Being a historical buff, thanks Dad, this is a MUST See!~ The employees take it to the next level…read moreof education, which can be seen throughout the location! This includes amazing, informative presentations and exhibits! ~ You can tell that the employee's love is what they do with speaking to them and watching them present to the public, the history. Don't miss this exceptional place during your visit to Jamestown, VA!!!![Especially around the Native American artifacts and presentation!!!]

I'm glad we decided to visit Historic Jamestowne because the NPS staff inspired my husband to…read morefinally get his veteran ID and claim his free America the Beautiful Lifetime Pass. Something a bit unusual here is that part of the site is managed by the National Park Service (Colonial National Historical Park) and part of it is managed by Preservation Virginia (Jamestown Rediscovery), a private non-profit. Everyone needs the NPS ticket (or NPS pass) and people can also add on the additional ticket to tour the Preservation Virginia space. You can buy them together or wait until you reach the PV entrance to decide. There are also Historic Triangle and other bundle tickets so that's worth looking into if everyone in the group is old enough to truly enjoy the historic sites (or young enough to just sleep through them). We were traveling with a 1.5 year old and it was very hot/humid when we were there so we decided to stick to the part fully covered by the America the Beautiful Pass. The little guy seems to like (or not mind?) the heat and humidity but it's hard to know when he'll get fussy or determined to explore/touch something he shouldn't so we currently try to stick to free and low cost places which we won't mind leaving suddenly. We enjoyed the indoor museum in the visitor center and the little guy loved the boardwalk outside. Once we reached the big monument he just wanted to walk circles around it so we eventually put him back in the stroller until it was time to hit the boardwalk again. The walk felt like a walk in the park so I think the visitor center museum was a great addition.

We visited Jamestown Settlement on Aug 14, 2025. It had free parking, which was a plus. From where…read morewe 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".

The Jamestown Settlement was very cool. For the price, I feel like you get a lot for your money. I…read morewould highly recommend just buying tickets on site. I purchased them online and they did not send any sort of confirmation, which made it frustrating when I arrived. The employees on site were all very nice, and it was cool to see them reenact historical living. This museum has a recreated village with people doing things like a muskets demonstration and being a blacksmith, they have a port with a few different ships you can get on and then a museum.

Smith's Fort is the site of Captain John Smith's proposed "New Fort" and is located directly across…read morethe James River from Jamestown on the banks of Gray's Creek. In 1609, Captain John Smith began construction of a fort site on the property. The fort was abandoned a few months later due to what would be known as the "Starving Time" in Jamestowne. The earthworks dug 411 years ago in 1609 can still be seen to this day. Captain John Smith built a fort on the south side of the James River as a retreat position should Jamestown be attacked by Virginia Indians or the Spanish. This dower tract of land between two streams was given to John Rolfe in 1614 by Powhatan upon Rolfe's marriage to Pocahontas. It is considered the first land actually given to America by the Indians. Rolfe is known to have cultivated the early tobacco crop on this property known as the Virginia Sweet. Between 1751 and 1765, a brick plantation house was built that still stands today, with much of its interior original pine woodwork still intact. The Manor House exemplifies the upper-middle-class lifestyle enjoyed by the Jacob Faulcon family in 18th-century Surry County. In 1886, the property, then called Gray's Creek Farm, was purchased by a collective group of African American families including Bolling Morris, John and Carter Hardy and Robertson Simmons. By the 1920s, Mr. Morris was the sole owner and he eventually sold it via an agent to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Smith's Fort was later acquired by Preservation Virginia in 1933 and has operated as a museum ever since. Located in the manor house is a print on paper from a steel engraving done by John C. McRae in 1855 entitled, "The Wedding of Pocahontas." It was modeled from an original oil painting by Henry Brueckner in the same year. It depicts the day in April 1614 when Pocahontas was wed to Englishman John Rolfe, an event that initiated 8 years of peace with the Algonquin Indians. The original painting resides in the Getty Museum. This is a Virginia treasure and recommend a visit.

