When the Virginia Company sailed from England to establish the first permanent English colony in the New World they were instructed by the Crown to settle Virginia and find a waterway to the Orient. Where the settlers landed on May 14, 1607 was eventually named Jamestown Virginia. This town, also called the Jamestown Settlement, situated on the banks of the James River, became a site of great historic importance to the history of the United States.
The Jamestown Settlement, jointly administered by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities and the National Park Service, maintains a mission to preserve and protect the original site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. Jamestown Settlement administrators and caretakers try to tell the stories of the three Colonial Jamestown cultures; European, North American and African, in order to better understand 17th century America and to promote the preservation of Jamestown history.
During your visit to Jamestown Virginia, you can take part in interactive exercises designed to give users an idea of how Jamestown archaeologists do their work, or you can visit the Teacher’s corner where you can obtain information on educational programs (entrance fee waiver for educational institutions). The park also offers lesson plans online to share the discoveries made by Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists with teachers and students. Colonial Jamestown also offers four living history tours daily, with costumed interpreters briefing visitors on Jamestown history, and explaining how Jamestown settlers lived their daily lives. If you’re an adult visiting Jamestown Virginia, the Jamestown Settlement park offers Adult Group Tours where the research database of the Jamestown Rediscovery archaeology project is the basis for the information presented on Jamestown settlers and the town in general. Groups must have a minimum of ten participants to reserve the Adult Group Tour program.
In 2007 Colonial Jamestown will launch a series of long-term improvement projects for the next century. The park will have new facilities, programs and interpretive experiences that combine recent archaeological discoveries with the continued scholarly research of the Jamestown Settlement. The park promises that new perspectives on Jamestown history will be revealed and shared.
To visit Colonial Jamestown and find out about Jamestown settlers and Jamestown history, simply take the Colonial Parkway from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor's Center to Colonial Jamestown (approximately 9 miles). You can also catch a shuttle from the Historic Triangle Shuttle Service company offering transportation to Jamestown, Yorktown and Colonial Williamsburg. Admission to Jamestown is only $8 and all youths under 16 are admitted free. Historic Jamestown is open daily every day of the year (except December 25 and January 1). The Entrance Station opens at 8:30 AM and closes at 4:30 PM. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Entrance Station remains open until 5:30 PM. Once admitted, visitors may remain at Historic Jamestown until dusk.
