"They think of Fort Monroe as beautiful, as beaches, as festivals and events, as historic resources that are amazing," Mary Margaret Jones told the Fort Monroe Authority's Board of Trustees in September. Jones is president of Hargreaves Jones, the firm redesigning the fort. Her next sentence was the reason the redesign exists: "Unfortunately, this is also Fort Monroe today. In fact, a lot of Fort Monroe is this today, leftover paving from the Army, leftover, just underutilized but mown landscape spaces."
That gap shows up on a fall weekend at the east end of Hampton. The fort has the ramparts, the beaches and the events. The restaurants are mostly in Historic Downtown Phoebus, along Mellen and Mallory streets. Fort Monroe's new master plan tries to move part of that dining inside the fort. Until it does, an October Saturday or Sunday out here is a fort event followed by a meal in Phoebus.
What Nearly 1,000 Survey Responses Asked For
Hargreaves Jones was selected as lead designer in January, showed its first concepts in April, and presented a refined plan at the board meeting on September 17, 2026, according to the Daily Press report on the meeting. The firm held seven public engagement sessions and got nearly 1,000 online survey responses. People said they value the fort's cultural history and natural resources. They also asked for basic amenities: bathrooms, dining, green space and exhibits.
Jones said about 20% of the 565-acre site is paved over for roads, sidewalks and parking. The proposals presented in September include:
- Planting roughly 1,000 trees and removing pavement and unused buildings that have no historic purpose
- Moving Stilwell Drive away from the shoreline to create a Mill Creek Waterfront Park with more beach access, entertainment space and a new pier
- Turning Gulick Drive, which runs along the water, into a large beach and promenade area
- Adding public bathrooms around the fort
- Creating a hospitality district with entertainment near The Chamberlin
- Closing more of the inner fort to cars and adding dining options there
These are all still proposals. The authority is running an economic analysis and wants to adopt a final draft of the new master plan before the end of the year, CEO Scott Martin said. The authority's Fort Monroe Forward page says the plan will guide the site for the next 25 to 50 years.
So the dining that the survey asked for doesn't exist inside the fort yet. On this month's weekends, Phoebus supplies it.
Saturday Starts on E. Mellen Street
The Phoebus Partnership's Phoebus Fall Festival runs Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on E. Mellen Street. Admission is free. The festival has more than 50 craft vendors, food trucks, live music all day, a beer and cider garden, kids' games, circus entertainers and costume contests for all ages.
The festival sits on the same blocks as the restaurants. The Downtown Hampton-Phoebus-Fort Monroe restaurant guide, printed July 10, 2026, lists these Phoebus addresses on or near the festival street:
| Spot | Address | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Baker's Wife Bistro & Bar | 1 E. Mellen St. | Listed in the July 2026 guide |
| Native Soul Bar | 9 E. Mellen St. | Listed in the July 2026 guide |
| Hilton Creamery and Scratch Bakery | 36 E. Mellen St. | Listed in the July 2026 guide |
| Fuller's Raw Bar & Brewery | 38 E. Mellen St. | Open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., per its own site |
| Culaccino Italian Restaurant | 9 S. Mallory St. | Opened in August 2025 |
| Grey Goose Restaurant & Bakery | 10 S. Mallory St. | Moved to Phoebus after 43 years downtown |
| STUFT Restaurant | 24 N. Mallory St. | Advertising October events on its site |
Two of those businesses are recent arrivals. The Daily Press reported in May 2025 that Grey Goose had moved to Phoebus after 43 years in downtown Hampton. A Daily Press review last November said Culaccino opened on S. Mallory Street in August 2025. Both are now on the same short stretch that the Phoebus Partnership named as a focus. More on that below.
The guide notes that its list was accurate when printed and may change. One more change since then: Mango Mangeaux announced it would close on January 1, 2026, and it does not appear in the July guide.
Sunday Is Next Door to Oozlefinch
Fort Monroe's Harvest Market runs Sundays from noon to 3 p.m., next to Oozlefinch Beers & Blending at 81 Patch Rd. The fort's calendar lists it on October 11 and October 18.
