Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, VA
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Each year, Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown host exciting events and public programs that offer something fun for everyone, from families to history buffs. Past events have included holiday celebrations, presentations from history experts, special exhibits and more. Discover some of the engaging events we’ve hosted recently, and get excited for current and future offerings.
Family Frights
October 24 & 25, 2025
As the sun goes down, the magic began as Jamestown Settlement transformed to offer a one-of-a-kind, fantastical (without the fright) event full of “Stories, Myths and Legends” featuring trick-or-treating, creative crafts and games, festive music and face painting, haunted houses and spooky ships. Learn more about this event.
Director’s Series: Michele Norris
October 22, 2025
Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, sat down with Michele Norris, award-winning journalist and one of the most recognized voices in radio to engage in inspiring open and honest dialogue with stories and perspectives drawn from her personal journey, investigative research and interviews with world leaders, Nobel Laureates and newsmakers.
Yorktown Victory Celebration
October 18-19, 2025
Visitors saluted the anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown, America’s momentous Revolutionary War victory, at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown with artillery firings, exhibits and interpretive programs. Guests visited the museum's re-created Continental Army encampment and attend official Yorktown Day commemorative ceremonies. Learn more about this event.
JYF Giving Day
October 18, 2025
JYF’s community of supporters and friends, longtime and new, celebrate and support Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and our shared commitment to preserving the stories of America’s past. JYF Giving Day is a one-day fundraising drive, giving supporters from around the country a unique opportunity to come together online to show their support for JYF.
Worlds Transformed: Navigating Religious Difference Past and Present
October 19, 2025
In partnership with the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Historic Area Religions Together presented a panel discussion on “Worlds Transformed: Navigating Religious Difference Past and Present,” exploring the complexity of religious expression in early Virginia—African, Indigenous and English. Following the panel, attendees had a chance to discuss how to support different ways of being in our world today.
Talking History: Carson Hudson
October 4, 2025
Utilizing surviving records, author, local historian and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Carson Hudson discussed fascinating stories of how the belief in Witchcraft effected Virginia’s social, religious and material culture from 1626 to 1730. This Talking History presentation was included with admission.
History Makers Dinner
September 27, 2025
Guests celebrated and supported the education programs of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation at the History Makers fundraising dinner. They enjoy an elevated dining and after-hours history experience at Jamestown Settlement. The evening drew guests who believe in the future of our museums, and connected with others who share a passion for preserving history.
Talking History: Carol Jarboe
September 20, 2025
Carol Jarboe performed as the fictional character Maggie Delaney, an Irish indentured servant who gains passage to the new world in the early 1700s, only to lose her family in the process. Maggie’s tale brings to light the difficult journey that many ancestors took to secure themselves in a new land.
Director's Series: James Pepper Henry
September 17, 2025
Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, sits down with James Pepper Henry, chair of the Kaw Nation and one of the nation’s leading public historians, for a lively and enlightening conversation surrounding our shared legacies of American history.
Portraits of Jamestown Family Day
September 13, 2025
Families explored the world of portraits at Jamestown Settlement. They created family portraits with a green screen, drew portraits based on ones in the galleries, and decide whose portraits were missing from history. Family Days are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are included with admission. Learn more.
Homeschool Family Days
September 6-14, 2025
Homeschool students discovered the sights and sounds of the 17th and 18th centuries while learning about our nation’s history. A special ticket offered homeschool families unlimited admission to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Jamestown Settlement during the two weeks of Homeschool Family Days. Learn more.
Printmaking Workshop for Kids
August 21, 2025
Printmaking has been used all over the world to express many different viewpoints while demonstrating creativity. In this hands-on workshop, kids explored linocut printmaking with a teaching artist. They found inspiration and created a series of 4x6-inch prints. Workshops cost $12 per person. Learn more.
