Norwalk sits on Long Island Sound where the Norwalk River meets the harbor, and the water gives the city a maritime character that runs through its neighborhoods. The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk draws families to exhibits on the Sound and its wildlife, while South Norwalk, known as SoNo, keeps historic brick buildings, restaurants, and galleries along Washington Street. Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum preserves a grand Victorian era home, and the Norwalk Islands, including Sheffield Island with its lighthouse, lie just offshore.