It began on the swampy marshes of Jamestown in 1607. It ended on the battle scarred landscape of Yorktown in 1781. It was one hundred and seventy-four years of hope, frustration, adventure, discovery, growth, and development that saw a lonely settlement of 104 men and boys grow into a nation of 13 colonies of 3 million people, of many races and many beliefs. Jamestown and Yorktown mark the beginning and end of English Colonial America.
The Basics
Hours:
The Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center and the Yorktown Visitor Center are open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. All park grounds close at sunset. The park is closed on December 25 and January 1.
Phone:
757-898-3400
Directions
Colonial National Historical Park is located near Interstate 64 (I-64).
For Jamestown From Interstate 64 take exit 242A (Route 199 west). At the second stop light, S. Henry, turn right. Make another immediate right (50 feet). This will bring you to the Colonial Parkway. Turn right onto the parkway and follow it to its end.
For Yorktown from Interstate 64 east take exit 242B (Route 199 east) and follow the signs to the Colonial Parkway. Follow the parkway to its end.
From Interstate 64 west Take exit 250B (Route 105 east/Fort Eustis Boulevard). Follow Fort Eustis Boulevard until you come to Route 17/George Washington Memorial Highway and turn left (North) onto Route 17. Follow the signs to the Yorktown Battlefield.
Climate
Tidewater Virginia generally has a warm climate. Average winter daytime temperatures peak at 10° C (50° F) with night time lows of 3° C (25-20° F). Chilling winds coming off the rivers can produce wind chill temperatures much lower. Summer temperatures range from daytime highs of 30° C (85-90° F) down to 20° C (60° F) at night. Area is generally humid, especially during the summer months. Layered clothing is recommended in early spring, late fall and winter. Good walking shoes for year round comfort. Insect repellent recommended in spring and summer for mayflies, mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks. For a three to five day forecast go to more information.
Things To Do
Colonial National Historical Park is a multifaceted park providing something for everyone. For the nature lovers we have bird watching with over 200 various species. Wild life abounds with deer, raccoon, opossum, Red Tail Fox, Mink, Bald Eagle, Wild Turkey and many others. During the spring the fields are a rainbow of colors with wild flowers blossoming everywhere. In the fall the forest and tree lined parkway become a kaleidoscope of reds, orange, and browns.
For the health conscious you can walk, run or bike our Battlefield Tour roads, the Jamestown 3-5 mile loop drive or the Colonial Parkway. Or, if you prefer, you can drive these roads in the air-conditioned comfort of your automobile.
For the history minded our park spans the timelines from pre-colonization, through Colonial Virginia; from the end of English Colonial America through the American Revolutionary War; from America’s Independence to the Civil War.
For Kids
For our younger visitors we have several special family oriented programs. These include Junior Ranger, Young Soldier and Pinch Pot. The Young Soldier and Pinch Pot programs are specific to Yorktown and Jamestown respectively.
Junior Ranger Program:
Both Jamestown and Yorktown have a Junior Ranger program. The program is designed for visitors between the ages of 6-12. The booklets for this program can be purchased from the gift shops at each site for a nominal fee of $1.75. It generally takes about two hours or more to complete the program and gives our young visitors, and their parents, a good background into the history of each site. At the successful completion of the booklets each prospective Junior Ranger will be awarded a certificate and patch designating them a Junior Ranger of Jamestown or Yorktown.
Young Soldiers Program:
Join a costumed Interpreter at Yorktown to learn about life as a soldier during the American Revolution. Program includes a hands on activity. This program is conducted from mid-June to mid-August. Program times are staff dependent. Please review the Yorktown web site for additional information about this program.
PINCH POT PROGRAM:
This Jamestown hands-on 20 minute children's program will introduce participants to how the American Indians and English settlers made and used pottery. Each child receives a small ball of clay to make a souvenir pot using the pinch method employed by American Indians. All families with children are encouraged to attend. The program is conducted next to the Glasshouse Ruins at Glasshouse Point. Program times are 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily June 17, 2006 through August 20, 2006. This program is staff and weather dependent. This program will be canceled during inclement weather. Please visit our Jamestown web site for additional information and times for this program.
Guided Tours
Colonial National Historical Park has several types of guided tours and programs. There are self-guided tours, ranger and park guide tours, living history tours, glass-blowing demonstrations, and for our younger visitors hands-on programs like our pinch pot, non-firing artillery demonstrations, Young Soldiers program and the Junior Ranger Program.
Visitors are always welcome to roam our historic sites at their own leisure. Take your time and see what you want to see. For your convenience maps are available at the visitor centers.
For those who like some kind of structured program Ranger and Park Guide Tours are available at both Jamestown and Yorktown. These tours will take you around to several stops on the historic Jamestown, through the town of York, and around the Yorktown Battlefield providing an in-depth history of what happened. Each Ranger and Park Guide tour will provide insight and some unique points of history that one normally does not get from the history books. Tour times are dependent on staffing. Tours generally last between 30 and 45 minutes.
Join a costumed interpreter portraying one of Jamestown's 17th century residents and hear of the trials, tribulations, successes and failures during Jamestown's 92 years as the social and political center of Virginia. Join such personalities as John Rolfe, Rachel Stanton, Joan Peirce, Captain Samuel Argall, and Lady Yeardley to travel back in time to when the foundations of who and what we are as a people and a nation were laid. Program times are generally 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
