This place is pretty amazing even if you're not a history buff. Kids enjoyed the place. There's…read moreunmark parking available. Picnic tables available for a luncheon. They have a visitor center for all your questions. They offer ghost tours as well! If you're in the area definitely stop by and check it out!

Built in the 1600's. At one time the largest private dwelling in colonial America. One of 3 large…read moreplantations. 17 fireplaces, 33 bedrooms! Burned down in 1916. This house has been through a lot over the past centuries. A nice stop to see an interesting architectural feat. Stop by the visitor's center for admission and information about this mansions previous grandeur and storied history.

Just a load of, well, nonsense? According to the men who built it back in the 1790s it was, but…read moretoday, it's a nice walk in the park when the sun is shining - a far cry from what it was actually built for, right? This fortified hilltop was built in 1777 by George Washington's Army, mainly to function as an observation and alarm post watching over Morristown and surrounding areas, it also doubled as a place of retreat for guards stationed in the town. The British never made an attack on Morristown... but it's 2018 and here I am - oh my gosh, i'm just kidding!!! The park is well kept, there's a great place to sit and have a bite to eat (just bring some food with you) and I should probably mention to watch out for the mozzies (mosquitos...) - oh they'll getcha good out here!

Nice place for a short walk to enjoy local history. Also has picnic tables you can eat lunch at!read more

Of the triangle of Virginia historic sites, this one offers the most drama given its war history,…read moreand also some riverside views. A national parks pass or fee is required. The introductory movie covers some pretty detailed history, and I find that history before the United States is not taught very heavily for most people. A small museum and some facilities round out the visitor center, but the main attractions are outside. One could spend hours perusing the battlefields and fortifications. Being limited on time, I focused on the war memorial, which apparently was not established for quite a long time after the battle here but which nonetheless reminds us, that without the heroics of the Revolution, we would all be speaking British English today. Ugh.

My family and I were unimpressed with the Yorktown Battlefield, especially given that we are in the…read moremidst of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States' Declaration of Independence. We would have thought that every historical place pertaining to our country's founding would go above and beyond to ensure a grand presentation of important aspects of American history. The map to the various points of interest was difficult to follow, especially because we were told that it was created for the visitor to go in sequence. Many places were overgrown, the split rail fences were falling down and the signs were faded. It was a big disappointment.

We were on a Virginia tour of history which included stops at many presidential homes, libraries…read moreand sites (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Wilson) and our planning revealed two such sites tucked away in the rural area of Charles City--Berkeley Plantation (William Henry Harrison, among many other historical claims to fame) and this one, Sherwood Forest--former home of John Tyler. If you're coming to Berkeley, you should definitely plan a stop here as well. Note--it's still privately owned by the family, so if you wish to tour inside of the home you must call a week in advance and pay (I think) $35 per person. This is pricier than most such sites (which are much bigger) and my guess is that since it's privately owned, the family wants to drastically limit such visits. That's their prerogative and I can't fault them for that--it's great they allow self-guided tours of the grounds most of the time. From the parking lot you can place your honor system ($10 per person) dues in the box and grab a map which will detail each of the 20+ marked spots along the grounds. Plan to spend about 45 minutes-hour here if you're doing the self-guided tour. Well worth a stop if you also plan to visit Berkeley.

