We visited Jamestown Settlement on Aug 14, 2025. It had free parking, which was a plus. From where we parked, we crossed the zebra crossing and walked through Quadricentennial Plaza to get to the museum. Erected in 2007 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the Quadricentennial Plaza's dual files of state flags was remarkable. When looking from the north side - facing the trio masts with the United States flag in the middle - the state flags were arranged in order of ratification starting from the right file with the flag of Delaware, moving state by state to the south side, then making a U-turn and continue on in the other file (with the flag of Michigan), and arriving back to the north side with the final state flag (Hawaii). A plague at the base of each mast briefly described the state's founding. A photo is included showing that of the Tar Heel state. Jamestown Settlement should not be confused with Historic Jamestowne (spelled with an extra "e"). The former is a museum located in Williamsburg while the latter is an archeological site located in Jamestown. When we arrived at Jamestown Settlement at 11:20am, the sky was cloudy; by 2:25pm, it was sunny and clear. The museum had a wide facade. When seen from an aerial view, it is shaped like an obtuse angle. Even through we went during the summer vacation, it wasn't crowded that day. If you're not interested in attending the museum, there plenty of benches to hang out by the lawn area. The first thing we did after purchasing the tickets was to watch a movie. We went to the rotunda (amazing ceiling view), and followed the directions to Gallery Theater where we saw "1607: A Nation Takes Root". This docudrama traces the founding of Jamestown from the point of view of the colonists, the Powhatans and the Africans, with the colonists being the main protagonists (no-brainer). If I had known that the film was already available on YouTube, I'd have skipped it altogether. After the film was over, we proceeded down Great Hall to the Galleries. There were three entrances to the Galleries. We took the first one cloest to the rotunda, called the "Before Jamestown" section. Before Jamestown, life was peaceful for the Africans and the Powhatans as shown by their life-sized dioramas. Then came the stars of the Galleries: British colonists. The layout and decor for their exhibits evoked a colonial marketplace. It included a partial model of a ship. The "1607" doorway to the right of "The Virginia Company of London" exhibit led to more exhibits. More Powhatans, including one devoted to Pocahontas. In addition, there were exhibits about women's contributions during the early years of Jamestown. "From Africa to Virginia" was a particularly interesting treat. In front of visitors were artifacts and written displays, behind them was a long, large screen showing clips of Africans' encounter with the colonists and the subsequent development of the slave trade. Next were additional colonist exhibits. They weren't as impressive as what came next: recreated homes from that time period (early to mid 1600s). Some of them were colonist dwellings and some slave dwellings. Hard to tell which was which as they all looked similar. At one of the homes, a video clip - played periodically on an exterior wall - showed a slave describing what life was like back then. He seemed happy, like Song of the South's Uncle Remus happy. Across from that home was a doorway leading to Great Hall. By the doorway were written displays encouraging visitors to "Turn Legacy Into Action". To the left of the doorway was an exit that led outside to the gazebo and an area called the Mall. The Mall had a walkway surrounding a larger lawn. At the end of the lawn towards the gazebo was the Commemoration Tower. Review continues in the attached image. More photos and videos can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@1Somber. Look for the playlist "2025-3: Jamestown Settlement Museum". read more

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We were in the area and loved exploring this settlement museum. The reenacters were very informative and friendly to everyone, answering questions and interacting with the guests. It's very easy to walk around the area, and it was a beautiful day to do so! read more

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The welcome center in museum is top in class and definitely by far the best of the three in the historical triangle. The museum does a wonderful job of taking you down the historical timeframe of the settlement, including historical individuals of significance. Additionally, it provides you with a great perspective of the native Indians and their presence in that part of Virginia. The actual itself is in great shape internally as well as externally. Historical actors provided great background and historical perspective of the settlement. read more