First Africans Commemoration
August 16, 2025
Jamestown Settlement honors the legacy of the first recorded Africans brought to Virginia in 1619 with reflections of history and modern perspectives through an African American lens. Programs explored the history of the Africans who brought their culture, knowledge and traditions to create a new African American culture and how that legacy, after more than 400 years, is expressed today. Learn more about this commemoration.
Talking History: Alphonso Saville
August 2, 2025
Alphonso F. Saville IV discussed his new book, "The Gospel of John Marrant: Conjuring Christianity in the Black Atlantic." The book is the first full-length study of North America’s first black ordained minister, the Reverend John Marrant, and examines how Protestantism and West African indigenous religious practices deeply informed Marrant’s life and ministry.
Patrons & Patriots: The Legacy of Nick and Mary Mathews
March 8 - July 27, 2025
"Patrons & Patriots: The Legacy of Nick and Mary Mathews," was a special exhibition that celebrated the lives and philanthropy of the late Nick and Mary Mathews, beloved Yorktown restaurateurs who donated the land for the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and offered a glimpse inside the lives of the Greek immigrants whose love of America and generosity left a national impact.
Youth Citizenship Day
July 26, 2025
A group of young people from across the globe, the children of naturalized citizens, followed the lead of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Honor Guard, who escorted them into Jamestown Settlement’s Robins Foundation Theater to take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States and received Certificates of Citizenship in a July 26 ceremony. The event was hosted by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Ann Wager Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in partnership with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Plein Air Painting Workshop for Kids
July 17, 2025
Rising 3rd-6th graders, joined the list of artists who have painted what they saw in the world around them. They found a favorite spot in the living-history areas of Jamestown Settlement, settled in and created a plein air print to take home. Learn more about workshops for kids.
Citizen Science Family Day
July 12, 2025
Families investigated the natural world around Jamestown Settlement, learned to think like a citizen scientist, and compared what what they observed today to the early 1600s, and shared some of your findings. Learn more about Family Days.
Talking History: Andrew Lawler
July 5, 2025
Author Andrew Lawler discussed his new book, "A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis That Spurred the American Revolution" (Atlantic Monthly Press).
Liberty Celebration
July 4, 2025
Our Fourth of July Liberty Celebration salutes the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offers a special lineup to mark the patriotic occasion. Visitors can enjoy interpretive programs, artillery demonstrations and learn about the challenges that faced our nation’s founders, including those who signed the Declaration of Independence, and those for whom the new nation’s rights of freedom and liberty did not yet apply. Learn more.
Mosaic Workshop for Kids
June 26, 2025
Rising 3rd-6th graders, designed miniature mosaic masterpiece inspired by two mosaics in our ‘Patrons and Patriots’ exhibition at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. They explored stories mosaics have been used to tell, learned the basics of how mosaic art is produced and created their own mosaic to take home.
Chips, Dips & Civics Trivia
June 25, 2025
Precarious Beer Project, 110 S. Henry St., Williamsburg, was the site for chips, dips and an exploration into America's civic legacy, testing each team's knowledge and discovering how the past still speaks to the world today. At the free event, chips & dips were provided to each team. Prizes were awarded to the trivia winners. Ages 21+. Valid ID required. Alcohol sold separately.
Civic Season
June 19 - July 3, 2025
Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown joined museums and historic sites across the country to host Civic Season, a series of civics-related programs and events to engage younger generations in the role of American democracy. Civic Season is a time to explore your story - and how it connects to our nation’s complex past - through events, activities and resources from credible sources. Learn more.
Prelude to Juneteenth
June 15, 2025
Jamestown Settlement hosted a thought-provoking documentary film about African American contributions to river life in early America, and a river paddle exploring the forgotten stories of the rivers of central Virginia and the precarious nature of freedom from 17th-century Jamestown to Juneteenth. Learn more.
The American Soldier
June 14, 2025
In salute of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army on June 14, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown presented “The American Soldier” – a theatrical performance that honored military veterans and their families. This one-man show by Douglas Taurel is based on real stories and accounts from soldiers’ letters written from the American Revolution through Iraq and Afghanistan.
