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.
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.
After Angelo
February 24, 2024
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 culminated 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 the After Angelo event.
2024 Black Artist Showcase
February 1-29, 2024
The annual Black Artist Showcase, was on extended view throughout February 2024. It connected the past and present through vivid intersections of contemporary art and 17th-century history. Once limited to one weekend, Black Artist Showcase now complement museum gallery exhibits, films and education programs on African and African American history in early Virginia. The theme for the showcase this year was “the beauty of our lives.” Learn more about the Black Artist Showcase.
Black Artist Showcase opening reception
February 3, 2024
Attendees celebrated the opening of the Black Artist Showcase with live music by Akeylah Simone, a spoken-word performance by artist Clayton Singleton, and reflections on the fourth year of the showcase from artist Austin “Auz” Miles. They met some of the artists featured in this year’s showcase and viewed over 30 works of art. Keeping with this year’s theme “the beauty of our lives,” guests were encouraged to “dress beautifully” for this memorable evening. Learn more about the Black Artist Showcase.
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 and reserve your seat.
"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.
Christmastide in Virginia
December 16-31, 2023
Christmastide in Virginia at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offers a glimpse of 17th- and 18th-century holiday traditions through interpretive programs and demonstrations. Enjoy festive fun with period musical entertainment at both museums. Museums closed December 25. Learn more about this holiday event.
Talking History Lecture Series
December 2, 2023
Lord Dunmore’s War was considered the last of the colonial wars. This presentation examined the causes and consequences of this conflict while placing it in the context of the 60-year war for independence fought by the Native peoples of the “Ohio country." Travis Henline has spent a career in public history and museums. He currently serves as the curator of Indigenous History and Culture for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Learn more about the Talking History Lecture Series.
Museum Store Sunday
November 26, 2023
In time for the holiday season, Museum Shops at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown joined museum stores worldwide on Sunday, November 26, for Museum Store Sunday – offering a special 20 percent discount on total in-store purchases. All purchases support the educational mission of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Learn about our Museum Shops.
Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia
November 24-25, 2023
Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, culinary practices of 17th-and 18th-century Virginia were featured during this two-day event at both Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Learn more about this holiday event.
Director’s Series
November 15, 2023
Guests joined Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, as she engaged in lively and enlightening conversations with some of the nation’s prominent scholars and public figures to bring into full view JYF’s mission to raise awareness and understanding of the shared legacies of American history. Learn more about the Director's Series and reserve your seat.
Veterans Day Commemoration
November 11, 2023
A ceremony at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, including an artillery salute, marked the service of military veterans, past and present. All veterans, active duty, reserve and retired military personnel and up to three direct family members enjoyed free admission at both Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Learn more about free military admission on select dates.
Family Frights
October 20-21, 2023
Families explored 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 14, 2023
Attendees 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.
Reign & Rebellion Special Exhibition
November 5, 2022 - September 19, 2023
Reign & Rebellion Special Exhibition explored Virginia through the lens of the Stuart monarchy, whose royal foothold impacted and influenced early America and shaped the struggles and determination of those who lived in the colony in the 17th and 18th centuries. This dynamic special exhibition spanned the centuries across both museums and made connections between the past and our present, to illuminate how the Stuarts — and their legacies in Virginia — are closer than you think. Learn more about this special exhibition.
An Evening with Diana Gabaldon
September 16, 2023
The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown welcomed “Outlander” author Diana Gabaldon for an exclusive appearance and book-signing event at 6 p.m. Saturday, September 16, 2023. In connection with the Reign & Rebellion special exhibition, Gabaldon’s nine-volume historical fiction novels capture numerous ties to the Royal Stuarts’ reign and legacy as well as the American Revolution.
Tribal Truths Exhibition
May 11 - September 10, 2023
The “Tribal Truths” Exhibition featured artwork from the "Tribal Truths" podcast’s logo competition submitted by Indigenous artists with winning entries selected by Virginia tribal leaders. It was on display in the Elmon and Pam Gray Presentation Hall at Jamestown Settlement. Each episode of “Tribal Truths,” an audio documentary podcast, features a tribal member host and members of Virginia’s Indigenous communities who take you to ancestral places as they tell their own stories.
Counter Cultures: Rebellion
September 2, 2023
Conflict and compromise are inherent in the convergence of new and different ideas and cultures. Whether expressed through music, fashion, art, politics or protest, rebellions throughout history have given voice to people who feel they aren’t being heard. Rebellion can raise awareness and sometimes establish nations. At the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, visitors explored rebellious ideas of the past and present and enjoyed music, art and stories of counter culture.
First Africans Commemoration
August 19, 2023
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.
Outlander Trivia Night
July 29, 2023
"Outlander" fans formed teams and pit wits in this Reign & Rebellion-inspired evening of time-hopping trivia at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Fans of Diana Gabaldon’s epic saga also participated in an "Outlander" costume contest.
