Navy SEAL Monument (The Naked Warrior)
Navy SEAL Monument (The Naked Warrior) is a attraction in Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, best for military families, history buffs, a Boardwalk stop at the north end.
Dedicated July 20, 2017, this Boardwalk monument at 38th Street filled a real gap: Virginia Beach — where the earliest Navy SEAL predecessors first came together in 1942, before the famous wartime training at Fort Pierce began — had remained the only major SEAL heritage site with no public marker for the general public. Its centerpiece, 'The Naked Warrior,' is a life-size bronze of a WWII Underwater Demolition Team swimmer atop a beach obstacle, ringed by black granite walls carrying roughly 100 photographs spanning the full history of SEALs and their forerunners, gold-engraved honors for Medal of Honor recipients and the fallen, and a 'Living Beach' built from sand gathered at more than 80 historically significant sites. A time capsule embedded in the monument stays sealed until 2067. Free and open to the public year-round at the north end of the Boardwalk.
Amenities
- Bronze 'Naked Warrior' statue
- Black granite history walls (~100 photographs)
- Living Beach sand memorial
- Sealed time capsule (opens 2067)
Know Before You Go
- Best for: military families, history buffs, a Boardwalk stop at the north end
- Parking: Oceanfront municipal parking nearby; no dedicated lot.
- Accessibility: Open, paved Boardwalk-level public monument.
- Dogs: allowed — Leashed dogs are permitted on the Boardwalk 6am-7pm; summer beach restrictions apply on the sand.
- Location: Virginia Beach Boardwalk at 38th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-11.
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While You're in the Area
17th Street Surf Shop
Virginia Beach's original surf shop since 1970 — a Pacific Avenue retail store plus Seth Broudy School of Surf camp sessions from 1 to 4 days.
Abbey Road Pub & Restaurant
Beatles-themed pub a block off the beach at 22nd Street — 42 taps, live music, a dog-friendly patio, and a Monday military discount.
- Dog Friendly
- Live Music
- Outdoor Seating
- Military Discount
Adventure Parasail & Rudee Inlet Jet Ski
Virginia Beach's original watersports operator since 1985 — parasailing, jet ski and kayak/SUP rentals, and banana boat rides at Rudee Inlet.
Afishinado Fishing Charters
Capt. Kevin Perry's 31-foot Ocean Master out of Inlet Station Marina — inshore speckled trout and cobia trips, offshore game-fish runs, and seasonal dolphin/whale watching.
Angie's Guest Cottage Bed & BreakfastHidden Gem
An early-1900s former Coast Guard surfmen's boarding house two blocks from the Boardwalk, run under the same family lore that gave it its name.
AquaMan Sportfishing Charters
Two-boat Rudee Inlet charter operation — The Flat Line and The Game On — running inshore, nearshore, and offshore deep-sea trips around the clock.
Upcoming Events Nearby
Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend
September 25, 2026 – September 27, 2026 · annual
Virginia Beach's signature festival closes out September with its 52nd Boardwalk Weekend, spreading across the Oceanfront between 1st and 35th Streets. The headline draw is Neptune's International Sandsculpting Championship — 22 large-scale works by sculptors from around the world — alongside an art and craft show with more than 200 artisans, twenty-plus musical acts across festival stages, the Grand Parade, Neptune's 8K, and a surfing competition at the jetty. Most of it is free to attend, and it reliably fills the resort area for one last big weekend of the season.
Virginia MOCA Boardwalk Art Show
October 9, 2026 – October 11, 2026 · annual
One of the longest-running outdoor art shows on the East Coast marks its 70th year along the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. Produced by the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, the juried show brings artists from across the country to sell painting, sculpture, photography, glass, and fine craft directly to visitors with the Atlantic as the backdrop. Hours run 10am–6pm Friday, 10am–5pm Saturday, and 10am–4pm Sunday, and October's thinner crowds make it an easy, walkable browse.
Wicked 10K Weekend
October 30, 2026 – October 31, 2026 · annual
Coastal Virginia's largest Halloween race weekend starts at the Convention Center on 19th Street and finishes on the Boardwalk near 20th, with runners in costume covering the flat, fast oceanfront course for the 10K, a Wicked 5K, or the shorter Monster Mile. A costume contest and a post-race beach party with food and drink follow the finish line. Presented by Sentara and run by J&A Racing — the same organizer behind the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend — it's the Halloween counterpart to that spring race on the same stretch of Boardwalk.