VA250 Mobile Museum
June 6 - 8, 2025
A hands-on, interactive and immersive “museum on wheels,” the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience titled “Out of Many, One” is housed in a quad-expandable tractor trailer that is traveling throughout the Commonwealth bringing key stories of Virginia’s rich history. The mobile museum is free and open to the public.
World Bee Day
May 24, 2025
The museum shops at Jamestown Settlement celebrated “World Bee Day” with honeybee-related activities and vendor presentations. Throughout the day, the museum shops featured vendor demonstrations, samplings and tastings. The event honored the 403rd anniversary of the first recorded honeybees in North America that first landed in Virginia in 1622 when the Virginia Company of London sent a ship carrying the first beehives.
Director's Series: Michael Paul Williams
May 21, 2025
Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, sat down with Michael Paul Williams, journalist and Richmond native, for a lively and enlightening conversation surrounding our shared legacies of American history.
Farmers & Foragers Family Day
May 17, 2025
Plants are so much more than just a source of food. Families explored some of the important roles of plants in daily life in the 1700s, learned how to identify local plants and discovered which plants were used as foods by different cultures. Learn more about Family Days.
Jamestown Day
May 10, 2025
The 418th anniversary of the 1607 founding of Jamestown was marked with an artillery salute, maritime demonstrations and interpretive programs. Visitors learned about the 1607 founding of Jamestown and the convergence of the Virginia Indian, English and West Central African cultures in 17th-century Virginia through expansive exhibits and outdoor living-history experiences. Learn more about this commemorative event.
JYF Giving Day
May 10, 2025
JYF’s community of supporters and friends, longtime and new, celebrated Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and our shared commitment to preserving the stories of America’s past. JYF Giving Day was a one-day fundraising drive, giving supporters from around the country a unique opportunity to come together online to show their support for JYF.
Indigenous Arts Day
May 3, 2025
At Jamestown Settlement, visitors celebrated traditional and contemporary art forms with demonstrations and performances from Indigenous artists, as a reminder of the presence and resilience of Native American communities since the arrival of colonists at Jamestown in 1607. Learn more about this event.
Cheers! The Spirited History of Alcohol in Colonial Virginia
April 24, 2025
Nick Powers, curator of Collections at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, discussed the spirited history of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley which has been infused by alcohol since the early 18th century. From boisterous beginnings, alcohol impacted Virginians of all social classes. It swayed faith and politics including George Washington’s first publicly elected office in 1758.
Spilling the Tea with Allison Horrocks -'Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl'
March 29, 2025
Allison Horrocks, co-host of the "Dolls of Our Lives" podcast and co-author of "Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl," discussed the nostalgia and impact of the American Girl® empire and how the combination of girl power and history shaped an entire generation.
Military Through the Ages
March 15-16, 2025
This unique chronological display of military history at Jamestown Settlement allowed visitors to interact with military re-enactors depicting armed forces from over the centuries to modern day soldiers. Visitors were invited to explore military encampments to learn how uniforms, weapons and tactics evolved through the centuries. Learn more about this time-honored event.
Talking History: Abigail Adams
March 1, 2025
On Saturday, March 1, at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, playwright Abigail Schumann presented a first-person interpretation of Abigail Adams as she reflects on the early days of the Republic, the challenges of creating a new government, the rights of women, her marriage to John Adams and the presidential election of 1800.
Teen Printmaking Workshop
March 1, 2025
All teen were invited for a hands-on printmaking workshop. They explored linocut printmaking with artist Lauren Sowder, found inspiration for a piece and created a 4x6-inch print. Teen artists can submit their print for consideration in the upcoming Fresh Views of the American Revolution special exhibition if their work is inspired by the question, “What does your America look like?”
