Planning Your Visit

CONTENTS

Plan Your Visit

Welcome to Colonial National Historical Park. Colonial is a cornucopia of historic adventures ranging from early 17th century colonization, to American Revolutionary War battles, to Civil War earthworks, to a quite, relaxing drive along the scenic Colonial Parkway and of course the excitement of archeological discoveries. At Colonial there is something for every family member's sense of adventure. We are pleased that you have decided to share some of your vacation time with us.

We recommend you plan at least two hours at each of our sites of Jamestown and Yorktown. Friendly volunteers at our information desks can help orient you to our sites. Stroll through the visitor centers and museums. Visit the museum gift shops. View our short introductory films. Then, follow a park ranger or guide on a tour of the historic areas and learn why Colonial National Historical Park is considered the beginning and end of English Colonial America. For our younger visitors we have our Junior Ranger Program. Several hands on programs are also available during the summer season. To learn more about these programs visit our Things to Do web page. Just use the link at the top of the page.

As Cape Henry Memorial has no Visitor Center or services, less time is require there. For more information about what is there visit the Cape Henry Memorial home page.

Directions

Colonial National Historical Park is located near Interstate 64 (I-64). For Jamestown from Interstate 64 take exit 242A (Route 199 west). At the second stop light, S. Henry, turn right. Make another immediate right (50 feet). This will bring you to the Colonial Parkway. Turn right onto the parkway and follow it to its end.

For Yorktown from Interstate 64 east take exit 242B (Route 199 east) and follow the signs to the Colonial Parkway. Follow the parkway to its end.

From Interstate 64 west take exit 250B (Route 105 east/Fort Eustis Boulevard). Follow Fort Eustis Boulevard until you come to Route 17/George Washington Memorial Highway and turn left (North) onto Route 17. Follow the signs to the Yorktown Battlefield.

Let us bus you around!
Departing from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, the Historic Triangle Shuttle provides service to both the Jamestown and Yorktown sites from April 1 through October 31, 2006. As you ride, listen to an audio program which describes the areaâs rich natural and cultural history. Service is free of charge for ticket holders for any Jamestown or Yorktown attraction.

At Jamestown, the Jamestown Area Shuttle provides a loop service between Historic Jamestowne, the Glasshouse, Jamestown Settlement and the Neck of Land parking lot between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. This is a continuous service every 20 minutes.

At Yorktown, the Yorktown Trolley provides a service between the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center and the Yorktown Victory Center, with stops in the village and at the new Riverfront Landing. The Trolley stops at nine different locations. It operates between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. This is a continuous service making a round trip of the route about every 20 minutes. Holiday routes and times may vary. No bus pass is required to board this shuttle.

The Jamestown Area Shuttle and Yorktown Trolley are strictly public transportation service and do not provide guide service for Jamestown or Yorktown attracktions. For more information on the shuttles use the Public Transportation link above.

Operating Hours & Seasons

The Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center and the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All park grounds close at sunset. The Park is closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and January 1.

NOTE: All park facilities, including Visitor Centers, tour roads and trails will close at 2 p.m. on Monday, December 24, 2007.

Ranger Guided

JAMESTOWN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

VIRGINIA INDIAN LIFE
Suggested grades: K-3. What are the three basic needs of every human being? How did the Native Americans meet these needs before the arrival of the English? With the aid of the pre-visit booklet, the daily life of the Virginia Indians will be introduced. Through on-site, hands-on activities students will inspect reproduction Native American artifacts such as arrowheads, a bow and arrow, quiver, food products, jewelry and animal hides. Maximum class size: 25 students per program. Program time: 45 minutes. Ties to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs): 1.1, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.12, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4

