A visit to Jamestown Virginia with kids

Our next stop on our American History tour of the Historic Triangle in Virginia is a visit to Jamestown Settlement, and Historic Jamestowne.

Earlier, we explored Colonial Williamsburg, and the battlefields of Yorktown during our weekend visit to Williamsburg to explore the Historic Triangle.

Historic Jamestowne is the original site of the first English settlement Settlement, whereas Jamestown Settlement is a re-creation. You should plan to visit both sites to complement your interpretation of the history.

Jamestown Settlement is a living history museum created in 1957 for the 350th-anniversary celebration.

It includes a recreation of the original James Fort, the Powhatan Indian village, and replicas of the original settler’s ships, the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery.

On the blog, I will share a visit to Jamestown Virginia with kids, and how to spend the day visiting both Jamestown locations and the best things to do with kids.

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Jamestown Settlement

The Visitors Center

Your first stop on your visit to Jamestown Settlement should be at the Visitors Center. You can purchase your tickets here, or online, which I recommend to avoid the lines.

The Visitors Center also offers private guided tours of the settlement, and you will also find a gift shop and a cafe.

The indoor exhibits at the museum feature a collection of more than 500 period objects from Virginia, Europe, and Africa.

There are also a few films you can watch, including a documentary film, which is shown every 30 minutes in the museum theater.

• Hours: Open year-round 9am-5pm daily
• Tickets: $18 adults, $9 kids 6-12
• Combination ticket to Jamestown settlement, and American Revolutionary Museum Yorktown: $28.90 adults, $14.45 ages 6-12
• Historic Triangle Tickets: $109.90 adults 16 and up
• $48.45 youth 6-15
• FREE kids under 6
• Purchase tickets here
• Free museum admission to veteran, active duty, reserve and retired military personnel and up to three direct family members with military ID on Yorktown Day, October 19; Veterans Day, November 11; Jamestown Day, May 13; and Memorial Day, May 30. 

Our little one’s favorite exhibits were the interactive display monitors featuring personal stories displayed on life-size screens. We also loved learning more about the real stories of Pocahontas and John Smith.

The Jamestown Settlement museum was probably one of the best museums we visited, that really engages the visitor in the learning experience.

READ NEXT: How to spend the day in Yorktown Virginia

Top things to do in Jamestown Virginia with kids

Visit the Outdoor Living History Museums

Once you make it through the exhibits in the Visitors Center, make your way to the outdoor living history museum exhibits right outside.

This is where you will find the Powhatan Indian Village, the Ship replicas, and the replica of Fort Jamestowne.

These areas are the perfect place for the kids to learn firsthand about what life was like back then.

READ NEXT: Colonial Williamsburg with kids

The outdoor exhibits were one of our little one’s favorite parts of our visit. There are many opportunities for hands-on learning here.

The kids can take part in some of the activities, such as jewelry making, canoe carving, and many others. Our little one had so much fun learning how to carve a canoe using just oysters shells.

She especially loved exploring the Powhatan’s tents and learning how they lived, and what resources they had to keep warm in the winter.

The Replica Ships

One of the best things to do in Jamestown Virginia with kids is a visit to the replica ships.

Board the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607, and learn how the settlers lived and worked on these ships as they made their way to the New World.

There are knowledgeable guides on board the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery that can answer any questions you may have, and they are dressed in period costumes, which was so much fun!

 Our little one loved the tour of the ships and learning what life was like as a settler onboard.

Fort Jamestown Replica

Journey to the past in re-creations of the 1600’s Colonial Fort, and immerse yourself in early colonial life.

There are a few interactive exhibits to take part into and experience what life was like for the settlers back then.

There are guides dressed in period costumes who can help you understand more of their way of life, and can answer any questions you may have along the way.

The kids will love that they can enter some of the buildings and actually see what their home life was like.

We also enjoyed the Musket shooting demonstrations and getting to try on the armor that the settlers had to wear.

It was also fun to watch the Blacksmiths demonstrate their craft, and learn how their meals were cooked, and what they ate during the kitchen demonstrations.

We had a great time, and it was fun learning more about life back in colonial times!

Our visit to Jamestown Virginia was definitely a learning experience. It was fun to get a glimpse of how our early settlers lived back then.

If you only have one day to explore the Historic Triangle in Virginia, then I would recommend a visit to Jamestown.

The kids will love all the immersive exhibits here, and all the hands-on learning experiences that they’ll never forget!

A visit to Historic Jamestowne

Just a short drive away from Jamestown Settlement is Historic Jamestowne.

Historic Jamestowne is the original site of the first English settlement, whereas Jamestowne Settlement is the re-creation.

Since the park is operated as a partnership between Preservation Virginia and the U.S. National Park Service, there is a separate entrance fee, from Jamestown Settlement, but it’s still worth the visit.

Start at the Visitors Center

Your visit to Historic Jamestowne should start at the Visitors Center. Purchase your tickets here, and make sure to watch the short film, and visit some of the exhibits before you make your way to the actual site. 

You can also go on a guided tour, which I highly recommend, so you will have a better understanding of what you are looking at as you make your way around the site.

The tour is FREE, and the times are posted in the Visitors Center. The tour was very informational and lasted for about an hour.

Explore the original James Fort Site

If you’re short on time, you can easily go on a walking tour of the site.

As you walk the property, you can view the remnants of the early settlement, which includes the 17th-century brick church still standing.

You will also find a statue of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith as you make your way through the site.

Junior Ranger Programs for kids

The Historic Jamestowne Junior Ranger Program is designed for kids ages 5 and up.

This program is perfect for the kids to learn more about the history of Jamestown. 

To become a Junior Ranger, the kids will have to complete the activities in the booklet.

Once they complete them all, the kids can receive a Junior Ranger badge, which is so much fun! Booklets can be picked up at the Visitors Center upon arrival.

Visit the Voorhees Archaerium Musuem

Before you leave, make sure to visit the Archaerium Museum.

The Museum is the perfect complement to your visit and is home to excavated artifacts from the original James Fort site.

The museum is located over the excavated remains of the last Statehouse, which you can view as you make your way into the museum.

READ NEXT: The top things to do in Williamsburg with kids

We had an amazing time exploring Jamestown Virginia with kids. Walking around the ruins and learning more about the early English settlers was amazing. The Historic Triangle in Virginia is so interesting, and it has been such a great learning experience.

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