News Releases

Posted on December 29, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., December 29, 2015 – An array of public programs complements the Jamestown Settlement exhibit “Clayton & Catesby: Botanical Virginia,” which continues through February 28, 2016. The exhibit explores documentation of native plants by naturalist Mark Catesby and botanist John Clayton in the 18th century and the Flora of Virginia Project in the 21st century. Among objects on dis

Posted on December 8, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., December 8, 2015 — The story of the Sea Venture and the shared history and links between Jamestown and Bermuda – England’s first two permanent colonies in the New World – will be set to music during an evening concert presented by an ensemble of The Williamsburg Symphonia in Jamestown Settlement’s Robins Foundation Theater at 7 p.m. Monday, January 25. The program includes th

Posted on December 1, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., November 30, 2015 – The first of four public lectures connected to the Jamestown Settlement exhibit “Clayton & Catesby: Botanical Virginia” takes place on Thursday, December 10. Marion Blois Lobstein, professor emerita of biology at Northern Virginia Community College, will present “Fantastic Voyages: Plants of the Virginia Colony” at 4:30 p.m. in Jamestown Settlement’s Robi

Posted on November 30, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., November 24, 2015 – Janet Kane has been named senior retail operations manager at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, with responsibility for overall operations, merchandising and product development for the gift shops at Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center living-history museums and the online retail component at www.shophistoryisfun.com. She also will administer fo

Posted on November 18, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., November 18, 2015—History makes the holidays fun at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center during “A Colonial Christmas,” December 1, 2015, through January 3, 2016. The monthlong event explores 17th- and 18th-century holiday traditions with interpretive programs and, December 26-31, musical entertainment of the period. The two living-history museums tell the sto

Posted on November 10, 2015, by Deana Ricks

[caption id="attachment_16987" align="alignleft" width="214"] Black Walnut and American Redstart, Mark Catesby, 18th century, hand-colored engraving. Courtesy of the Garden Club of Virginia.[/caption] WILLIAMSBURG, Va., November 9, 2015 – The beauty and variety of Virginia plant life is showcased in a three-month exhibit opening December 5 at Jamestown Settlement, a state-operated museum of 17t

Posted on November 6, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., November 6, 2015 — Savor the Thanksgiving holiday by exploring centuries-old cooking and preservation methods during Jamestown Settlement’s and Yorktown Victory Center’s “Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia,” November 26-28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This annual three-day event begins on Thanksgiving Day. At Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia, discover how foo

Posted on November 3, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., November 3, 2015 – Allan Finger of Williamsburg and James White Rawles, Jr., M.D., of Virginia Beach have been elected to the Board of Directors of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit entity that coordinates fundraising to benefit programs of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, a Virginia state agency that administers Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victor

Posted on October 30, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., October 30, 2015 — Historical holiday fun awaits at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, where visitors can experience holidays of centuries past during seasonal events “Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia” in November and “A Colonial Christmas” in December.  During the holiday season and throughout the year, visitors of all ages can enjoy the museums’ galle

Posted on October 26, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., October 22, 2015 – Timothy P. Dykstra of Williamsburg was appointed by Virginia Governor Terence R. McAuliffe for a term through June 2019 to the Board of Trustees of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, a Virginia state agency that operates Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center history museums and conducts outreach education programs in public schools across the state.

Posted on October 15, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., October 15, 2015– “Family Frights at Jamestown Settlement,” a Halloween-theme museum night for elementary-school-age children, returns Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24.  Trick-or-treating, ghostly tales, grizzly games and a spooky straw maze are among activities offered from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on both dates. [caption id="attachment_16618" align="alignleft" width="183"] Cost

Posted on October 6, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., October 6, 2015 — The 234th anniversary of America’s decisive Revolutionary War victory at Yorktown will be marked with a variety of engaging hands-on military interpretive programs and tours on Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, at Yorktown Battlefield and the Yorktown Victory Center.  A patriotic parade and commemorative ceremony will be held on Monday, October 19 – Yorktown

Posted on September 29, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., September 28, 2015 – A $100,000 grant from the James City County Board of Supervisors supports a trade-themed special exhibition and holiday programming at Jamestown Settlement living-history museum during the 2015-16 fiscal year. The grant provides funding for “Bartering for a Continent: How Anglo-Indian Trade Shaped America,” opening June 4, 2016, as well as “Foods & Feast