2025 Black Artist Showcase
February 1-March 2, 2025
The annual Black Artist Showcase connects the past and present through vivid intersections of contemporary art and 17th-century history. The Black Artist Showcase complements museum gallery exhibits, films and education programs on African and African American history in early Virginia. Learn more about the Black Artist Showcase.
After Angelo
February 22, 2025
Visitors celebrated African American culture and heritage with a day of music, song and storytelling honoring the legacy of Angelo, the first African woman named in Jamestown’s historical record. This event culminates Black History Month at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, featuring permanent gallery exhibits, films and interactives that recount the experiences of Africans and African Americans in early America. Learn more about After Angelo.
Love, Revolutionary Style
February 8, 2025
The museum shop at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and the 1781 Café by Aromas celebrated “Love, Revolutionary Style” on Saturday, February 8, with romantic gifts, a book signing, sweet treats, music and activities.
Hodinösŷö:nih Ways of Belief and the Handsome Lake Religion
January 18, 2025
Jamie Jacobs examined the ceremonial cycle of the Hodinösŷö:nih (Iroquois) people and how their ceremonies and religion were impacted by the coming of colonialism. The presentation highlighted the Seneca prophet, Handsome Lake, and his “Kaliwihyo,” or “Good Message,” and its influence through a tumultuous period of change at the beginning of the 19th century.
Director's Series: Dr. Thomas E. Chávez
January 15, 2025
Dr. Thomas E. Chávez is a prolific historian and author exploring Spanish America and its intersections in the fight for American independence, a topic of his forthcoming book, “Revolutionary Diplomacy: Spanish Statecraft and the Birth of the United States.” He is former executive director of the National Hispanic Culture Center in Albuquerque and Palace of the Governors State History Museum in Santa Fe. Learn more about the Director's Series.
Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design
May 11, 2024 - January 5, 2025
This traveling exhibition is an exploration of the history and culture of African and African American clothing through the lens of historical and futuristic costume design by Academy Award winning designer Ruth E. Carter. The exhibition included not only costumes from Carter’s Marvel film work but JYF historical content, artifacts and examples of historical clothing work from Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
Master Storyteller - Perry Ground
December 28-29, 2024
As the new year approached, visitors joined us for a storytelling presentation by Master Storyteller, Perry Ground, filled with traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) legends that have been told for hundreds of years. The stories teach about the beliefs, customs and history of the Haudenosaunee people.
Christmastide in Virginia
December 20-31, 2024
Christmastide in Virginia at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offered a glimpse of 17th- and 18th-century holiday traditions through interpretive programs and demonstrations. Visitors enjoyed festive fun with period musical entertainment at both museums. Learn more about this holiday event.
Candlelight Christmas
December 14, 2024
Families and friends delighted in the holidays of yesteryear with a blend of today's traditions at Candlelight Christmas at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. At this kid-friendly celebration of the holidays, families met Santa, made Christmas crafts and heard holiday stories in the warm, modern museum spaces dedicated to telling the revolutionary story of early Virginia.
Conflict Between Church & State: An Audience with King Henry VIII
December 12, 2024
Visitors enjoyed a one act production that encompassed the ending of King Henry VIII's first marriage, to Aragon, the marriage to Boleyn, the break with Rome, the dissolution of the monasteries, the rebellion in the north and, collectively, the impact upon his Realm and people. Learn about our Talking History Lecture series.
Museum Store Sunday
December 1, 2024
In time for the holiday season, Museum Shops at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown joined museum stores worldwide on Sunday, December 1, for Museum Store Sunday – offering a special 20 percent discount on total in-store purchases.
Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia
November 29-30, 2024
Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, culinary practices of 17th-and 18th-century Virginia were featured during a two-day event at both Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Learn more about this holiday event.
Director’s Series - Dr. Ed Ayers
November 20, 2024
Ed Ayers is a two-time Bancroft prize-winning historian, University of Richmond professor and president emeritus, and former University of Virginia Dean of Arts and Sciences. He has been honored as National Professor of the Year and received the National Humanities Medal in 2012. Learn more about the Director's Series.