Civic Season
June 14 - July 4, 2023
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 in June and July to engage younger generations in the role of American democracy. Learn more about how to get involved in Civic Season.
Liberty Celebration
July 4, 2023
Visitors saluted the 247th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring immersive gallery exhibits, films, interactives, and special interpretive programs and artillery demonstrations at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Learn more about this event.
Prelude to Juneteenth
June 14, 2023
Jamestown Settlement presented an afternoon of reflection and performance to mark the end of slavery in the United States. Although Juneteenth springs from events that happened in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, the event celebrated liberation from a system of slavery with origins in Jamestown, Va., where the first recorded Africans in 1619 were brought after landing at Old Point Comfort and where the first slave laws enacted in the mid-17th century impacted the lives and status of Africans and their descendants. Learn more about this commemorative event.
Who Conspires?
May 27 and June 2, 2023
As the sun sets, guests raced against the clock to solve a murder and save James Fort in this updated version of Jamestown Settlement’s immersive escape-room murder-mystery. They explored three re-created 17th-century buildings, solving puzzles, questioning suspects, and seeking clues to stop a murderer and protect the fort. New storylines, suspects and even a few new puzzles made this an experience you do not want to miss. Learn more about the Reign & Rebellion Special Exhibition.
Director’s Series
May 17, 2023
The Director's Series returned for its second season, as Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, engages in lively and enlightening conversations with some of the nation’s prominent scholars and public figures that bring into full view JYF’s mission to raise awareness and understanding of the shared legacies of American history. Learn more about the Director's Series.
Indigenous Arts Day
May 13, 2023
At Jamestown Settlement, guests 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.
Jamestown Day
May 13, 2023
Visitors marked the 416th anniversary of the 1607 founding of Jamestown with artillery salutes, maritime demonstrations and interpretive programs at Jamestown Settlement. Learn more about this commemorative event.
Counter Cultures: Reign
April 22, 2023
Power structures of the Indigenous, European and West Central African cultures and their impact on 17th-century Virginia are the focus as guests explore Reign & Rebellion at Jamestown Settlement, intertwined with a day of lively presentations and interactive sessions. Discover how key events influenced paramount chief Powhatan’s rule and the leadership of his successors. Examine the Royal Stuarts’ policies that shaped English expectations and experiences in the Virginia colony, and explore how African rulers in Ndongo resisted colonialism. Learn more about Reign & Rebellion programs.
Talking History Lecture Series
April 13, 2023
Two-time Emmy nominated filmmaker Andrew Buckley shared his story of discovery retracing the remarkable American journeys of his ancestor Stephen Hopkins. In 1609, Hopkins was bound for Virginia aboard the Sea Venture, which shipwrecked in Bermuda. He later lived at Jamestown until 1614, returned to England, and six years later, brought his family back to America aboard the Mayflower. Buckley shared excerpts from his documentary film “Stephano” which retraces Hopkins’ journeys to America. Learn more about the lecture series.
Military Through the Ages
March 18 - 19, 2023
This unique chronological display of military history at Jamestown Settlement will allow 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.
Director’s Series
March 15, 2023
The Director's Series returned for its second season, as Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, engages in lively and enlightening conversations with some of the nation’s prominent scholars and public figures that bring into full view JYF’s mission to raise awareness and understanding of the shared legacies of American history. Learn more about the Director's Series.
Talking History Lecture Series
March 4, 2023
Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown are proud to host the “Talking History Lecture Series,” offering free public lectures that link storylines found in the museums’ exhibition galleries and shares how these vast moments in America’s past influenced its progression to the present. Learn more about the lecture series.
After Angelo Black Artist Showcase
February 25, 2023
Celebrate 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 the After Angelo event.
Reign & Rebellion Revolutionaries Reception
February 23, 2023
Attendees enjoyed an exclusive look into Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation's special exhibition, Reign & Rebellion, and celebrated the re-launch of The Revolutionaries giving society. The after-hours event, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., was hosted in the Jamestown Settlement Robert V. Hatcher, Jr. Rotunda and offered signature cocktails and themed bites from The Hound's Tale gastropub. Learn more about donor events.
America’s Imperfect Tapestry
February 19, 2023
America still strives to weave the perfect tapestry where liberty and justice is available to all. Attendees explored the roots of inequity and inspiration for a better future through the Reign & Rebellion exhibition, and then they joined the commemoration of World Social Justice Day during a special afternoon program and learned about ways to weave a stronger American fabric through the lens of artistic expression. An “Art, Empowerment and Advocacy” program allowed participants to find their passion, express themselves and make a social justice statement using textiles, embellishments and found objects to create a frameable 12-inch by 12-inch art quilt. Learn more about Reign & Rebellion programs.
