Norwegian Lady Statue, Virginia Beach, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Norwegian Lady Statue is a nine-foot bronze figure of a woman looking out to sea on the Virginia Beach boardwalk, near 25th Street. It is a memorial to the wreck of the Norwegian ship Dictator in 1891 and to the people who died in it. A twin stands in Moss, Norway, the ship's home port, which ties the two towns together.

The story behind it

On Good Friday, 27 March 1891, the Norwegian barque Dictator, out of Moss, was driven ashore by a storm off this stretch of coast. Rescuers worked from the beach in the gale, and guests from nearby hotels watched. Of the 17 people aboard, eight were saved. Among those lost were the captain's pregnant wife, Johanne Jørgensen, and their four-year-old son, Carl.

Days later the ship's wooden figurehead washed up on the sand. It was set up facing the ocean as a memorial, and it kept its watch for many years before storms damaged it and it was lost. In 1962 the Norwegian sculptor Ørnulf Bast cast two bronze copies, one for Virginia Beach and one for Moss. The plaque wishes all men of the sea a safe return home.

What to look for

• The figure itself stands facing the Atlantic, so stand beside her and look the way she looks to feel the point of the memorial.
• Her pose and clothing follow the style of a ship's figurehead, which is what the original was.
• The plaque at her base carries the wish for all seafarers to return home safely.
• The boardwalk setting is worth a moment: the memorial to a shipwreck sits among beach crowds, with the open water just beyond.

Tips for your visit

• It sits right on the boardwalk and is outdoors, so you can see it at any time without going inside anywhere. Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty.
• Early morning or late afternoon is calmer than midday in summer, and the light on the bronze is softer.
• Combine it with a longer stroll along the boardwalk and the streets behind it, since the area is easy to cover on foot.
• Bring a hat and water in warm months, as there is little shade along the front.

See it on a quest

The Ghost Hunt in Virginia Beach brings you to the statue on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. It suits a place with a story like this one. One ticket covers the whole group.

Families can try Kid Quest: Solve the case of the lost senses in Virginia Beach, a detective-style walk for younger players. You reach the statue as part of the route, hear about it in the app and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

If you like a mystery, Virginia Beach Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. also passes the statue. You walk there as one stop among several, learn about the place in the app and work out a puzzle as you stand in front of it. One ticket covers the whole group.