Air Power Park in Hampton is one of those little-known attractions most tourists rarely hear of. Fancy, it's not. In fact, it's rather old and run-down. (Sorry, I have to be honest.) But hey...it's free...which puts it in our "Cheap Family Vacation Hall of Fame." And aircraft/space lovers will enjoy it. Lovingly run on a shoe-string by volunteers, Air Power Park is housed in an old geodesic dome. Behind it is a small park with various military aircraft and missiles you can walk around (I'd tell you what types of aircraft, but they're just numbers to me). We were more interested in the old rockets that were used in NASA's space program at the Virginia Langley Research Center (they look like huge toys). There's also a space capsule, used in the Project Mercury program, that makes you feel really sympathetic to those poor astronauts. They must have felt like sardines in a can. Our kids were more interested in the dock overlooking the river, and the playground. On a nice day, you could bring a picnic, mosey around the aircraft, wave at the ducks drifting by on the river, and have the kids let off some steam playing astronaut on the playground. It's good for 30 minutes to an hour or so. Air Power Park is located at 413 West Mercury Blvd. It's not far from the Coliseum Mall and another free attraction--Bass Pro Shop. The Park is open daily, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. For more information, call 757-727-1163.
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