So, I'm a HUGE presidential history "nerd"; my lady love and I recently wrapped up a week long trip…read moreto Virginia during which we visited many different sites. I'm going to be honest here - I'm torn writing this review. First, I almost gave two (2) stars, but I realize I should focus on the fact that this is a PRIVATE RESIDENCE (still owned by the Tyler family), and that as historians, we are lucky to have access to the house/grounds at all. However, the Sherwood Forest Foundation request a weeks notice and WAY TOO MUCH MONEY to tour inside the home. A tour of this home (by appointment only) costs more than a day pass at Jefferson's Monticello. Come on...John Tyler - is no Jefferson. On our visit, it wasn't until we drove into the "parking lot" that we found out we couldn't go inside the home without a weeks notice and an appointment. Drag. But no worries - we were happy to walk the grounds. As pointed out by another reviewer - a walk of the grounds is an "honor system" thing. You pick up a map of the grounds at the self-serve kiosk - where they "request" $10.00/person to walk the grounds (which, is also a ridiculous price, in my opinion). I'm sure they request $10.00 just hoping to get nominal donations..... Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed walking the grounds - it's a beautiful home and the grounds are beautifully manicured. The provided map is well organized and features a lot of good information. But $10.00/person - just for the GROUNDS around the home? Overall, I'm glad I visited Sherwood Forest - would have loved to see the inside of the house, but NO WAY at that price point. I feel safe saying only the BIGGEST presidential history will land at Sherwood Forest. If that's accurate, I think they'll agree with my assessment of the pricing. Lastly, I feel compelled to say: I'm not a jerk. Yes, I think $10.00/person is way too much just to walk around the grounds - but the Sherwood Forest Foundation DID get a donation from us...and it WAS a FACTOR of 10.

Very quick visit to this historic site. Amazing that a family lived in this tiny home. So glad to…read moresee it's been preserved. Some literature and tours of the interior would have been nice but it's the time of COVID!

Mask are required to enter and hand sanitizers are available. Loved learning about the history of…read moreany cities. Make sure to check out the attic for the twisted chimney!

We happened to walk by On the Hill Gallery while touring historic Yorktown. The gallery itself is…read morelovely, and features the work of some amazing local artists. We quickly found gifts for several family members, and some unique Pottery for our own collection. The staff was nice enough to hold our packages for us while we continued to tour. Great art, great customer service... a great experience all around! NOTE: If you are visiting with children, please note that almost everything in the store is breakable. The staff are very patient with children, but you will need to keep an eye on your children all times.

From the owner: On the Hill Gallery provides an excellent opportunity to buy gifts, handmade items, jewelry,…read morepottery, and original paintings. In addition, the Gallery provides art education for children and adults through classes and workshops, hosts shows and events featuring the works of local artists and York County School's students.

This confusing setup has a bunch of national park land adjoined to a privately owned historical…read moresite. Focusing only on the national park site, I found a visitor center with an introductory movie. While I was perusing the exhibitions right outside the theater, they managed to close it and lock it without letting me know the movie was starting. Which is a little irksome, but may have worked out for the best as I got to the outdoor site and managed to get a run of it and take some pictures just as a weather front was heading in. Some people had traveled from Michigan to tour the area, which I think was a good decision for them as you don't get this kind of history up there. The national park site has some ruins and signage after crossing a boardwalk over the swamp. While not huge in scope; I spent maybe an hour on the site in total, it gives you a feel for the challenges that settlers would have faced. The signage provides compelling information for visitors of all ages, and the views of the waterfront and nearby ferry are majestic as well. You'll get a sense of historical nuance with a lot of players in the area, and an aesthetic experience as well. There is a wildlife drive and this place does have a parkway running to Yorktown, albeit currently not fully open due to major construction. I did not have time for everything the area has to offer on this passing visit, but there is a lot regardless of how much time you have.