Talking History Lecture Series
February 4, 2023
Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown are proud to host the “Talking History Lecture Series,” offering free public lectures that link storylines found in the museums’ exhibition galleries and shares how these vast moments in America’s past influenced its progression to the present. Learn more about the lecture series.
An Evening with Xavier Foley and Eunice Kim, with The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra Music Director Michael Butterman
February 1, 2023
Presented in the dramatic "From Africa to Virginia" gallery, the evening program featured a performance by guest soloists Xavier Foley and Eunice Kim, followed by a conversation centered on Foley’s original composition “For Justice and Peace,” which will be performed February 2 with The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra. “For Justice and Peace” was created to mark 400 years of slavery in America. Foley shared his inspiration for the piece in conversation with The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra music director Michael Butterman and took questions from the audience.
Burns & Booze
January 28, 2023
Attendees enjoyed an after-hours look at the Reign & Rebellion special exhibition at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. They then stepped into a cozy evening of rebellious inspiration to learn more about “The Glorious Revolution” that dethroned a king, the Jacobite Rebellions, Robert Burns and the politics of poetry. The event highlighted the life, poetry and inspiration of Robert Burns with a whisky and scotch tasting. Guests signed up to share their own rebellious verse during an open-mic experience. Learn more about Reign & Rebellion events.
Director’s Series
January 18, 2023
The Director's Series returned for its second season, as Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, engages in lively and enlightening conversations with some of the nation’s prominent scholars and public figures that bring into full view JYF’s mission to raise awareness and understanding of the shared legacies of American history. Learn more about the Director's Series.
Museum Store Sunday
November 27, 2022
In time for the holiday season, Museum Shops at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown will join museum stores worldwide on Sunday, November 27, for Museum Store Sunday – offering a special 20-percent discount on total in-store purchases. All purchases support the educational mission of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia
November 25 - 26, 2022
At the Thanksgiving holiday, visitors explored centuries-old culinary practices and cooking techniques of 17th- and 18th-century Virginia during a two-day event, Friday and Saturday, November 25 and 26.
Director’s Series - Shannon LaNier
November 16, 2022
Shannon LaNier is a veteran TV host, author and social media influencer who’s been keeping audiences tuned in for decades. He also happens to be the 6th great-grandson of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. He joined us for the year’s final Director’s Series program and discussed the role and responsibility of journalism and media in American discourse, as well as our shared but complicated legacies with the approach of the 250th commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“Who Conspires?” An Immersive Mystery Experience
November 5, 2022
Some of the first visitors to explore the new special exhibition, “Reign and Rebellion,” joined an immersive, role-playing mystery game and performance based on the 1605 Gunpowder Plot. Over the course of the evening, in the fire-lit re-created James Fort, guests uncovered clues that identified the conspirators among them. The evening concluded with participants gathering to reveal the conspirators, learning more about the history of the Gunpowder Plot and enjoying a traditional “Guy Fawkes” bonfire. Learn more about Reign & Rebellion events.
Family Frights
October 21 - 22, 2022
“Family Frights” at Jamestown Settlement, a Halloween-themed museum night for children and families, returned with a scary good time. As the sun went down, the outdoor areas at Jamestown Settlement transformed into fantastical Halloween scenes offering a night of trick-or-treating, haunted houses, ghoulish games, face painting and fortune telling. Learn more.
Yorktown Victory Celebration
October 15, 2022
The Victory Celebration offered a salute to the 241st anniversary of America’s momentous Revolutionary War victory at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, with artillery firings, exhibits and interpretive programs. Learn more.
Picnic on the Pier
September 23, 2022
The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation held “Picnic on the Pier” at Jamestown Settlement on September 23, 2022, a special event to benefit museum education programs. Guests enjoyed the sunset on the beautiful Jamestown Settlement riverfront, savored a delicious personal charcuterie and dessert box from Lush Charcuterie, sipped on a selection of local beer from the Virginia Beer Company, and relaxed among period games and music of early Virginia. Guests also explored Jamestown Settlement’s flagship the Susan Constant during this special after-hours event. Learn more about donor events.
Director’s Series - Winona LaDuke
September 21, 2022
Winona LaDuke, a member of the Ojibwe Nation, is an internationally renowned activist working on issues of sustainable development, renewable energy and food systems. In conversation with Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, LaDuke discussed efforts to deploy Indigenous techniques to stem climate change. A 2007 inductee in the National Women’s Hall of Fame, LaDuke has written widely on Native American and environmental issues. An acclaimed author of five books, including “Recovering the Sacred, All Our Relations.”
Homeschool Family Days
September 3 - 18, 2022
Homeschool Family Days encouraged homeschooled students to discover 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 as well as critical thinking, primary source analysis and how historians use clues from the past to put together a historical narrative.