Explore the vital role of James River and other waterways in 17th-century travel, commerce and cultural exchange at the riverfront discovery area, where interpretive programs focus on Powhatan Indian, European and African traditions.

At discovery stations along a winding pathway, historical interpreters provide information about 17th-century piloting and navigation, boat-building techniques, methods of fishing, and the importance of trade between the Powhatan Indian, English and African cultures that came into contact at Jamestown. Learn about the production of commodities for export and the importance of tobacco as the cash crop led to the economic success of the Virginia colony.

Scrape out a tree trunk to make a Powhatan canoe, make a map, work at a carpenter’s bench, and examine trade items to learn about the objects considered valuable by each culture.