Veterans Day Commemoration
November 11, 2024
Participate in a ceremony at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, including an artillery salute, to mark the service of military veterans, past and present. All veterans, active duty, reserve and retired military personnel and up to three direct family members can enjoy free admission at both Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Learn more about free military admission on select dates.
Legacies of the Revolution with Hasan Jeffries
November 9, 2024
Join historian, teacher, and writer, Hasan Kwame Jeffries for a discussion of the some of the many legacies of the American Revolution. In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution, this program will invite participants to consider how our understanding of history shapes modern society, how we develop a collective memory, and tracing our present world through the past.
Colonial Tea Ball
November 8, 2024
Bring your dancing shoes and a revolutionary spirit to keep in step with ballroom dances of the 18th century for a Colonial Tea Ball on November 8, 7-10 p.m. at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The evening affair is among the Virginia American Revolution 250 commemorative events November 4-10 that pay tribute to Yorktown’s very own Tea Party in 1774.
Family Frights
October 25-26, 2024
Explore Jamestown Settlement after hours in a unique Halloween-themed event designed especially for children and families featuring characters, fun scares, crafts, trick-or-treating, haunted houses and decorated ships. Learn more about this event.
Yorktown Victory Celebration
October 19, 2024
The 243rd anniversary of America’s momentous 1781 Revolutionary War victory at Yorktown was celebrated at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown with artillery firings, military programs and music. Visitors interacted with Revolutionary War re-enactors and took part in interpretive demonstrations. Learn more.
JYF Giving Day
October 19, 2024
This one-day fundraising drive offered a unique opportunity to show support for preserving and sharing America's history. JYF’s community of supporters and friends, longtime and new, celebrated Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown with their gifts. #GiveJYF.
Director’s Series - Dr. Julian Zelizer
October 16, 2024
Julian E. Zelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University, a New York Times best-selling author, CNN political analyst and a regular guest on NPR’s “Here and Now.” His latest book is "Myth America." Learn more about the Director's Series.
Afrofuturist Afternoon and Symbolism & Storytelling with Ruth E. Carter
October 5, 2024
Visitors were invited to drop in for hands-on programs focused on fiber art and crafts related to the stories told through Ruth E. Carter's costumes. Afterwards, Ruth E. Carter was in conversation with author Ytasha Womack in the Robins Foundation Theater which was followed by a reception in the Great Hall with musicians from Hampton University and a book signing.
Shawnee Encampment
September 28-29, 2024
Cultural educators from the Shawnee and other federally recognized nations presented interactive programs to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Lord Dunmore’s War, a 1774 conflict between Virginia and the Shawnee, Seneca-Cayuga and Delaware nations. A Shawnee family living-history encampment highlighted seasonal cycles of living with demonstrations of finger-weaving, woodworking and traditional cooking. A Shawnee warrior’s encampment illustrated battle tactics, prisoner taking, and captivity and adoption.
Picnic on the Pier
September 20, 2024
Attendees enjoyed an evening of blues, barbecue and stunning sunset views during the Jamestown Settlement Picnic on the Pier. Set along a picturesque backdrop of the James River waterfront, guests spent time with friends savoring delicious barbecue and beverages from Williamsburg favorites Old City BBQ and The Virginia Beer Company. Live music from Virginia's Blues Ambassador had toes tapping, fingers popping and hips shaking to the sounds of The Bobby BlackHat Band.
Constitution Day & Civics Week
September 15 -20, 2024
For Constitution Day, September 17, and Virginia Civics Week, September 15 -20, visitors explored how legacies from early America continue to shape and impact the present. Special programming examined the role of civic engagement in forging a deeper understanding of the world, its people and ourselves. Activities included building a constitution, reflecting on the impact of the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution in our daily lives and a timed escape-room experience!