Posted on September 25, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., September 24, 2015 – Planning by the 2019 Commemoration Steering Committee for the 400th anniversary of four landmark events in Virginia history is gaining momentum with the establishment of an organizational structure. The Steering Committee, co-chaired by Virginia Senator Thomas K. Norment, Jr., and Delegate M. Kirkland Cox, and comprised of state government representatives an

Posted on September 16, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., September 15, 2015 – Jamestown Settlement’s Godspeed departs September 17 on the first of two consecutive voyages. The 17th-century replica ship will sail up the James River to Henricus Historical Park, where it will be open for tours during Publick Days on September 19 and 20 and host prescheduled student groups September 21 and 22. A week after returning to Jamestown Settle

Posted on September 8, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., September 8, 2015 – George Washington, his life and legacy, will be the theme of a series of evening public lectures this fall at the Yorktown Victory Center, with authors of recent books speaking at 7 p.m. on September 24, October 20, October 27 and November 10. The series begins on Thursday, September 24, with “George Washington’s Second Revolution,” presented by Edward J. Lars

Posted on September 1, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., September 1, 2015 — When justices of the peace held court in the 18th century, outside of legal proceedings it was a time of fun among the townspeople who gathered for trade and festivities. Role-play trials and tax protests as well as period games and storytelling highlight “Court Days,” September 19 and 20, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American

Posted on August 20, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., August 20, 2015 – As the traditional school year gets underway, homeschool families can enjoy history lessons at Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia, and the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution, with special admission and hands-on programs and family tours available September 12-27. The two museums are administered by the Jamestown-Yo

Posted on August 18, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., August 18, 2015 – Kathy J. Spangler of Kilmarnock, a nationally recognized leader with more than 35 years of experience in public and non-profit management, most recently as vice president of Save the Children in Washington, D.C., has been named director of the 2019 Commemoration marking the 400th anniversary of four landmark events in Virginia history. In the new position, she

Posted on August 12, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., August 11, 2015 – A new exhibit at the Yorktown Victory Center provides a multimedia, interactive encounter with the permanent exhibition galleries and introductory film that will premiere in conjunction with the museum’s transition to American Revolution Museum at Yorktown in late 2016. The future galleries are under construction in a 22,000-square-foot space within an 80,000-sq

Posted on July 30, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., July 29, 2015 — The Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution, will offer a Tools of the American Revolution Seminar on Saturday, August 15, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Five sessions, covering historical topics from period cloth production to building construction, will be held in the museum’s education center classrooms. The seminar is $35, and advance registration is re

Posted on July 21, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., July 21, 2015 – Tools and technology of the 17th and 18th centuries will be explored in August at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center living-history museums during a “Tools of the Trade” theme month. ‘On the Riverfront’ at Jamestown Settlement August 1 & 2 [caption id="attachment_15686" align="alignright" width="300"] "On the Riverfront," August 1-2, allow

Posted on July 20, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., July 20, 2015 – John F. Biagas of Yorktown has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit entity that coordinates fundraising to benefit programs of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, a Virginia state agency that administers Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center history museums. Mr. Biagas is president and CE

Posted on June 29, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 29, 2015 – The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the state agency that administers Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center living-history museums, recognized 40 employees for reaching service milestones and 135 individuals for commitment to the Foundation’s volunteer program at a June 11 event. The Foundation also presented merit awards to three employees for outstand

Posted on June 18, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., June 18, 2015 — Salute the 239th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence during “Liberty Celebration” July 4-5 at the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days, visitors can observe tactical and artillery drills, take part in a variety of military exercises, and learn about the challenges that faced our nation’s founde

Posted on June 16, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 16, 2015 – The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation has openings in several children’s summer history camps at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, living-history museums that tell the story of America’s beginnings. Broadside Summer History Camps for children ages 4 through fifth grade on select dates in June and July and a new “School of the Musketeer” Camp at

Posted on June 2, 2015, by ciniva

1600s-Era Clothing Highlighted in June 27-28 Fashion Show Weekend WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 1, 2015 — Clothing, from single thread to whole garment, will be the focus of interpretive programs June 1-30 during “Fashion in Colonial Virginia” at Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center living-history museums. The month’s activities will culminate in “A Stitch in Time” period fashion show June

Posted on May 27, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., May 26, 2015 – Jamestown Settlement will hold an “International Blacksmiths’ Day Celebration” on Saturday, May 30, to honor the legacy of the blacksmith, an iron-working tradition in Virginia dating to 1607 when John Smith declared that the colony’s “best commoditie was Iron which we made into little chisels.” From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors can see modern blacksmiths from th

