CURATOR TOURS EXAMINE ARTIFACTS, HISTORY, RE-CREATED SETTINGS IN JAMETOWN SETTLEMENT GALLERIES

February 1, 2008        

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Curator-led tours on Saturdays, Feb. 16, March 15 and Aug. 2 will provide a comprehensive look at the history, artifacts and re-created structures in Jamestown Settlement’s expansive year-old exhibition galleries.

The 75-minute tours, offered at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., explore the Powhatan Indian, English and African homeland cultures and their interaction in 17th-century Virginia and other key gallery themes, including early industries and evolution of societal institutions.

The galleries, which debuted at the state-operated history museum in October 2006, provide a setting for one of the most varied collections of objects relating to the nation’s beginnings in 17th-century Virginia. More than 500 artifacts, including portraits, documents, furnishings, toys, ceremonial and decorative objects, tools and weapons, are integrated into a 30,000-square-foot setting that features three-dimensional life-size structures, audio and lighting effects, and small-theater presentations.  Exhibits set the stage for the founding of America’s first permanent English colony in 1607 and examine the impact of the Jamestown settlement.

The galleries and an introductory film, “1607: A Nation Takes Root,” complement the museum’s historical interpretive program at outdoor re-creations of a Powhatan Indian village, the three English ships that arrived in Virginia in 1607 and a colonial fort. A riverfront discovery area highlights 17th-century water travel, commerce and cultural exchange.

Jamestown Settlement is located at State Route 31 and the Colonial Parkway next to Historic Jamestowne, administered by APVA Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  The curator tours are included with general admission of $13.50 for adults and $6.25 for ages 6 through 12.  Pre-registration is available for the tours at (757) 253-4970 or rsvp.tours@jyf.virginia.gov.

Virginia residents with proof of residency qualify for a 50 percent discount off general admission to Jamestown Settlement on weekends in February. 
Jamestown Settlement is administered by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, a Virginia state agency accredited by the American Association of Museums.

For more information, call (888) 593-4682 toll-free or (757) 253-4838.

2/2008