur Memorial theater where you'll see a 22-minute newsreel compilation  of footage that captures significant events in American history in which the general played a pivotal role.  The film gives added life to the still photographs and memorabilia in the nine galleries surrounding the rotunda.

The first gallery contains exhibits that depict MacArthur’s family, his youth and his four years at West Point.  You’ll see reminders of the young MacArthur, who had the highest entrance marks to West Point and graduated with one of the highest averages in the academy’s history.

Galleries two through seven cover  MacArthur's service in the Philippines, World War I and II and the Korean War.  Photographs, uniforms, weapons, medals and maps help tell the story.  Large murals show MacArthur's return to the Philippines, his attendance at the Japanese surrender and his address to Congress in 1951 after President Truman relieved him of command.  Gallery eight reflects on MacArthur’s twilight years of retirement where his achievements in business, writing and other pursuits are fully recorded.

Gallery nine contains the well-remembered corn-cob pipe, sunglasses and visored cap identified with MacArthur.  There are also two large cases of medals presented by countries around the world and by the U.S. government.  His Congressional Medal of Honor is prominent among the latter; his receipt of it made the MacArthurs the only father and son in American history to receive the award.  This very dramatic display also contains the general’s desk and chair, plus a special video presentation that highlights MacArthur’s career and his impact on world history.

Be sure to see the changing exhibit galleries in the theater and the large gift shop where the general’s sedan is on display.

The MacArthur Memorial is open at no charge 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Monday through Saturday and 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday.  It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. 

Directions:  From I-95 in the Richmond area, take I-64 to Norfolk; then take I-264 and exit on City Hall Avenue. Proceed three blocks west.  Parking is available on the north side of City Hall Avenue.