Jamestown National Historic Site

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.

$10 - 7 Days
$40 - 12 Months (Annual Pass)

You can explore Jamestown in many ways. If you are the athletic type you can walk, run or bike the three/five mile loop drive of the island. For the nature watcher there several hundred species of birds to include Bald Eagle, of which we have three nesting pair on the island, mammals like raccoon, opossum, mink and red tail fox, and reptiles and amphibians such as turtles, lizards, snakes and frogs.

For the history buff we have the beginning of English colonial America at Jamestown. Because of it strategic location Jamestown was utilized during the American Revolutionary War, the battle of Green Spring took place only a short distance from Jamestown. During the American Civil War the confederates occupied Jamestown and fortified it with no less that five earthworks. After the confederates abandoned Jamestown Union forces took it over. So Jamestown has a military history spanning two-hundred years.

As a historical park our guided tours concentrate on America’s beginnings with this First Permanent English Colony at Jamestown. From these tours visitors can learn many little know facts about America’s beginnings; from times of starvation and cannibalism to times of industry and prosperity; from times of martial law and harsh punishments to times of representative government; and from times of a work force of indentured servants to the arrival of the first Africans and the road to slavery. These and many more things the visitor can experience.

For our younger visitors we have several special family oriented programs: the Junior Ranger Program and Pinch Pot.

Junior Ranger Program:

The Jamestown Junior Ranger program is designed for visitors between the ages of 6-12. To become a Junior Ranger of young visitors must complete several activities in the Junior Ranger booklet. The booklets are purchased from the gift shop for the 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 Jamestown. At the successful completion of the booklet each prospective Junior Ranger will be awarded a certificate and patch designating them a Junior Ranger of Jamestown.

Pinch Pot Program:

The Pinch Pot program is a hands-on 20 minute children's program that will introduce participants on 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.

Jamestown offers a varity of tours and programs for our visiting public. There are Park Ranger/Guide tours, Living History programs, and for those that like to explore on their own, Self-Guided tours. The Ranger led and Living History tours and programs do not take you over the entire site but make a couple of stops along the way to talk about the history of Jamestown and the trials and tribulations of the early settlers. Throughout most of the year there are volunteers on site to assist visitors with any burning questions.

Park Ranger/Guide Tours:
Scheduled throughout the year as staffing allows, these tours last about 30 to 45 minutes and cover about 200 to 400 yards of the historic site. Many of our Park Rangers and Guides have been providing these interpretive programs for many years and each gives a unique perspective on the history of Jamestown. Walk with one of our Rangers as you retrace the steps of Captain John Smith or Pocahontas.

Living History Tours:
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 Rachel Stanton, Joan Peirce, John Rolfe, or 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.