Director’s Series - Dr. Ned Blackhawk
September 18, 2024
Ned Blackhawk, an enrolled member of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada, discussed how the historical past impacts the shift among Indigenous communities, including population increases, political activism and social movements. He is the Howard R. Lamar Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University, co-director of the NYU-Yale American Indian Sovereignty Project and winner of the National Book Award. Learn more about the Director's Series.
History Makers Dinner: A Tribute to Nick's Seafood Pavilion
September 7, 2024
Guests joined members of The Mathews Legacy Society and The 1607 Society for a special themed Nick’s Seafood Pavilion fundraising dinner, featuring a one-night special exhibition preview of artifacts celebrating the lives and philanthropy of the late Nick and Mary Mathews, beloved Yorktown restauranteurs and donors of the land where the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown now sits.
The Ancestor's Future: An Afrofuturist's Journey Through Time
September 7-8, 2024
Cheyney McKnight, artist, historian, and founder/owner of “Not Your Momma’s History” shared a curated experience through Black America’s past to an imagined future. McKnight welcomed visitors to Jamestown Settlement's Presentation Hall to view her artwork, photographs and clothing and engage in conversation. She also presented a lecture on her work.
Homeschool Family Days
August 31 - September 15, 2024
Homeschool students enjoyed discovering the sights and sounds of the 17th and 18th centuries while learning about their nation’s history. Education stations at each museum allowed families to interact with educators as they explored a variety of historical topics. Homeschool families can get a combination ticket for both Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown at a special rate during Homeschool Family Days. Tickets include unlimited admission to visit both museums as many times as you like.
First Africans Commemoration
August 17, 2024
An afternoon of reflection, artistic expression and community conversation at Jamestown Settlement honoring the first recorded Africans brought to Virginia in 1619. Learn more about this commemorative event.
History & Cosplay: A Match Made in Imagination
August 10, 2024
Inspired by Jamestown Settlement's Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design special exhibition, “History & Cosplay: A Match Made in Imagination” featured a presentation by Shasta Schatz, a reception with light hors d'oeuvres and a chance to mingle and explore the Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design special exhibition. Guests were encouraged to wear their own costumes, whether inspired by history, sci-fi, Afrofuturism, superheroes or good old-fashioned make-believe. The festivities concluded with a costume parade and contest with prizes awarded to audience favorites!
Family Day: Storytelling at Jamestown Settlement
August 3, 2024
Jamestown Settlement presented “Storytelling Family Day,” allowing families to delve into a variety of interactive programs from storytelling sessions to make-and-take crafts. Craft activities and storytelling sessions were presented throughout the day, featuring Indigenous stories by Felicity Meza-Luna (Lakota) and African American stories by Sheila Arnold.
Lafayette 1824 Grand Tour Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit
June 10 - August 1, 2024
In partnership with The American Friends of Lafayette, a traveling exhibit chronicled the story of the Marquis de Lafayette, “America’s favorite fighting Frenchman” during the bicentennial of Lafayette's 1824 Grand Tour of America retracing his route through 24 states as a “guest of the Nation.” Exhibit panels were on display in the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown lobby.
Cosplay Maker's Day
July 27, 2024
Inspired by Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation's Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design special exhibition, experienced JYF staff and cosplay enthusiasts shared how to create budget-friendly props and accessories for costumes.
Veteran cosplayers and beginners alike attended a free panel discussion on DIY costume, makeup and prop-making and learned how to create cosplay on a budget and add pizzaz to any outfit with a few tweaks and accessories. Following the discussion, panelists presented hands-on make-and-take workshops creating costume props and accessories.
Summer History Camps
June 17 - July 25, 2024
History camps at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offered multiday on-site educational programs designed to inspire engagement with early American history. Programs were available for Pre-K through Grade 3.