JAMESTOWN, A BEGINNING
Suggested grades: 3-5. What was life like for those early English settlers? Through the use of inquiry and hands-on materials, students will investigate reasons behind colonization and challenges the 17th century settlers faced. Prior to their visit, teachers will receive a video and Teachers Resource Guide which discusses the roles of the ranger, teachers and students during the park visit. The resource guide provides activities and supplemental information about Jamestown including pre-visit materials where students meet Sam Collier, a young boy who was part of the beginning adventure. Self-guided tour material allows teachers to walk their classes through the grounds of Jamestown where the early settlers walked, see where archeologists are still uncovering artifacts left behind by the settlers, and view artifacts in a special visitor gallery. Maximum class size: 25 students per program. Recommended program time: one hour (minimum time is 45 minutes). Ties to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs): VS.1, VS.2, VS.3, USI.1, USI.2c, USI.3, USI.4, USI.5a

MYSTERIES OF THE PAST
Suggested grades: 3-5. A 20 minute program which introduces students to the historic site of Jamestown through historic archeology. Students will participate in activities to learn how mysteries of the past are solved by using historical documents and archeology at a historic site. The preservation of historic sites for future generations will also be stressed. Maximum class size: 75 students per program. Program time: 20 minutes. Ties to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs): VS.1, VS.2, VS.3, USI.1, USI.3, USI.4a, USI.4b, USI.5a

RANGER GUIDED WALKING TOUR
Suggested grades: 6-college. Learn about the experiences of the early English settlers as they attempted to establish Jamestown as the first permanent English settlement in America. During a walking tour of the Original Towne site of Jamestown, groups will see monuments to John Smith, Pocahontas and other early settlers; see the 1640 Church Tower and learn about the recent excavations of James Fort. Maximum class size: 75 people per program. Program time: 35-45 minutes. Ties to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs): VS.1, VS.2, VS.3, VS.4, USI.1, USI.2e, USI.3, USI.4a, USI.4b, USI.5a, USI.5c, USI.5d

YORKTOWN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

COLONIAL FAMILY OF YORKTOWN
Suggested grade: 1-2. With the use of the pre-visit study guide, youngsters will be introduced to the Norton family and life in Colonial Yorktown. In addition, the guide discusses Colonial home-life, occupations and amusements. In the ranger led program, hands-on materials involve the children with homemaking activities, colonial games and school materials. Colonial Yorktown will be investigated through a self-guided tour through the town (map provided). Maximum class size: 20 students per program. Program time: 45 minutes. Ties to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs): 1.1, 1.6, 1.7, 1.9, 2.3

COLONIAL SEAPORT
Suggested grade: 2. The program helps students investigate life in a Virginia port during the colonial period. Through discussio and a variety of hands-on activities, students will learn about some of the people of Yorktown, including Mr. William Rogers (the "Poor Potter" of Yorktown), the Nelson family and an African American family. The activities will show how the life of Yorktown was centered on the tobacco trade and other commercial activities, and help the students gain a better understanding of Yorktown's importance as a seaport town during the colonial period. A self-guided map activity of the Town of York is offered for your post-program activity. Maximum class size: 30 students per program. Recommended program time: one hour (minimum time is 45 minutes). Ties to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs): 2.8

FORTUNES OF WAR
Suggested grades: 4-6. This program helps students to understand how the Siege of Yorktown and the American Revolution affected the lives of both soldiers and citizens. Students will actively participate in the battlefield and town tours through hands-on activities, role-playing and demonstrations. Teachers will receive a video and Teachers Resource Guide prior to their visit. This guide discusses the roles of the ranger, teachers and students during the park visit, as well as provides activity sheets and supplemental information for their American Revolution curriculum. Maximum class size: 30 students per program. Program time: one hour. Ties to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs): VS.5, USI.6

NON-FIRING ARTILLERY DEMONSTRATION
Suggested grades: 3-6. In this hands-on program, students will learn about artillery used in the Revolutionary War and the role it played during the siege of Yorktown. Using an original Revolutionary War cannon, students form a gun crew and go through a mock firing, following he same drill as General Warshington's troops. Maximum class size: 75 students per program. Program time: 25 minutes.