The vendor list is mostly regional food. You'll find Tidewater Mushroom Co., Riffle Farms Bison, L's Sourdough, Norma's Produce & Eggs at Penn Farm, Everling Coastal Farm, Liliana's Produce, Papa's Pasta Sauce and Up In Smoke Cheese. Pinup Coffee Co. and OverAchieving Tea handle drinks. Sweet Peaz Vegan Bake-House, Holy Cannoli, Stuck Sweets Macarons and The Creamery Gelato & Sorbet cover dessert. Salsa Libre Food Truck sells lunch, and Canine Barkery has treats for dogs.
A farmers market and a brewery are what a fall Sunday at the fort has for food right now. Inside the fort, the July guide lists Firehouse Coffee Shop & Café at 1 Ruckman Rd., The Deadrise at 100 McNair Dr., Oozlefinch, Paradise Ocean Club at 490 Fenwick Rd., and Sunday brunch at The Historic Chamberlin, 2 Fenwick Rd. The Chamberlin takes brunch reservations by phone. The fort's dining page says The Deadrise's hours depend on the season. Paradise Ocean Club says it's closed until the 2027 season, though it books private events year-round.
The fort's short list compared with Phoebus's longer one is the dining gap that the September proposals for the inner fort and the area near The Chamberlin try to close.
Three Evenings Starting at 30 Ingalls Road
The Fort Monroe Ghost Walk runs October 16 through 18. Tours start at the Fort Monroe Visitor Center, 30 Ingalls Road. The walk is outdoors, rain or shine. It covers just over half a mile and takes about an hour. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite and can't be refunded. The fort's calendar shows a 6 p.m. listing on Friday and Saturday. The Sunday detail page lists 6:15 to 7:30 p.m.
The walk ends right around dinnertime. With The Deadrise on seasonal hours and Paradise Ocean Club closed, the nearest dinner options are back on Mellen and Mallory streets.
Downtown Hampton has its own October walk. Visit Hampton lists Hampton Horror Tours on October 24 and October 29 through 31. They leave from the Hampton History Museum and pass through downtown and Queen Street.
Phoebus Is Writing Its Own Plan
The fort isn't the only part of the east end with a plan in progress. In January 2025, WHRO reported that Phoebus had earned Virginia's top-tier Advancing Main Street designation. The Phoebus Partnership also received a $60,000 grant for an updated small-area plan covering redevelopment and infrastructure. That same month, WTKR reported that the partnership's 2025 priorities included concentrating activity on Mallory Street, preserving historic buildings and improving connections across the district.
Culaccino at 9 S. Mallory and Grey Goose at 10 S. Mallory both arrived after those priorities were set. So right now there are two plans on the east end. Phoebus is building up the restaurant streets that serve the fort's visitors. The fort is proposing to add dining of its own.
Fort Monroe has made big promises before. The Daily Press noted that the site has more than a decade of renderings showing major improvements, and that years of expensive maintenance problems left over from a century of military use derailed many earlier plans. This time the authority hopes that restoring some of the land, instead of digging further into the underground utilities, will keep costs down and speed things up. "You will begin seeing that immediately with smaller pilot projects and demonstration projects," Martin said.
Between Now and the Plan Vote
Here are the east-end dates through early November, in order:
- Saturday, October 10. Phoebus Fall Festival on E. Mellen Street, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.
- Sunday, October 11. Harvest Market next to Oozlefinch, noon to 3 p.m.
- Friday through Sunday, October 16 to 18. Fort Monroe Ghost Walk from the Visitor Center at 30 Ingalls Road.
- Sunday, October 18. Harvest Market, noon to 3 p.m.
- October 24 and October 29 to 31. Hampton Horror Tours from the Hampton History Museum.
- Saturday, November 7. Fort Monroe's Veterans Day Celebration at Continental Park, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with exhibits, food trucks, living-history interpreters and a recognition ceremony.
- November, date to be announced. Harrison Phoebus Day in Historic Downtown Phoebus.
Food trucks are on the Veterans Day lineup at Continental Park, and dining is one of the amenities the fort's survey respondents asked for. The authority aims to adopt a final draft of the new master plan before the end of the year.
Whether you live in Phoebus, at the fort or a few streets over, a plan for 565 acres next door is worth following. At ELG Consulting Group, we track what's changing on Hampton's east end, from new restaurants on Mallory Street to the Fort Monroe board's decisions. If you'd like to know where your home stands while those plans take shape, Get Your Free Home Valuation and we'll go through it with you.