John Ragosta: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle
July 6, 2024
Historian John Ragosta discussed Patrick Henry's final political campaign in 1799 and how his untimely death was a critical step in Thomas Jefferson’s being elected president. Ragosta’s book “For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle,” tells the story of the hyper-partisanship of the 1790s that almost destroyed the nation prior to the “Revolution of 1800.” Guests heard how Henry, the man who had led antifederalist opposition to the U.S. Constitution, came out of retirement to defend the constitution that he had opposed and in the process helped to define the role of a “loyal opposition.” Watch videos of past lectures.
Liberty Celebration
July 4, 2024
Our Fourth of July Liberty Celebration saluted the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offered a special lineup to mark the patriotic occasion. Visitors enjoyed interpretive programs, artillery demonstrations and learned about the challenges that faced our nation’s founders, including those who signed the Declaration of Independence, and those for whom the new nation’s rights of freedom and liberty did not yet apply. Learn more.
Civic Season: A More Perfect Union
June 22, 2024
On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, a special art program engages visitors in examining the American identity, understanding and relationship with the American Revolution. Guests were encouraged to bring an old T-shirt to upcycle into art while exploring the works of Oscar de Mejo during the 1976 bicentennial to inspire personal art to celebrate 250 years of United States history. This Civic Season program was included with American Revolution Museum at Yorktown admission.
Mali Mud Cloth Design - Make & Take
June 22, 2024
As part of the Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design special exhibition, guests were invited to make their own Mali mud cloth design on a small muslin bag with artist and costume designer Nfon Asuquo during a drop-in workshop. The activity took place outdoors in the Zadarlik-Sogoloff Gazebo at Jamestown Settlement.
Civic Season: A Conversation between Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Rollison
June 20, 2024
Bill Barker, world renowned for his depiction of Thomas Jefferson, and James Cameron, a historian who has brought Black entrepreneur John Rollison back to life, presented their 18th-century personas to discuss citizenship in the new nation. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Executive Director Christy Coleman moderated the discussion between these two gentlemen as they explored the complexities and understandings of who had citizenship rights in the early Republic.
Prelude to Juneteenth: Emancipation on the Virginia Peninsula
June 16, 2024
Join us at Jamestown Settlement for thought-provoking history and performances exploring the precarious nature of freedom from 17th-century Jamestown to Juneteenth. "Prelude to Juneteenth" reflects on this history, exploring the strategy and complications, and the joys and challenges of ending chattel slavery on the Virginia Peninsula and throughout the United States. Learn more about this event.
An Evening with the Tudor Tailor
June 7, 2024
The public attended a special presentation on historical clothing with The Tudor Tailor. The Tudor Tailor team, based in the United Kingdom, aims to provide research, resources and inspiration for people who enjoy learning about 16th-century dress for fun, for educational projects, for re-enactment events, for heritage sites, for stage plays and for screen productions. The collaborative team specializes in the social history of dress with practical guidance on reconstructing historic clothing for interpretive projects. They combine meticulous research with an irreverent attitude offering scholarly information with a sense of humor.
Ways of Being: Evolving Religion and America
May 31 - June 1, 2024
“Ways of Being: Evolving Religion and America” Symposium examined religion and the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples, Africans and Europeans who converged under European colonialism in early America. Through the symposium, participants engaged with religion scholars, museum professionals and our surrounding communities to explore the role of religion in early America and connections to the present day.
Jamestown Day
May 18, 2024
The 417th anniversary of the 1607 founding of Jamestown was marked with an artillery salute, maritime demonstrations and interpretive programs. Visitors learned about the 1607 founding of Jamestown and the convergence of the Virginia Indian, English and West Central African cultures in 17th-century Virginia through expansive exhibits and outdoor living-history experiences. Learn more about this commemorative event.
JYF Giving Day
May 18, 2024
JYF Giving Day is a one-day fundraising drive, giving supporters from around the country a unique opportunity to come together online to show their support for JYF. Join JYF’s community of supporters and friends, longtime and new, as we celebrate Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and our shared commitment to preserving the stories of America’s past.
