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Step directly into the 1600's at
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This attraction is my family's favorite place in Williamsburg. My girls love the idea of walking where Pocahontas and John Smith walked and they love all of the exploring there is to be done there.
If there is one piece of advice that you take away from this site it should be:
DON'T SKIP JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT!!
When you enter Jamestown Settlement, you will be transported back into the 1600's.
There are several sections to this living museum.
- Galleries and Film
- The Powhatan Village
- The Dock Area (the 3 ships)
- The Riverfront Discovery Area
- The James Fort
From my experience it is better to view the outside areas first and then hit the exhibit galleries and the film: 1607:A NATION TAKES ROOT. The inside exhibition is wonderful but the real fun is interacting with the costumed interpreters.
If you follow the outside tour at Jamestown,Virginia first, you will immediately step into the 1600's and a Powhatan Indian village. You will get to:- Check out their Long houses
- play Powhatan games
- See hunting demonstrations
- See cooking demonstrations
- Watch as the Indians make clothes, arrowheads, and tools.
- Help tan leather
- help grind cornmeal
- and interact with the Powhatan Indians.
Once you have thoroughly explored the Powhatan village follow the path to the Dock Area.
THE DOCK AREA
As you travel down the winding road through the woods you will come upon the three ships that carried the Englishmen to Jamestown.The ships, the Susan Constant,the Godspeed and the Discovery are all breathtaking re-creations. The best part about the ships is that you can board all three and explore them completely. You can even climb into the captains bed! Make sure to talk to the costumed interpreters. They are filled with interesting information that they are just dying to share.
As you leave the dock area you will travel along the James River to the Riverfront Discovery Area. There is always a lot of action taking place here from cooking to fishing, from boat building to gardening. You can always help carve out a log canoe or just try sitting in one. The Jamestown Settlement is very hands on. Even the youngest in your party will find activities they can take part in.
If you are going to be in the Williamsburg area over Thanksgiving, add Jamestown Settlement to your Thanksgiving Day plans. Each year they re-create the sharing of the harvest. As you walk around, all of the costumed interpreters are preparing. It is one of my families favorite traditions. We put the turkey on and then head over to Jamestown to relive a historical Thanksgiving. It helps put our own celebration into perspective. As an interesting side note: Some historians are even trying to prove that Jamestown,VA was the site of the first Thanksgiving and not Plymouth Rock. I'll keep you posted!
Check out more about this fun Jamestown Virginia celebration!
If you are going to be here over Easter Weekend come celebrate Easter morning at Jamestown.
THE JAMES FORT
The last stop on the outside tour in the Fort that gave the Settlement it's name. James Fort was named for King James. At the fort you will get a true understanding of how hard life was for the settlers. (Especially if you visit during the winter!)
THE EXHIBIT GALLERIES AND FILM
The last part of the visit is the new 30,000-square-foot exhibition gallery and the film:1607:A Nation Takes Root Even though you probably spent a few hours touring the outside exhibits, don't skip this part. Maybe take a break and have some lunch. (There is a restaurant on sight)
This is one of the best designed exhibitions I have seen. My young daughters could probably spend hours poking around the galleries. The film also helps to further bring the experience to life. Jamestown Settlement is a stop you should not miss during your Williamsburg Vacation.
If you can't tell-
I LOVE THIS PLACE!
You can easily spend 3-4 hours or more here depending on how involved you get at the gallery. The outside self guided tour will take about 2 hours. I am also going to recommend the gift shop. It has a nice selection with a side room of art and decorative items that are both different and reasonably priced.
Click here to find out which ticket packages I recommend.
If you didn't catch my advice above here it is one last time:
DON'T SKIP JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT:
IT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!
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