We visited during their Winter Lantern Festival and thought it was absolutely amazing. It took the wifey and I about 1 1/2 to see all the displays. They were so colorful and detailed. The only thing was I was surprised at was there weren't many signs that explained the displays. Now I could be wrong and maybe they were just displays but it seemed many had a specific meaning. Not sure. We also got to watch an acrobatic performance which was really cool. I understand there is a different show every hour or so. There was a large tent with items to purchase as well. So if you get the chance to see one of these displays either at Jamestown or as I understand at other locations around the nation - do it. Great family evening. read more

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We chose a great day to visit and explore the Jamestown Settlement since this weekend was the 'Military Through the Ages' event where there were so many men and women dressed to impress and provide accounts of the time period they were representing. In addition to learning more about the first ships to arrive in Virginia in the early 1600's, we spoke to several people who shared their passion for reenactments. The facility is very clean and the museum galleries and theater offer more than you can imagine! I really enjoyed the short videos at the different stations inside the galleries. I highly recommend a visit to this attraction for all ages! read more

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As history enthusiasts, my husband and I are always looking for ways to immerse ourselves in it. So, of course we had a very enjoyable visit to this museum. It is chalked full of information, replicas and even features some great outdoor living history exhibits. The indoor part of the museum has tons of educational exhibits and films. And then there's the interactive outdoor area featuring re-enactments, a fort, and people dressed in period clothing who are happy to answer questions. There are also replicas of ships from the 17th century -- some of which you can get on and explore! You can also walk through some of the buildings in the fort and watch demonstrations. There is a lot to do at this museum so you will need at least an entire day to properly explore it. read more

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I went to the lantern fest and it was amazing! There were so many lanterns and they even had an acrobat show! The prices were also reasonable! I definitely recommend ! read more

Jamestown Settlement - Museums Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Enjoyed our visit to the Jamestown Settlement. Stayed about 3 hours. Learned a lot about our Nation's history. Wish they offered senior discounts. read more

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The museum has improved greatly since 2017 the last time we visited. The displays look great the history is updated without bias. The actors through out the outside exhibits did a great job! Explain with live demonstrations. Like using a sharp rock cutting a real deer. Soilder shooting a musket rifle and pikemen exhibit shows visitors to train to be pikemen. Great improvements! read more

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Excellent educational center and historical treasure. I have reviewed this location before but want to focus now on the Lantern Festival. Beautiful multicultural experience featuring the Chinese lanterns. Interesting perspectives on eastern tradition and thought. Love it here! read more

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This was such an amazing experience. They put so much work in this museum, to show you how life was. There is an outdoor exhibit and a indoor exhibit. Me and hubby did the out door one first since it was around 1030am and the weather was Soo nice today for it. We stop by the ship, where you can actually get on and learn some history or take photos. The native part was one of my favorite of different huts to show how everyday life was for them. This was a hands on experience, where you can touch, smell and hear what it's like to be in that time. There is a gift shop also before leaving to grab some souvenirs, which of course I did. If your hungry, they do offer some food to enjoy, we decided to skip to try out a local BBQ joint afterwards. Now the inside exhibit has a lot of work and thought to it. This is hands down one of the best museum of History I've been too! Tickets was 20.00 per adult and such an joyful time and learning about Virginia! Highly recommend! read more

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Wasn't really sure about visiting as I never really was a big history buff but after we started walking around and looking at things and gaining knowledge it finally dawned on me tht this is pretty much where things got going. They have active digs going tht you can watch. Great information center. To stand where those first settlers stood made it sink in more. Should have paid more attn to history in high school. We spent several hours wandering around, taking pics and just enjoying things. Well worth the trip. read more

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First time here to this sight. I was amazed at the buildings, the living historians, the beautiful ships, the wealth of knowledge in this spot. Living history at its best, from working carpenters, musket demonstration, and much more. This is a place any history lover should come to. There is a fee to enter, they do offer military, veteran discounts, which is nice. read more

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I've been here several times but I never left a review! Very nice museum! We love history and museums and it's so nice to see how this is set up. The price is so reasonable that we frequently return. Seeing the ship and all that is set up outside is very nice! The gift shop also has really cool items inside and everything is a great price! My kids love it here. They also have a cafeteria/ food court. Very clean. The employees here are very nice and helpful. I love that you can get a ticket for the Jamestown settlement and the Yorktown museum! read more

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Staff is so knowledgeable and friendly. So much to learn and see here. Love being able to walk through the buildings and in the boats!

