MacArthur Memorial

General Douglas MacArthur's tomb and archive in Norfolk's old city hall

The MacArthur Memorial occupies Norfolk's beautifully restored 1850 Old City Hall, which now functions as a mausoleum and museum dedicated to General Douglas MacArthur. Nine galleries trace his career from his father's Civil War service through the Pacific campaign, the occupation of Japan, and Korea.

Whether or not you are an enthusiast for military history, the complex is worth a visit for the building alone, and the collections are well-presented. The tomb itself — a polished marble floor, a domed rotunda — has a formality appropriate to one of the most controversial American generals of the 20th century. Free admission.

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A story
Douglas MacArthur chose Norfolk for his burial for a very specific reason: his mother was born here. The city rebuilt the old city hall rotunda as his mausoleum, and MacArthur's body — and that of his wife Jean — lies beneath the dome. In the adjacent building, a research archive holds millions of documents and hundreds of thousands of photographs from his career, including correspondence with eleven US presidents.