Self-guided Tours at Jamestown Settlement

Groups that wish to visit Jamestown Settlement on their own are welcome to do so and are encouraged to explore the museum's exhibition galleries, film and outdoor living-history areas. Allow at least two hours to visit the museum. Advance reservations are requested.

Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled visit time to register and allow students to use the facilities.

Designate one person to be responsible for payment. One payment is required for the entire group. Proceed to the museum lobby to pay for your visit.

Students should tour in groups, and adults must accompany students while touring. This facilitates safety and enhances the educational content of the tour, while making it easier for costumed interpreters in the living-history areas to identify group tours and engage them in hands-on activities and historical interpretation.

Please ask students to be respectful of exhibits and animals, so that all visitors may enjoy a positive experience.

Sample itinerary for a Jamestown Settlement Self-Guided Visit 

Visit Jamestown Settlement on a self-guided walking tour. We recommended allowing 2 and 1/2 hours for the tour.

• Start your visit by viewing the award-winning introductory film, "Jamestown: A Nation Takes Root," shown every half-hour on the hour and half-hour.
• Next, visit the extensive indoor gallery featuring the Powhatan Indians, West Central Africans and the English settlers, their origins and interactions in 17th-century Virginia.
• Outdoors, your group can experience what life was like in a Powhatan Indian village, board full-size replicas of the three ships that brought the first English settlers to Virginia, scrape a log canoe in the Riverfront Discovery Area, and discover the challenges faced by English settlers in the re-created James Fort. In each area, take advantage of opportunities for hands-on activities and interact with costumed interpreters who will demonstrate and explain aspects of daily life in early 17th-century Virginia.
• After your tour, visit the Jamestown Settlement gift shop.

The Jamestown Settlement Cafe offers a varied menu, or call ahead (757-253-2571) to order student box lunches. Picnic tables are available outdoors on a first-come, first-served basis.