A day of great history! A must visit in Williamsburg. Understanding how our great country become. We enjoyed the gift shop as well, which we found cheaper and more variety than anywhere else. read more

Jamestown Settlement - Exhibit - Museums Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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This museum is absolutely incredible. The amount of effort & attention to detail they put into the exhibits is astounding & on par with museums like the Smithsonian. From the short films to the dioramas and the working sailing ships, everyone in our family was entertained & thoroughly impressed. Also, don't forget to see the new exhibit on the second floor about the Chinese porcelain that was discovered at Historic Jamestowne! We'll definitely be back one day! read more

Fantastic! It's a beautiful spot to visit. My friends and family have enjoyed the Jamestown Settlement. We've been here 3 times and it just never gets old. You will be walking. But, if walking is too much you can always stay inside and enjoy the museum, movies, eatery, and the gift store. The exterior has areas to explore. There is a village like setting, boats in the water and buildings to explore. If it's hot take That into consideration while visiting. This is definitely something to experience! read more

I enjoyed looking around here when we came to visit a friend. A good day to look around and enjoy the outdoors while learning with the kiddos. read more

Although we understand that this is not the true Jamestown, for us it was enjoyable and entertaining. Our group included myself, a senior citizen in need of a hip replacement, a teen, a 9-year-old, a nonverbal autistic boy, and 2 younger adults, so we chose this option. Currently, senior tickets are $18, adults are $20, and children are $10. We really enjoyed looking at the various exhibits. When I bought the tickets, the lady who rang me up realized that I had great difficulty walking even with my cane and gave me a complimentary scooter. Perhaps because the temperature was hovering around freezing, we didn't see many of the re-enactments mentioned. Everyone enjoyed going into the indoor displays (houses, etc.) and the outdoor ones, realistic or not. My understanding is that the "true" Jamestown site is now an archaeological dig, and perhaps we'd have enjoyed that as well, but there is always next time. We all feel it was worth the money and hope to visit again. read more

Jamestown Settlement is a living-history museum that opened in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1957. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the National Park Service. It should not be confused with the Jamestown National Historic Site. Located down the street from the museum, the latter is the location of the original 1607 James Fort (and the later town of Jamestown) and is currently an archaeological site. Jamestown Settlement was originally created as the 'Jamestown Festival Park' for the 350th anniversary celebration of the founding of Jamestown. The purpose of the museum is to show visitors what life was like in the real Jamestown during the 17th century. It features recreations of a Powhatan Indian village, a 1610 colonial fort, replicas of ships from the period, and costumed reenactors. My family and I visited Jamestown Settlement this past summer while we were on a road trip. My wife and I would have loved to have visited the Jamestown Historic Site but were worried that our two toddler sons wouldn't appreciate it at their current age. Jamestown Settlement seemed much more friendly and hands-on for young children. We enjoyed exploring all of the outdoor living-history attractions such as the ships and the fort. My older son was even able to try on a 17th century soldier's outfit. There were also quite a few reenactors walking around that provided demonstrations for visitors, including a musket demonstration. Afterwards we explored the air-conditioned indoor galleries which featured a lot of artifacts that were collected from the Historic Jamestown. We had a fun visit to Jamestown Settlement and hope to visit the Historic Jamestown when our boys are older and can appreciate the full experience. read more

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Interesting history of the Jamestown Settlement and local Native American tribes. Large indoor museum with many displays and educational information, which you can wonder around as you wish. They have short movie presentations in several locations. Parking is free. Behind the museum they have a recreation of the Jamestown settlers fort, three ships, and a Native American village. At all three sites are employees in period attire who provide information about the activities of the time and how the settlers and natives lived. They aren't "in character" of the settlers and natives, but some do perform activities of the time. Just as the inside portion, you can freely wonder around the sites as you wish. The Jamestown Settlement museum is a very interesting and informative activity, which should be given several hours, if not all day, to cover it all. They have a small snack cafe if you need a quick bite during your visit. read more