Cynthia is a very knowledgeable guide. She knows the history of the area and the house. The period…read morefurniture is a wonderful touch on the house. The gift shop actually have black walnut items made from the a tree on the plantation.

Such a cool place. I mean, who's ever heard of a Sunken Garden before!? Great place to meet…read morefriends for a game of soccer or frisbee. My kids LOVED coming here on a visit so they could work their way into a game with students. It's also just beautiful, surrounded by boxwood and stately brick buildings.

At the heart of the College of William and Mary's old campus lies this gorgeous lawn. A remaining…read moreproject from the work relief programs from the Great Depression it lies several feet lower than the campus around it. Free for anyone to visit it is intended for students and community members to come and relax. It exists to beautify the campus and remind those who visit of the strength our country had coming out of the Great Depression, it serves both of these purposes well. Having visited earlier this week I could not imagine giving the Gardens any lower of a rating. It ties the campus together and is an integral part of the William and Mary that exists today.

The largest living museum in the world is Colonial Williamsburg. Original 18th century homes and…read morebuildings (and many reconstructed) line blocks and blocks. There are taverns, a blacksmith, the governor's mansion, and more. With the tours and performances, you can spend the entire day here. You do need a ticket to go inside most of the buildings with the exception of the Bray School and a few others. However, it is free to wander through!

Walking around we came across this & figured why not check it out…read more U can grab tickets through their official site which is easier for the tours inside the building. This was nice, Informative it was a decent way to spend some time learning & checking out the history of this place.

Debbie was a great tour guide and we got allll the chills on our tour! We learned a lot of history,…read moretoo.

I was a little disappointed with this tour. I was hoping to hear more actual ghost stories and…read morelocal legends, but there weren't as many cohesive stories as I expected. The guide also tended to ramble, and at times I had a hard time following how some of the stories connected or what the main point was. I know ghost tours can vary quite a bit, but after doing some research afterward, it seemed like there were other tours in the area that focused more on the stories and history, which probably would have been a better fit for what I was looking for.

I loved my stay in cabin for so much that I rebooked let much as soon as I got home! The cabin was…read morevery private, sits far away from the other cabins with a lovely farm view. The layout of the cabin was spacious and very comfortable! It was rather hot, so walking the dog at midday was out, so he was able to stay crated with no worries if barking and disturbing neighbors. I took a tour of the mansion, and the different farm exhibits as Chippokes is one of the longest continuously farmed locations in the country, dating back nearly to the Jamestown settlement, which is a ferry ride away! Check out the fossil beaches and the visitor center for James River views and the ability to cool off!

This is a beautiful State Park along the James River steeped in history. Be sure to read about it…read morebefore you go and then take advantage of exploring the parts of the park that peak your interest the most. About a decade ago, we stayed in one of the cabins with our children. They loved it as we explored some trails, the beach, the historic buildings, the farm and equipment and rode bikes. Now my husband and I return to use the hiking/walking trails. The trails give you a little bit of everything. You can be in the shade, the blazing sun, on the beach walking in the sand, beside a field of cows or soybeans, or meandering down a rural road. We recently did a 4 mile hike and packed a lunch to enjoy on the beach. My only issue is that some people who come with their dogs have them off leash. We bring our leashed dog and I don't care for other large dogs running up to us with their owners not having control. I highly recommend going and enjoying Chippokes!

Holden was the server for our group of 9. Each order was perfect. He was pleasant, made sure we…read morewere happy with our food. Courteous and helpful.

Great local winery with plenty of seating, wine to choose from, and friendly service! On a weekday,…read moreit is pretty quiet and on weekends it gets pretty busy. There is seating outdoors, and plenty of space! You'll likely be met at the door by a friendly greeter - Nancy is amazing and helpful! Hopefully this winery gets a full food menu back, it's the only reason I took off a star!