Norwegian Lady Statues

The Norwegian Lady Statues consist of two identical bronze female figures standing about 9 feet tall, one on Virginia Beach Boardwalk and its twin in Moss, Norway. Each bears inscriptions describing a maritime disaster and facing in opposite directions across the Atlantic Ocean.

The statues commemorate the 1891 wreck of the Norwegian barque Dictator, a ship that sank off Virginia Beach's coast with significant loss of life. The disaster created a lasting bond between the two communities.

The statues mark a shared maritime sorrow between two communities on opposite shores, drawing visitors who reflect on the dangers sailors once faced. Both locations maintain the memory of those lost at sea through regular remembrance.

The Virginia Beach statue stands at 25th Street along the Boardwalk and is accessible year-round without any admission cost. The location is easy to reach and sits among shops and dining options.

What makes this memorial distinctive is that the two statues literally gaze at each other across thousands of kilometers of ocean, creating an emotional bridge between distant ports. This connection through art is unusual and speaks to the enduring human need to remember those at sea.