SIEGE LINE WALKING TOUR
Suggested grades: 5-college. Learn about the events surrounding the last major battle of the American Revolution at Yorktown. During a walking tour of the Yorktown Battlefield, groups will visit the British defenses around the town, see the American siege positions and discuss how General Washington successfully surrounded and defeated the British army. Maximum class size: 75 people per program. Program time: 35 minutes. Ties to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs): VS.5, USI.6

Fees & Reservations

ENTRANCE FEES
Colonial National Historical Park includes Historic Jamestowne, Yorktown Battlefield and Cape Henry Memorial.

Fees
$10 - Seven-day pass
$40 - Annual twelve-month pass

Details
Entrance fees are per person fees. The seven-day pass fee is per adult, children 15 and under free. Annual pass is good for passholder, accompanying spouse, and parents. Children 15 and under free.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL PASSES
Created by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act and authorized by Congress in December 2004 these new Interagency Passes were launched January 2007. The agencies participating in these new passes are the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation.

There are four passes:
1. America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass - $80
2. America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass - $10
3. America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Access Pass - Free (disabled)
4. America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Volunteer Pass - Free (500 hrs service)

LOCAL PASSPORT
America's Historic Triangle Ticket

Fees
$69.75 - 5 Days
Prices subject to change. For up-to-date pricing please call Colonial Williamsburg at 1-800-HISTORY (1-800-447-8679).

Details
Participate in the founding of our country through five dynamic experiences presented at Colonial National Historical Park (including Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield), as well as by America's premier living-history museums - Jamestown Settlement, Colonial Williamsburg and the Yorktown Victory Center.

Public Transportation

Various public and private transportation services are available throughout the area. AMTRAK has stations in Newport News and Williamsburg, Greyhound has commercial bus service to Newport News and Williamsburg, and rental cars and taxi service are sometimes available from all of these locations. For air service there are three airports within one hours drive of Colonial National Historical Park: Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (20 minutes from Yorktown), Norfolk International Airport (one hour east of the park) and Richmond International Airport (one hour west of the park).

Historic Triangle Shuttle
Let us bus you around! From March 1 through October 31, 2007, the Historic Triangle Shuttle will provide shuttle service from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center to and from the Jamestown and Yorktown areas. This shuttle service travels the scenic Colonial Parkway. There is no charge for the service, although a shuttle pass is required. Service to both Jamestown and Yorktown depart the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center every hour and half-hour between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily.

Service to Jamestown makes stops at both Historic Jamestowne (the original site of the First Permanent English settlement in North America, administered by the National Park Service and APVA Preservation Virginia) and Jamestown Settlement (the replica, living history museum site run by the Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation, a state agency). Return service to Colonial Williamsburg departs every half-hour from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a final pickup from Historic Jamestowne at 5:15 p.m.

Service to Yorktown includes stops at both the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center (administered by the National Park Service), and the Yorktown Victory Center (a living history museum operated by the Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation, a state agency). Visitors can board for return service to Colonial Williamsburg from either Yorktown site with pickups between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with a final pickup at 5:15 p.m. from the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center.

Jamestown Area Shuttle
Upon arrival at Jamestown on the Historic Triangle Shuttle, visitors have the opportunity to visit all that Jamestown has to offer by making use of the Jamestown Area Shuttle. The Jamestown Area Shuttle makes stops at the Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center, the Jamestown Glasshouse (also a part of Historic Jamestowne), Jamestown Settlement Visitor Center, and the Neck-of-Land parking area (opened seasonally starting April 2, 2007) approximately every 20 minutes. This shuttle service operates daily from March 1 through October 31, 2008, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Yorktown Trolley
Visit Yorktown by using the Yorktown Trolley. This internal Yorktown shuttle service provides transportation between the National Park Service Visitor Center, Yorktown Victory Center, the village of Yorktown and the new Riverwalk Landing. This service but does not include a battlefield tour. A service of York County, the Yorktown Trolley operates daily from March 15 through October 31, 2008, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and no bus pass is required to board this shuttle.

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass General Info

Contact Us

By Mail
Colonial National Historical Park
P.O. Box 210
Yorktown, VA 23690

By Phone
Headquarters
(757) 898-3400

Visitor Information
(757) 898-2410

By Fax
(757) 898-6346

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