September 2024- I visited the historic & original Jamestown , the colony was established there in…read more1607. Jamestown is remembered for its iconic historical figures like Pocohontas and Captain John Smith. In the Visitor Center, there is a small museum exhibit of Jamestown. The admission to explore all of Jamestown requires the purchase of two tickets since Jamestowne managed by two separate organizations, Preservation Virginia (Jamestown Rediscovery) and the National Park Service (Colonial National Historical Park). This can be very confusing when entering and getting admission inside Jamestowne. Entrance inside the visitor center & museum as well as the grounds are free for active military and their families, who get free passes to all the national parks. Standard fee is $15. An additional ticket of $15 is required to purchase by ALL (even with a free military entrance pass to all National Parks). It was worth it to me and a fair price to pay. Jamestowne was a fascinating visit to walk through the well maintained and reconstructed historical buildings & ancient ground of Jamestown. I like how they reconstructed Jamestown to show how it appeared during colonial times and showcased the ruins of the old church within its duplicated replica. I spent most of my time in the church, drinking in the views by the River, and walking through the grounds of Jamestowne. We ended our visit at Jamestown by going to the Archaearium, the archaeology museum, last. It covers the history of Jamestown 1607-1624. There was so much unknown information uncovered there about Pocahontas and the dark history of the colonists during times of famine. 1609 - 1610 was a dark and horrific time period of cold winter weather & starvation for the colonial settlers of Jamestowne. Many starved to death, some resorted to cannibalism of dead corpses or killing the living for food to survive. They reserved a room about this dark period and restrict the use of cameras & taking photography/ videos of that area in the museum out of respect for the remains of the dead in the room. Very macabre yet still fascinating. There were many areas we did not have time to explore due to time constraints and our travel agenda, yet we made the best of what little time we had there.

This headquarters is connected to the Petersburg battle, but it's about 10 minutes away from the…read morebattlefield site. It's worth the drive over if you're already visiting the battlefield. It's a small house where you have to ring the doorbell to so the one employee knows to let you in, and then it's a tour on demand as it's not a high traffic site. The tour covers the history of the people who owned the house, the war and making the city a major port for goods, and how it was used by General Grant. There is a great map of the battlefield and some highly realistic and creepy mannequins to better illustrate the site. It's free, no gift shop, but an enthusiastic and informative tour guide. It's also got a nice view of the water.

When you get there, you'll watch a short film and then you can explore the small exhibit inside the…read morehouse. It's definitely worth visiting after you visit the battlefield.

We arrived, and noticed several cars in the lot. Parking was plentiful. We have a lifetime National…read moreParks Pass so we did not pay for parking. We read the sign about the Glass House, and saw the path to it and demonstrations. We weren't hopeful about the demos. We walked the path to the original glass house, with Pot Kiln, Annealing Furnace/Fritting Furnace, and Working Furnace behind glass. The walk there was flat and easy to walk. We continued on and saw a Plaque about this replica Glass House in front of us: "erected on May 8, 1976, by the Glass Packaging Institute to commemorate America's first industry." A National Parks volunteer and glass artisans were working today. We enjoyed listening to the volunteer answering questions, and watching the artisans making glass objects that would be finished and sold in a display area on the side. All sales go towards this park exhibit. We're glad we stopped here. It was remarkable!

A wonderful, warm and fascinating place to see an operating glass house…read moreThe Jamestowne Glasshouse is located near the original Jamestown settlement in Virginia. It has good signage and a dedicated parking lot. Once parked you have to traverse a walkway to the building. It is a short path to the building. There are doors on every corner. The entrance closest to the walkway is well marked and is the best one to enter as it brings you to the shop that has the beautiful finished works of the artisans working by the large oven behind it in the center of the barn. This place offers a fascinating glimpse into one of America's first industries. Established in 1608 by English colonists, the glassblowing operation was an early attempt at creating a profitable export for the struggling settlement. Today, visitors can watch skilled artisans recreate this historic craft using traditional techniques in a working studio. The artisans shape molten glass into bottles, vases, and ornaments, just as early settlers did over 400 years ago. Watching glassblowers work their craft is mesmerizing, and the connection to history adds depth to the experience. The artists were in period costume, extremely knowledgeable, and worked continuously making objects the entire time that I visited. Once completed the pieces were placed in smaller annealing ovens closer to the display shop. Once you're done stop by the shop and pick up something to remind you of your visit. I did. If you're visiting Historic Jamestown, the Glasshouse is a must-see stop that blends history, craftsmanship, and artistry.