Norfolk City Hall - Norfolk, Va.
N 36° 50.841 W 076° 17.332
18S E 385090 N 4078713
The Old Norfolk City hall is today home to the MacArthur Memorial.
Waymark Code: WMQ20V
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 12/03/2015
Views: 7
The MacArthur Memorial is located in the old Norfolk City Hall building in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, which was the hometown of his mother, Mary Hardy. His parents were married in Norfolk in 1876. The building was built in 1847 and housed Norfolk City Offices and courtrooms until 1960. In 1951 General MacArthur spoke at a ceremony dedicating a city park near were his mother’s house once stood. When the old City Hall closed in 1960, Norfolk Mayor Fred Duckworth approached the general with the idea of creating a museum to house his papers and artifacts. General MacArthur was pleased and the idea and took the plan a step further when he suggested that he and his wife should be buried there. In 1961, the building was completely renovated and reopened as the MacArthur Memorial in January 1964. General MacArthur was 84 years old when he died on April 5, 1964 in Washington D.C. After a state funeral General MacArthur’s body was brought to Norfolk and buried in the rotunda of the MacArthur Memorial on April 11, 1964.
The Old City Hall (MacArthur Memorial) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
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Today, the MacArthur Memorial consists of a visitor’s center, theater, and museum. It is open Tuesday – Sunday (closed Monday’s) and admission is free. Parking in downtown Norfolk can be difficult; visitor’s should park in the SOUTH DECK of the MacArthur Center parking garage. South Deck Parking Tickets can be validated at the MacArthur Memorial Visitors Center for 3-hours of free parking.