Everyone likes to be first, and cities are no different. Hampton, Va., championed as the “City of Firsts,” offers a first-class look at the city’s historical, cultural and military heritage.

Hampton is located in the center of Hampton Roads, which is near Norfolk, Newport News, and only 30 minutes away from Colonial Williamsburg and Virginia Beach.

Hampton’s downtown waterfront district encompasses the site of the original 17th-century seaport that served as a port of entry for commercial vessels from Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Attractions, such as the Hampton History Museum, the Casement Museum at Fort Monroe, the Hampton University Museum and Virginia Air & Space Center, tell an exciting story of a city that was burned to the ground in 1861 and rose out of the ashes to become the first site for NASA and the first training ground for the U.S. astronauts.

It’s got lots of fun, too. Young and old alike will enjoy the restored 1920s-era carousel located next to the Virginia Air & Space Museum, harbor tour cruises (in season) aboard the Miss Hampton II to view the beautiful waterfront and nearby Norfolk Naval Base. For information, visit www.misshamptoncruises.com. Downtown Hampton’s cobblestone streets offer a fun day of shopping at the eclectic shops and eateries.  Nearby Phoebus offers charming art and antique shops for a delightful shopping experience.

Hampton is also home to the American headquarters of the Cousteau Society. The gallery displays world-renowned photography and models of the Calypso, as well as artifacts from past Jacques Cousteau expeditions. For information, visit www.cousteau.org or call 757-722-9300.

Hampton is the annual site of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival at the convention center. It is the largest quilt festival on the East Coast and features beautiful textile, wearable and fiber arts. Make plans now to attend the next one Feb. 26–March 1, 2009. For information, visit www.quiltfest.com.

Hampton History Museum

The first place to start on your tour of Hampton is the history museum, located at 120 Old Hampton Lane. For $5 and under, you can sample 400 years of life on the Chesapeake Bay. Its beautiful and thoughtful exhibits recount the history of America’s oldest, continuously English-speaking settlement from the Kecoughtan Indians to its role as original home of NASA and the U.S. space program. For information, visit www.hamptonva.us/history_museum.com or call 757-727-1610.

Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe

In 1619, a vessel carrying about 20 African-American passengers arrived at Old Point Comfort near the point of land on which John Smith and crew arrived in 1607. This historic landing marks the beginning of slavery in the New World. The Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe tells the story of Freedom’s Fort, the refuge for thousands of runaway slaves during the Civil War. It is the largest stone fort ever built in the country and the only moat encircled fort still used by the Army.

The focal point of the museum is the cell where Confederate President Jefferson Davis was imprisoned. Visitors will be intrigued by the weapons, uniforms, soldiers’ old living quarters and other artifacts and exhibits that tell the history of Fort Monroe and the Coast Artillery Corps. The museum is open year round and offers daily tours from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. It is located inside Fort Monroe and all visitors must show ID before getting onto the base. For information, call 757-788-3391.

Hampton University Museum

Founded in 1868, this world-class museum is the oldest African-American museum in the United States. It houses more than 9,500 African, Native American, Asian, Pacific Island and African-American  art objects. Your heart and soul will be touched by this one-of-a-kind collection.

The museum is located in the Huntington Memorial Building, on the grounds of Hampton University. It is easily accessible from I-64. Take exit 267/Hampton University. For information, call 757-727-5308 or visit www.museum.hamptonu.edu. There is free parking and free tours by appointment.

Virginia Air & Space Center

Visitors of all ages will enjoy spending a day at the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton, the birthplace of America’s space program and visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base. And please, touch everything you can. The center is designed to engage, educate and entertain even the smallest visitor. The highlight of the center is the more than 100 interactive exhibits that allow young and old alike to launch a rocket, pilot a shuttle, build a plane, and even pilot a DC-9!

As the NASA Langley Visitor Center, the space center showcases national achievements in air and space exploration with its permanent exhibit collection. The collection features many of the most fascinating space-related memorabilia. See the Apollo 12 Command Module that went to the moon, a moon rock, a Mars meteorite and more. The current traveling exhibit is “Candy Unwrapped,” which shows the sweet and sour of candy. It runs until Sept. 1.

Of course, the 3D IMAX Theater will wow visitors with its latest show, “Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk,” which takes the audience on an exhilarating river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River. The show opens March 28.

The center has easy access to almost all areas and levels for members with disabilities. Wheelchairs are available and rear-window closed-captioning is available in the IMAX Theater for hearing-impaired visitors.

The Virginia Air and Space Center is located in downtown Hampton at 600 Settlers Landing Road. For information on the center and the historic carousel, visit www.vasc.org or call 757-727-0900.

For information on Hampton attractions, contact the Hampton Convention and Visitor Bureau at 800-487-8778 or visit www.hamptoncvb.com.