The Virginia Beach Boardwalk

The Virginia Beach Boardwalk, 40 blocks long and 28 feet wide, hosts art shows and festivals each year and joggers and bicyclists each day.

It had a humble beginning, in 1888, as a wooden boardwalk laid down between 12th and 16th streets.

In 1907, a sizeable portion of the boardwalk was consumed by flames, which also destroyed the magnificent Princess Anne Hotel behind it. It took years for work to begin on a more durable promenade.

The initial phase of a new boardwalk, this time constructed of concrete, was completed in 1927. The next year, construction began on an expansion sought by beachfront property owners and other residents. The group formed the “Virginia Beach Walkway Corporation” and secured $250,000 in funding through bonds.

The grand opening was held on May 26, 1928, and the Oceanfront then had a boardwalk that was 20 feet wide and nearly 2 miles long. The boardwalk was damaged again during the 1962 Ash Wednesday storm.

In the 1990s, a steel seawall was installed under the walkway to prevent damage from future storms.

The boardwalk as it appeared in 1912- Click here for a larger version.

Photo credit - The Library of Virginia

The new Boardwalk on July 26, 1931. Click here for a larger version.

Photo credit - The Norfolk Public Library

The boardwalk on July 4, 1938. Click here for a larger version.

Virginian-Pilot file photo

Crowds on the boardwalk during the summer of 1981.  Click here for a larger version.

Virginian-Pilot file photo