MAY 9 JAMESTOWN DAY EVENTS
AT JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT & HISTORIC JAMESTOWNE

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., May 1, 2026 – Discover the enduring legacies of America’s first permanent English colony at Jamestown in 1607 during commemorative Jamestown Day events on May 9 at Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne.

Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne will offer a range of programs on Jamestown Day, honoring this pivotal event 419 years ago in our shared history with family-friendly interpretive programs on Powhatan and English culture, foodways and technology, as well as military and maritime demonstrations. Indoor exhibits, including the joint special exhibition “Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown,” explore the history and ongoing discoveries of Jamestown.

The founding of Jamestown, America’s first permanent English colony in Virginia in 1607 – 13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in Massachusetts – sparked a series of cultural encounters that helped shape the nation and the world. The government, language, customs, beliefs and aspirations of these early Virginians are all part of the United States’ heritage today.

Jamestown Day is presented by Jamestown Settlement, a living-history museum of 17th-century Virginia administered by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, in partnership with Historic Jamestowne, site of the original 1607 settlement jointly administered by the National Park Service and Jamestown Rediscovery on behalf of Preservation Virginia.

While there is separate admission to Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne, a four-site value ticket to Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown Settlement, as well as Yorktown Battlefield and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, is available on Jamestown Day and throughout the year.

Jamestown Settlement

A museum of 17th-century Virginia, Jamestown Settlement explores the world of America’s first permanent English colony in 1607, the Virginia Indians who have occupied Virginia’s landscape for centuries and the circumstances of the first recorded Africans to Virginia in 1619. Immersive gallery exhibits, films and interactives trace the first century of the Virginia colony. In outdoor re-creations of Paspahegh Town, 1607 ships and pier, and 1610-14 fort, interpretive programs, military salutes and hands-on interpretive demonstrations bring the story of Jamestown to life.

Visitors to the Jamestown Settlement ships’ pier can board a re-creation of the Godspeed and Discovery, learn how sailors hauled cargo and navigated the seas in the 17th century, and join in an artillery salute to Jamestown’s founding. In the fort and Paspahegh Town, visitors can participate in a variety of hands-on programs, including Powhatan and English foodways, Powhatan hunting techniques and English pike drills. Visitors also can “meet” one of the first women in the Virginia colony during a first-person interpretation of Marye Bucke, a minister’s wife.

Connecting the legacies of Jamestown to America's 250th anniversary and the American Revolution, a special “Rule of Law” program in the fort's re-created Anglican church will examine the various forms of governmental rule that evolved at Jamestown during the Virginia Company period that led to the formation of the first representative legislative assembly in English North America in 1619.

Indoors, discover the compelling discoveries that connect the early years of the Jamestown colony and Asia in the ongoing special exhibition, “Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown” presented in partnership with Jamestown Rediscovery.

A full schedule of Jamestown Settlement events is available at jyfmuseums.org/jamestown-day.

Historic Jamestowne

Historic Jamestowne is America's Birthplace, where James Fort was established more than 400 years ago in 1607. Jointly administered by the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation and the National Park Service, Historic Jamestowne offers archaeology-in-action, immersive living-history programs, and engaging tours with a historian in an unparalleled natural landscape on the James River.

To commemorate Jamestown Day, tours, demonstrations and ongoing archaeological excavations of the 1607 James Fort allow guests to share in the moment of discovery while interacting with Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists. Walking tours examine the interactions, trade and conflict between English colonists and the Powhatan Paramount Chiefdom based on archaeological evidence, and an archaeology tour offers an in-depth look at the 1607 fort site and shares this season’s excavations and new discoveries.

Visitors can encounter Jamestown’s most famous resident, Captain John Smith, who will recount his experiences exploring the Chesapeake Bay, interactions with the Powhatan, and what happened when he finally became president of the council in September 1608. They can also explore the material culture and lifeways of the Tidewater Algonquians and their interactions with the settlers of Jamestown with Indigenous interpreter Daniel “Firehawk” Abbott.

The National Park Service offers a variety of ways to explore Historic Jamestowne, including ranger-led programs, self-guided walking tours, scenic drives and hands-on experiences. Learn more about the site’s rich history through immersive visitor center exhibits and an orientation film, then stroll through New Towne along the James River to view the archaeological foundations of Virginia’s first colonial capital and recent discoveries uncovered by ongoing excavations.

No trip to Jamestown Island is complete without stopping at the Jamestown Glasshouse. Here, visitors can watch modern glassblowers re-create one of the earliest industries in English North America. Near the remains of the original 1608 furnaces, artisans in period-inspired clothing demonstrate traditional techniques used to craft bottles, pitchers and other wares — many of which are available for purchase.

A full schedule of Historic Jamestowne events is available at historicjamestowne.org/jamestownday.

Experience Jamestown Day with Separate Admission & Special Combination Tickets

Jamestown Settlement – Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Jamestown Settlement is located on Route 31 South near the Colonial Parkway. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for ages 6-12. Children ages 5 and under are free. Residents of James City County, York County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, receive free admission to both museums with proof of residency. Annual memberships are available offering discounts to museum shops and café. Parking is free.

Historic Jamestowne – Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Historic Jamestowne is located at 1368 Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg. Separate admission is required to access the National Park Service and Jamestown Rediscovery locations. Admission to the National Park Service is $15 for adults over age 15 and includes a seven-day pass to Yorktown Battlefield and recreational access along the Colonial Parkway. The park also honors America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes. Admission to Jamestown Rediscovery, offering seven days of admission with receipt, is $15 for adults and $5 for ages 6-15. Children ages 5 and under are free.

Four-Site Combination Ticket – Offers five days of unlimited admission to Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Yorktown Battlefield. The four-site ticket is $66 for adults, $39 for ages 13-15, $22 for ages 6-12 and free for ages 5 and under.

America’s Historic Triangle Ticket – Offers five days of unlimited admission to Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, Yorktown Battlefield and Colonial Williamsburg. The ticket is $126 for adults, $57 for ages 6-15 and free for ages 5 and under.

For more information about Jamestown Settlement, visit jyfmuseums.org. For information about Historic Jamestowne, visit historicjamestowne.org and nps.gov/colo.

##

MEDIA CONTACTS

Jamestown Settlement, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Meghan van Joosten, meghan.vanjoosten@jyf.virginia.gov or (757) 253-4175
Tracy Perkins, tracy.perkins@jyf.virginia.gov or (757) 253-4114

Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown Rediscovery & National Park Service
Angel Johnston, Jamestown Rediscovery, ajohnston@preservationvirginia.org or (757) 229-4997 ext. 124
Sandra Tennyson, National Park Service, sandra_tennyson@nps.gov, (757) 897-4598

PHOTO CAPTIONS & CREDITS (shown from left to right)

Jamestown Settlement offers a variety of hands-on interpretive programs and exhibits during Jamestown Day on May 9, including the “Rule of Law” at 11 a.m. and “Defending the Colony” at 4 p.m. in the re-created fort. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation photo.

Historic Jamestowne invites visitors to share in the moment of discovery while interacting with Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists at the original 1607 site at Jamestown. Jamestown Rediscovery (Preservation Virginia) photo.

At the Jamestown Glasshouse at Historic Jamestowne, near the remains of the original 1608 furnaces, artisans demonstrate one of the earliest industries in English North America to craft bottles, pitchers and other wares. National Park Service photo.