Jamestown Settlement, Virginia ~ Williamsburg Vacations

Jamestown Settlement

It was May 13, 1607 when 104 Englishmen had traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, dropped anchor at what is now Jamestown, Virginia and began America's first permanent English colony. Now, 400 years later, join us as we celebrate America’s 400th Anniversary. This once in a lifetime commemoration is a year long celebration of American life and the traditions started long ago.

New this year Jamestown features both indoor and outdoor attractions with the opening of its renowned historical galleries and exhibits. Visit the English gallery to learn about the conditions that lead to the settlement or the Powhatan Indian Gallery tracing the roots of Native American life. Also visit the outdoor living history areas of Jamestown with its costumed interpreters and you and your family can experience what the settlers encountered in the 17th century. See the life that was lived inside a recreated 17th-century colonial fort. Discover the world of Pocahontas in the Powhatan Indian village.

In this recreated village learn how Pocahontas' people lived. In visiting Powhatan houses, called yehakins, you will be able to weave marsh grass into ropes, create a dugout canoe and grind corn. Come aboard the replicas of the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery. There you will get a sense of how the colonists felt and lived as they crossed the Atlantic. Travel over to Jamestown Island and see the original church tower that dates back to the early 1640's.

Visit with archaeologists and ask questions as they continue to uncover remains from 1607. Then you can stop at the Glasshouse to watch a costumed craftsman demonstrate the art of glassblowing as it was done in the early 1600's.