Top 6 Abandoned Places In Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is one of the most popular resort towns in the South, and rightfully so. It has surf, sand, upscale beach accessories, as well as some nice hotels. It’s a safe area that’s mostly noted for being family-friendly. That’s why finding out about its urban exploration scene is pretty shocking for many of us.

If you want to see some of the more fascinating abandoned areas in Virginia Beach, we suggest the following venues:

Once found on Old Pungo Ferry Road, Captain George’s General Store was a legitimate general store used by locals. The store was a favorite among local fishermen as well as beachgoers. Why? It had a lot of bait in it. And likely also had sunscreen. As many locals will tell you, Old Pungo Ferry Road has a number of abandoned and ramshackle homes on it.

In order to get there, you will have to walk through the woods. All that’s left of the general store is a dock and a bridge to where the store used to overlook the sea. There is another establishment that was part of the Captain George empire: the restaurant. The restaurant is still in use and currently serves some pretty delicious food.

There was a time, not too long ago, where railroads brought people everywhere. There were mini-railroad systems everywhere, including in Virginia Beach. If you look along one side of Norfolk Avenue, you will see what’s left of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Munden Point Railroad. This rail line was created in 1883 to encourage faster travel and move supplies between the area faster.

For years, this rail system was incorporated into larger and larger systems. It was even added to systems as late as 1972. Cutbacks to the transit system killed the rail. In 2008, the rail was bought by another company with discussions of bringing back the light rail. However, it’s still defunct today and totally abandoned.

There’s something to be said about how crazy it is to have a family walk away from a massive, Spanish-style mansion. But, that’s exactly what seems to have happened on Laurelwood Lane. The mansion seems to be totally abandoned, though it’s not sure why. Is it a foreclosure? Did the owners just die and have no one to give it to? Whatever the reason, no one seems to reside there and it’s made its way onto the internet.

Whoever lived here truly seemed to value their privacy and luxury, judging by the front door. While this area is abandoned to our knowledge, it’s best to avoid breaking in. It could be private property and people who live nearby will probably call the cops.

Elbow Road is a bit strange, in terms of abandonment. Though there are some buildings that dot both ends of the road, the middle stretch that connects Virginia Beach to Chesapeake is vacant. The vacancy and the eerie drive through the field has led certain people to believe that something isn’t quite right with this road.

According to the local legends, there were other homes on this road. One such home belonged to a cheerful woman named Mrs. Woble. The legend claims that she lived in her home for a long time, until her body was discovered near her home. Her neck was broken and the killer was never found. She’s said to haunt the area ever since her murder. (Author’s Note: How strange—her last name is “elbow” backward. Probably a fake ghost story.)

While the Woble story is probably false, we do know that something is true about this stretch of road. Since 2012, there have been over 40 lethal car accidents in the area. While rabble-rousing teens and drunk drivers can account for some, they don’t account for all of the accidents that happen here.

The area also gets flooded whenever there’s a hurricane. Occasionally, this leads to abandoned cars.

Technically, this is not abandoned but we’re going to add it anyway. After all, it’s not an inhabited home. It’s been converted to a historic museum and it’s in Virginia Beach. This petite brown house was built in 1719, making it one of the oldest buildings in the city. The cottage acted as home to the Thoroughgood family for over a century. It also has a neat passage that was used several times throughout its history.

Currently, the cottage is done up in the manner that John Thoroughgood would have done. So, it’s pretty 19th-century when you go up and tour it. However, it’s not lived in and at times, you can tell. It’s a little spooky, but that could be due to the fact that it’s a known haunted location in the city.

Staff members claim that items get knocked over by themselves and that the ghosts like to cause mischief. Missing objects, hands that tug at clothing, and cold spots are common. The most notable ghost, though, is that of a red-haired woman who tends to walk around the back of the home. She’s dressed in period clothing and is believed to be one of the first women to inhabit the house.

If you ask most people, there is way too much development going on in the wrong parts of town. This is especially true when it comes to matters of commerce and tourism. However, this story has a somewhat happy ending. Such was the case with the Virginia Sports Center. Developers started making this sports complex in the earlier part of the 21st century—like 2008 or so.

The ambitious project was slated to become massive, but the Great Recession hit. Things went downhill, and the complex project was abandoned halfway through. For about 10 years, the sprawling hangar-style sporting arena was left to languish in the region. It had no buyers, and no one wanted to touch it out of fear of loss.

It was on the verge of being demolished after being labeled a nuisance. However, things turned around. An angel investor and some real estate developers were able to save it. The complex was slated to open in 2020. It’s currently in use, though it’s still having a rough time with getting enough clients.

The Navy has a bunch of airbases and forts that are no longer used, and they can be found throughout the American coast. One of the lesser-known landing fields once used by our armed forces is Old Pungo Naval Outer Landing Field. Old Pungo is unique when it comes to its history. It was an auxiliary Naval field during World War II.

Unlike every other landing field, this field had no predecessor. In other words, it wasn’t there before the war broke out. Before the need for the auxiliary base popped up, the area was nothing but farmland. After we won the war, Old Pungo was almost immediately decommissioned. Since then, the field was left alone with little to no action around it.

As of right now, there’s not much left of the naval field or anything around it. There’s just what appears to be an empty lot, really.

Related Questions

How are abandoned properties treated in Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach has an entire department dedicated to keeping areas safe for habitation. If a property is found to be abandoned in the city, the department will inspect the home. If it’s found to be unsafe for habitation, a placard is placed on the home warning others of entry. The homeowners are alerted.Should the building not get improved, people will be barred from entry and the owner will be fined.

Are there a lot of abandoned buildings in Virginia Beach?

Not really. Only a handful of buildings are abandoned in Virginia Beach. This is partly due to the fact that the area is undergoing a major investment and redevelopment effort, and partly due to the fact that people love this area. Virginia Beach is one of the most popular tourist areas in the country.There is one thing that you need to be aware of in this area. Many homes in Virginia Beach are strictly summer homes. This means that they may appear to be abandoned in the winter, even though they are technically inhabited. Due to this issue, you shouldn’t assume an empty home is abandoned.

How do I get rid of an abandoned car in Virginia?

If an abandoned car is on your property, you can go to DMVnow to find out who the lienholder is. Then, you can send a certified letter asking them to remove the car. If the car’s owner doesn’t respond or move, you can call the police to get the car removed. If you want to, you can also choose to have the car auctioned off, demolish the car, or potentially keep it for your own.Abandoned cars have around 14 days for a response, and 21 days of window time before you can auction it off.