Jamestown Settlement

The replica ships of America's first permanent English settlement, plus a Powhatan village and colonial fort, on the banks where it all started.

The experience

The Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery are the centrepiece, and boarding them is the part you'll remember. Standing on the deck of the Susan Constant and picturing 104 passengers crossing the Atlantic in that space gives you something no gallery can. The reconstructed Powhatan village and the colonial fort fill out the outdoor experience, and the indoor museum galleries cover the rest. The site is distinct from Historic Jamestowne, the actual archaeological site managed by the National Park Service, which sits nearby and is worth visiting if time allows. For anyone already exploring Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement extends the historical narrative back another 170 years.

Logistics

Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., last tickets at 4:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Three to four hours fills it comfortably. $30 adult, $15 youth aged 6 to 12, free under 5. A combo ticket with the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is available if you have more time. Wear shoes that can handle unpaved paths. A natural pairing with an afternoon round at Kingsmill or Golden Horseshoe.