World Bee Day
May 18, 2024
The museum shops at Jamestown Settlement celebrated “World Bee Day” with honeybee-related activities and vendor presentations. The event honored the 402nd anniversary of the first recorded honeybees in North America. European honeybees most familiar to people today are not native to the continent, and they first landed in Virginia in 1622 when the Virginia Company of London sent a ship carrying the first beehives.
Director’s Series - Ruth E. Carter
May 11, 2024
Ruth Carter is a two-time Academy Award-winning American costume designer for film and television, best known for her collaborations with Spike Lee, Ryan Coogler, Steven Spielberg and Ava DuVernay. Her visit coincides with the May 2024 opening of her “Afrofuturism in Costume Design” exhibit at Jamestown Settlement. Learn more about the Director's Series.
Indigenous Arts Day
May 4, 2024
At Jamestown Settlement, visitors celebrated traditional and contemporary art forms with demonstrations and performances from Indigenous artists, as a reminder of the presence and resilience of Native American communities since the arrival of colonists at Jamestown in 1607. Learn more about this event.
Family Day at Jamestown Settlement
April 6, 2024
Springtime is planting time at Jamestown Settlement, where families can dig into a variety of interactive programs highlighting the importance of agriculture in early America. Special hands-on demonstrations of 17th-century planting techniques and tools were offered throughout the day and a make-and-take craft activity allowed young visitors to create and decorate their own historical seed packets to carry seeds to plant at home.
Talking History Lecture - Lauren Muney
April 6, 2024
Lauren Muney of "Silhouettes By Hand" is one of only 20 artists in the world working in the traditional trade of cutting silhouette portraits with only scissors, without drawing in advance or tracing shadows. Learn more about the Talking History Lecture Series.
Director’s Series - Joe McGill
March 20, 2024
Joe McGill has a 30-year career in public history. He is founder of the Slave Dwelling Project, which allows people to sleep in extant slave dwellings to raise awareness and preservation of these often-neglected structures. His book "Sleeping with the Ancestors" was released in 2023. Learn more about the Director's Series.
Military Through the Ages
March 16-17, 2024
This unique chronological display of military history at Jamestown Settlement allows visitors to interact with military re-enactors depicting armed forces from over the centuries to modern day soldiers. Visitors are invited to explore military encampments to learn how uniforms, weapons and tactics evolved through the centuries. Learn more about this time-honored event.
Tag, Rag and Bobtail
March 2, 2024
During the American Revolution, logistical support for the army was often provided by women who accompanied family members to war. These women followed in the men's footsteps, ate the same food, suffered the same weather, and withstood the same dangers. Who were these women? An acclaimed theatrical performance drawn from first-hand accounts of the time including diaries, pension records, newspapers and letters explored this question. Written and performed by Emma Cross and Emily Doherty Courson. Learn more about the Talking History Lecture Series.
Director’s Series - Education Secretary Guidera
January 17, 2024
Aimee R. Guidera is the Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia, overseeing public education from early childhood to postsecondary learning. During her 35-year career, she has championed high expectations for every student and the changes needed to deliver on that commitment. Learn more about the Director's Series.
"Cultural Pillar: Reign Trinity" Unveiling
January 20, 2024
The public is invited to attend the unveiling of a community art project titled “Cultural Pillar: Reign Trinity” in Jamestown Settlement's Ferguson Lobby. The sculpture was created during a 2023 Reign & Rebellion special exhibition program at Jamestown Settlement by artist Steve Prince, with artistic contributions from over 80 museum visitors.
Talking History Lecture & Workshop
January 13, 2024
Deborah Wilkinson, a citizen of Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe and owner of Adamstown Gourds & Such, presented a 45-minute talk on the Indigenous cultivation and use of gourds as practical objects and for artistic expression. Learn more about the Talking History Lecture Series.