The Norfolk History Museum was opened in 2005 and forms part of the facilities of the Chrysler Museum of Art.The Museum is housed in the Willoughby-Baylor House which has been recently renovated and chronicles the history of Norfolk and Hampton Roads. The Chrysler Museum of Art was founded in 1939 as the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences, and was given a huge boost when Walter P. Chrysler, heir to the automobile company and a prolific collector donated his private collection.
The Norfolk History Museum had a variety of permanent exhibitions featuring Norfolk's naval and military heritage, its historic buildings, and its role as a major port. There are decorative arts collections featuring furniture and silver, and artifacts from the Chrysler Museum's permanent collections.
The House itself was built by Captain William Willoughby in the late 18th century. He was a descendant of Englishman Captain Thomas Willoughby I who was granted land on which the town of Norfolk was built. The property stayed in the Willoughby family until 1890 when it fell into decline after it was sold, and was threatened with demolition. It was bought by the Norfolk Historic Foundation in the mid 1960s and the property was renovated.
The gardens around Willoughby-Baylor house have been created to reflect a colonial garden and features period oyster-shell paving. Admission to the Museum is free and guided tours are available on the hour through the day. The Museum has an educational outreach program that covers Norfolk from the early settlers to the Civil War.