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Some friends of ours mentioned how much they enjoyed the Ruth E. Carter Afrofuturism in Costume Design exhibit taking place at the Jamestown Settlement near Williamsburg, Va. Carter, a two-time Oscar winner (first in her genre to earn this accolade), graduated from the nearby HBCU, Hampton University, where she majored in costume design. The actual Jamestown settlement displays a wealth of information about Carter's amazing costumes and will be available to view until Dec. 1, 2024. The settlement stores and showcases many exhibits and stories of the history of Virginia, going back to when the Europeans, Africans and Native Americans settled there. I originally came to see the original work of Ruth E. Carter and later found myself captivated by the history of Virginia and the Jamestown settlement. read more

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This was an awesome exhibit!!! I'm glad I was able to catch it before it left. I wish it was a permanent exhibit read more

Jamestown Settlement - Museums Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Jamestown is a must see if you're a History Junky. The museum does a great job laying out life in the 17th century (1600-1700). All and all it was a great experience. Ticket prices for my family of four (two adults, two kids (9 & 10) came to $54... I have to admit it was a bit of sticker shock for a museum, but you get more than your typical museum tour. We came on a Tuesday during spring break and there were many families and two schools (from what I could gather) visiting. Although crowded, we felt we could navigate and see everything without issue. There are four areas: Indoor Museum, English Village, the Port (three ships), and the Native Village. Each has a special way of explaining history. Indoor Museum: Artifacts, personal accounts/journals, and many timelines laid out to help you get a feel of what Jamestown was like ex: reactions to the new world, historical characters brought to life, countless exhibits, movies, etc. Its all done very well to catch the attention of both young and old. English Village: Very hands on. Try on armor, talk to (or enjoy demonstrations from) a Baker, Blacksmith, Military man, etc. Walk through the church and try sitting in a pew for longer than a minute, visit a house and see what they slept on; there are several other buildings with their own purpose to explore. Port: they have three replica ships in the port. On my visit, two of them could be boarded. Each ship had a staff member dressed as a Sailor from the period to explain living conditions, navigation, the purpose of each ship, and answer general questions about the ships. I always thought the first group of settlers just shot across the Atlantic, but it was at the "Port Area" where I learned about the stops they made before landing at Jamestown. Native Village: See how the Natives lived; their huts, tools, how they carved out canoes, traded furs, etc. There are also staff members dressed in period correct clothes to answer all your questions and demonstrate life in the Village. We spent three hours here and we could had spent another hour or two if we didn't have additional plans in the afternoon. There is a cafeteria (we did not eat here). There was also an ice cream vendor between the English village and port. Bathrooms were well-placed and water fountains were also around. When you're walking and standing for hours, you'll enjoy the benches and logs they have placed around. Overall best Museum we visited in VA. read more

