Historic Jamestowne Part of Colonial National Historical Park
Historic Jamestowne is part of Colonial National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System. It is not counted as a unit of its own.
Walk in the steps of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas where a successful English colonization of North America began. Despite early struggles to survive, the 1607 settlement evolved into a prosperous colony. As the colony expanded, the Virginia Indians were pushed out of their homeland. In 1619, the arrival of Africans was recorded, marking the origin of slavery in English North America.
About under an hour from Virginia Beach and under an hour from Richmond by car.
Alerts
- ClosureNPS ↗Rehabilitation of Colonial Parkway continues with additional Parkway closures
Beginning Tuesday, April 9, 2024, construction will close the Colonial Parkway to all travel in either direction between Yorktown and VA Route 199. Follow all detour signs. See additional closure information in the link below.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Per PersonAdult (16 and older) -$15; good for 7 days entrance to Yorktown Battlefield (and NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne); can be upgraded to see Preservation Virginia areas at Historic Jamestowne for an additional $15 at the Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center. Yorktown Battlefield will not be selling the $30 entrance permit for Historic Jamestowne. | $15 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkThe Colonial annual pass admits passholder and three accompanying adults unlimited admittance to both NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield during regular operating hours. Pass is valid for twelve months from the month of purchase. | $45 | |
Note: An additional $15 fee is required to access Preservation Virginia resources at Historic Jamestowne. These areas include James Fort Site, and the Archaearium.
Hours
| Operating Hours & Seasons | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Glasshouse | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
Operating Hours & Seasons: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
Glasshouse: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's | Closed |
Visitor centers
- Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Welcome to Historic Jamestowne! Your visit to Historic Jamestowne can be made more enjoyable and memorable with a little advanced planning and knowledge. This can often make the difference between a good visit and a great visit.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- Archaearium45-60 Minutes
The museum features more than 4,000 artifacts recovered from the James Fort site since the beginning of the Jamestown Rediscovery project in 1994.
Opens on the Park Service site - Glasshouse Ruins30-45 Minutes
Site of the original glassworks. Site is self guiding with waysides and items to see within the building.
Opens on the Park Service site - Island Loop Drive30-45 Minutes
Jamestown has a one-way three/five mile scenic loop drive of the Island. This loop drive is open to pedestrians, bicycles and motor vehicles. Safety issues prohibit buses, motor homes or vehicles over 5-tons from using the Loop Drive.
Opens on the Park Service site - Glasshouse45-120 Minutes
Visitors can see the remains of the original furnaces used by those early glassblowers and watch as modern glassblowers produce wine bottles, pitchers, candleholders and various other glass objects.
Opens on the Park Service site - Birding
The park's location along the Atlantic flyway affords visitors the opportunity to see wintering, migratory, and breeding birds along park roads.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Weather & climate
http://www.nps.gov/jame/planyourvisit/weather.htm
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Historic Jamestowne?
Entrance is $15 per person on foot or bike. Adult (16 and older) -$15; good for 7 days entrance to Yorktown Battlefield (and NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne); can be upgraded to see Preservation Virginia areas at Historic Jamestowne for an additional $15 at the Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Historic Jamestowne?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Historic Jamestowne-only annual pass is $45.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Historic Jamestowne takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Historic Jamestowne free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Historic Jamestowne?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Historic Jamestowne. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Historic Jamestowne?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Historic Jamestowne right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Rehabilitation of Colonial Parkway continues with additional Parkway closures.
Source: Alerts
Is there cell service at Historic Jamestowne?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for Verizon and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Historic Jamestowne?
Http://www.nps.gov/jame/planyourvisit/weather.htm
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
More in Virginia