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I went here as a chaperone. Historical places are always a great way to "experience" history instead of just learning about it through texts. I've been to George Washington's Mount Vernon many times and have participated in their tours/programs too. I came here thinking the experience would be similar. When you first arrive, it did appear there was ample parking spaces for buses and cars. We came on a Thursday in late March. Our tour guides were very helpful and friendly. The directions were clear from the start and it was smart that they knew a bathroom break should be taken first before the tour. I'd suggest that for anybody coming so you're not searching for one in the middle of your exploring. As anyone could expect, some tour guides are better than others and some have more experience. My tour felt a little rushed and it was hard for the kids to hear information when my guide kept speaking from the front. I did ask her to make an adjustment when she spoke so the back half could hear her but the advice was only taken a couple of times. The amount of exploring you can do is much smaller than Mount Vernon and isn't uphill and downhill either. I was disappointed on how small the area was. The allotted areas where the "colonists" are working or showcasing their skills is always interesting to interact with. Luckily, we had extra time after our tour to see many of the ones that were skipped during the guided part. The workers seemed to be knowledgeable of their craft which makes the experience better for anyone that has questions. There is a repeated demo of a musket discharging which is really loud! That's just a heads up for anyone that is sensitive to loud noises. The demo is further back near the palisades. One of my favorite parts was boarding a ship. There are normally 3 but one was being repaired when I was there. You do have to have a separate ticket to be able to board them. It definitely added to the experience. The workers on the ship were great at answering questions and our tour guide was good at giving information before, during, and after boarding one of them. The problem continued with who was actually able to hear the information though. There's a bathroom and vending machine near there in case you're in need of a break. At the front there's a museum, gift shop, bathroom, and a food court. The food court has some decent food but it naturally has overpriced items. There are some good choice items in the gift store. Overall, I was happy with the combination of everything even though there could be improvements on how the tour guides do their speeches with one long line. After all, they are why we paid extra. read more

The exhibits and recreations are immersive and educational. Great for families and history enthusiasts! read more

Jamestown Settlement - Museums Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Jamestown Settlement is for visitors of all ages. Everyone loves the Native American village, the fort, and the ships that they can board. For those interested in a deeper look into the early Jamestown experience, the visitor center offers a movie and top-notch museum exhibits. This living museum also attracts international visitors who are interested in American history. During your visit, the cafe serves up warm and cold food, including traditional favorites like peanut soup. Jamestown Settlement is open year-round. If you live in within certain zip codes in the Williamsburg area, you can enter for free. read more

Since this was our first visit, we didn't know what to expect. There were no maps and the person who sold us our tickets didn't give us any direction. It would have been smart to start the indoor stuff first because it took you through a large period of time and was done very well. There were lots of good exhibits. We instead started outside and went to the living village where nothing was labeled. We saw the musket demonstration that was good. We went on to see the 3 ships. Only one was open and the 3rd ship.was off at Mystic Seaport getting rebuilt..kind of a disappointing trip. read more

Jamestown Settlement - This was the photo going into the outdoor exhibit - Museums Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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This is a terrific indoor outdoor museum, as you walked down to the river where there are two boats like the settlers came here on, you can actually walk on the boat learn about them where are people dressed in the time period that you could ask questions to and occasionally they would just talk and give information about the boat you were on. You could walk in where the sleeping quarters were for some of the sailors where the captain of the boat stayed you could see where all the good where stored in the bottom of the boat. The museum inside is outstanding the small movies throughout are some of the best ever. Some of them are interactive the seat move and shake there is smoke when the guns are fired. The artifacts are amazing another must see and experience museum. read more

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I can't say enough bad things about our experience at Jamestown. Our family of 3 littles was so excited when we woke up in Feb to 65 degree temperatures. It started raining on our way to the site but stopped before we even got out of the car at 10 am. When we walked in they informed us that they had temporarily closed outdoors and should be reopening soon. We have young kids so an inside museum is not ideal especially one like this that has NO kid area and is not designed for kids. We made it thru the whole thing in about 30 minutes and waited by a door while the staff seemed annoyed my our presence and told us the outside was closed because a tree was down. We went and bought the kids outfits to amuse them and snacks. At this point it was now 12 o'clock and we had been there for 2 hours without any rain but beautiful weather. The kids started getting antsy so we let them go outside with their new toys to plays next to the building. 12:30 we decided we were just going to try and walk up ourselves. You can't see any of the historical site or water without going thru the building. A lady came screaming at us that the outdoor was closed for the rest of the day due to bad weather. We pointed out that it wasn't even raining and hadn't been for 2 hours and we had been there for hours waiting for this. They said but they had a tree down from this morning. I said we can happily walk around a tree. They told us they would not be opening they close at 3 anyway (mind you it's 12:30). They would not give us a refund. Wasted a whole day of our vacation and the only warm day. Absolutely ridiculous. Considering that we walked around Williamsburg in the freezing cold and rain all day the day before Jamestown should be ashamed. Picture to show a cloudy but beautiful day in February. read more

Jamestown Settlement - Museums Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

My wife and I spent the afternoon here. I wished we had more time since we had to rush through the museum because it was closing. I recommend to buy the combination pass to save money. Part 2 is the American Revolution museum at Yorktown which we will visit later this week. We started our visit with a movie that is shown every 30 minutes. It was very informative about the Powhatan Indian tribe and the history of the Jamestown settlement. Do this first! We then went to the outdoor exhibits. Our journey started with the Paspahegh Town. It depicted the Powhatan way of life in a re-creation based on a nearby archeological site once inhabited by the Paspahegh Indians, the Powhatan tribal group closest to Jamestown. We then boarded two of the three replica ships that sailed to Virginia in 1607 to establish America's first permanent English colony. The third was closed. It was nice having actors on-board who could answer your questions. One actor was sewing a sail. Amazing to see the home of 45 people for several months while crossing the Atlantic. I couldn't imagine doing that. The next stop was the James Fort replica. Very interesting to see a replica church, blacksmith shop, and several living quarters. There were actors throughout the fort. They had great knowledge on the history. Finally we headed back for lunch in the cafe; see my other review and a trip through the museum Exhibits. I wish we had more time. I didn't know that Pocahontas was captured and married John Rolmes and not John Smith. There also was a short movie on Bacon's rebellion. So much history here! Enjoy. Note the real Jamestown site is a few miles away. read more

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I love history and this is a great place to learn it. Aside from the hordes of kids on spring break trips, this was great. Inside is a great museum and learning experience. Lots of touch screens and no shying away from the rough truths of our history. The movie is a must see. Outside is living history in the reconstructed fort and native village. Lots of interpreters who answered all the crazy kid questions. Then the ships are there to go on and boy those things are small. Beautiful views of the James River. The cafe inside is EXCELLENT. Do not sleep on those biscuits. Also the gift shop is great. If you are doing the historic triangle make sure you do your research on ticket packages. It's not cheap. read more

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Great place to learn history. Good for a walk with the family and friends and good photo opportunities read more

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Great museum. Friendly staff. Educational videos. The ships were awesome! Glad we made it to this museum! On December 6, 1606, the journey to Virginia began on three ships: the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. In 1607, 104 English men and boys arrived in North America to start a settlement. They picked Jamestown, Virginia, named after their King, James I. The settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America. 1. The Virginia Company funded the colonizing expedition. The company's investors expected to recoup their funds from discovery of gold and silver and/or a river route to the Pacific Ocean, which they could use to establish trade with Asia. 2. Captain John Smith arrived in Virginia as a prisoner. Expedition leader Christopher Newport had accused Smith of mutiny on the four-month journey across the Atlantic and held him below deck for the remainder of the trip. 3. Life in Jamestown was precarious. They drank contaminated water, contracted diseases like the "bloody flux" (dysentery) and possibly plague; their fort burned down, and they suffered a unusually cold winter with little shelter. By January 1608, just 38 of the original 104 colonists were still alive. 4. Jamestown's first colonists resorted to cannibalism to survive. The brutal winter of 1609-1610 became known as "the starving time." 5. John Rolfe smuggled in seeds for Virginia's first cash crop--tobacco. 6. Virginia's House of Burgesses was the American colonies' first democratically elected legislative body. 7. Women went to Jamestown as "tobacco brides." To boost their numbers, the Virginia Company placed an ad in London seeking "young and uncorrupt" women to marry Jamestown's well-off colonists. The women were promised their choice of husbands and free passage to the colony; the husbands agreed to reimburse the company's expenses with up to 150 pounds of tobacco. read more

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Historic Jamestowne is the actual site of Jamestown and this (Jamestown Settlement) is a recreation, but both are really cool and worth visiting. There is plenty of parking, and there are basically 4 parts 1) indoor exhibit 2) Pohowtan Village 3) ships 4) fort. Currently, the interactive parts of the indoor exhibit are not available, but it is a VERY thorough exhibit about the history of the Native Americans and English and life at Jamestown. Lots of information to read and things to look at. Although it's the first thing you will encounter, you may consider saving it until after the heat of the day and doing the outdoor stuff and come back in to cool off. Also, there's a great intro film about Jamestown so make sure to catch that (like every half hour). Outside, first is the village with recreation tents and a few employees doing demos (cooking, sewing, making bows) and are there to answer questions about their crafts and life at the time. Next is the ships. When I was there, only one ship was available to board.The ship is smaller than I imagined, but it was cool to board and ask questions about the voyage. In the fort, there was a surgeon, blacksmith, and a couple of cooks. You can look inside the church, sleeping areas, public area, and governor's area. Outside, there was a musket shooting demonstration. Overall there were probably 10-12 experts in all parts of the outdoors to answer questions about their domain, their craft, and life in general in the 17th century. These people knew there stuff, and there was enough variety to spend a lot of time in one area or breeze through another and still get a lot of out it. I went to this place after the historic site since I thought the recreation would feel cheesy, but it was actually a great way to learn and have fun (while social distancing and wearing masks indoors). A great place for families as well. read more

Jamestown Settlement - Part of indoor museum had presentation with smoke for ambiance - Museums Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

BUYER BEWARE..... This review is not on the landscape of Jamestown, but it is on the Park employees that work at the visitor center. We were so excited to be there and went right into buy tickets for Jamestown. We were told that if we bought "the pass" that we could use that at all Jamestown sites which are Jamestown settlement, Jamestown Rediscovery and New Town. We were even given blue stickers that said Jamestown and were told that that sticker would get us in all of the venues. When we left the New Town section to go to the Jamestown settlement, we get in and find out our pass doesn't work for that venue and we would have to pay again to go in. And the lady there said she didn't have any idea why Tamara or Michele would tell us that the pass was good for all venues. We were so excited to explore Jamestown and this really put a damper on our day. Everything was explained so poorly and every time we turned around, they just wanted more money. Just beware. read more

This was a fun museum to tour. Lots outdoors and indoors. Plenty of parking. It wasn't crowded on a Wednesday. The history of Jamestown is fascinating. There's an Indian village and Jamestown village along with three ships to tour on the water. The inside galleries had very interesting displays. read more

Beautiful setting and the staff were very kind and helpful! The staff who were in character, particularly the man who was baking bread and such over the fire, was so passionate about explaining history and the way of life for the settlers. The ships were fun to explore as well, albeit overrun with students/ field trips, which is to be expected I suppose especially during the school year. We thankfully had perfect weather but it definitely is somewhere you'd want to visit on a day that has a cool morning to off-set the upcoming summer heat during the day, as a good amount of the settlement is of course outside. The indoor section was nice too, just a lot of reading (also to be expected in a museum!) I don't know if I particularly feel the urge to return, but it was a good educational experience. read more

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So there are some trails you can follow by foot or car, but the vast majority is through a guided tour which is 90 minutes and about $18 per person or a combo ticket which adds entry to the yorktown museum for $26 a person. We weren't expecting it to be quite so much per person as there were very limited times of guided tours and it was the only way to actually see the settlement! We were sort of expecting there to be some sort of real artifacts or something during the guided tour, but everything was re creation. They did a good job of making everything realistic and they had it sectioned off well, but knowing that it was all fake was a little bit of a bummer. The musket demo was really cool and I think depending on the tour guides it might be better or worse. They did let us take pictures but after touring any buildings or section they immediately moved on and closed doors behind so no one could linger behind, I do understand why but it did make it challenging to get good pictures of everything. Overall it was a fun experience and I would reccomend friends that have an extra day and cash to check it out, but we definitely preferred Colonial Williamsburg! If you do check our the Jamestown Settlement, be sure to check our the Glasshouse after, it did not disappoint!!! You get to see super up close how they make glass products and they have things to buy in great price ranges! read more

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