Posted on May 26, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., May 22, 2015 – In conjunction with the visit of the replica 18th-century French ship Hermione to Yorktown during the first weekend of June, the Yorktown Victory Center will offer an enhanced schedule of artillery demonstrations June 5-7, the first public performances of a new play on June 6, and a public lecture on June 7. The Yorktown Victory Center is a state-operated museum of th

Posted on May 14, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., May 13, 2015 – The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., the private fundraising arm of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, has launched the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown Campaign for Support. At a campaign kickoff event held May 12, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., President Clifford B. Fleet announced that the Campaign for Support has secured $10.4 million in sup

Posted on April 24, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., April 24, 2015 – Lyles Forbes, chief curator at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, will speak at Jamestown Settlement on Tuesday, May 5, about the topic of the ongoing special exhibition “Working and Racing on the Bay: The Chesapeake Log Canoe.” The free public lecture starts at 7 p.m. [caption id="attachment_14293" align="alignright" width="300"] This circa-1945 photograp

Posted on April 23, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., April 23, 2015 — On Saturday, May 9, Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown Settlement collaborate to offer a range of programs marking the 408th anniversary of the 1607 founding in Virginia of America’s first permanent English settlement. “Jamestown Day” features Historic Jamestowne’s ongoing archaeological discoveries of the 1607 fort and one of Jamestown Settlement’s ships

Posted on April 8, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., April 6, 2015 – A newly open building that will be the centerpiece of the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown – replacing the Yorktown Victory Center in late 2016 – will be showcased in a community open house on Sunday, April 19, with guided tours and light refreshments from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and free admission for residents of Gloucester, James City, Mathews and York counties an

Posted on March 30, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., March 30, 2015 – From private tours to vacation packages, there are a variety of ways to plan a visit this spring or summer to Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, living-history museums that tell the story of the nation’s beginnings through engaging experiences in gallery exhibits and outdoor re-created settings. At Jamestown Settlement, visitors can climb a

Posted on March 26, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., March 24, 2015 – British historian Stuart Peachey will present “Clothing of the Common People in Elizabethan and Jacobean England” at Jamestown Settlement on Tuesday, April 7. The free public lecture starts at 7 p.m. A specialist in the English Civil War and the history of food and clothing, Mr. Peachey is director of Historical Management Associates in Bristol, England, a li

Posted on March 18, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., March 18, 2015 – A Citizenship Ceremony for children of naturalized United States citizens will be held on Saturday, March 28, at Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia.  The event is hosted by the Williamsburg Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in partnership with U.S. Citizenship and Immi

Posted on March 13, 2015, by ciniva

MIDPOINT MILESTONE YORKTOWN, Va., March 12, 2015 – With the completion of an 80,000-square-foot building – a distinctive new Yorktown landmark – the Yorktown Victory Center has reached a midpoint milestone in its transformation into the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The Yorktown Victory Center and the museum replacement project are managed by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, a Vi

Posted on March 5, 2015, by ciniva

YORKTOWN, Va., March 5, 2015 – Lieutenant General Jonathon Riley, Ph.D., will speak at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, at the Yorktown Victory Center on the subject of his book “‘That Astonishing Infantry’: The History of The Royal Welch Fusiliers, 1689-2006.” General Riley, who earned a doctorate in Modern History from Cranfield University, served in the British Army from 1973 to 2009 and in the 19

Posted on March 3, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., March 2, 2015 — Hundreds of re-enactors depicting armed forces from the first century A.D. to modern times will come together for one weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22, for Jamestown Settlement’s “Military Through the Ages” event. This chronological display of military history, held each year at Jamestown Settlement since 1984, will feature more than 35 groups b

Posted on February 19, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., February 19, 2015 – The Richard S. Reynolds Foundation of Richmond has awarded a grant of $150,000 in support of the recent acquisition of a rare 1730s portrait of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo for exhibit at the future American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, replacing the Yorktown Victory Center.  The portrait is one of two known paintings of Diallo made in England by William Hoare, th

Posted on February 12, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. February 12, 2015 – T.J. Cardwell of Williamsburg and Terry E. Hall, Brian K. Skinner and Alexis Swann of Yorktown have been elected to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors. The Foundation, Inc., is a not-for-profit entity that coordinates fundraising to benefit programs of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, a Virginia state agency that administers Jamestow

Posted on February 2, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., February 2, 2015 – “African-American Musical Imprint Weekend,” February 14 and 15 at Jamestown Settlement, will showcase performances by “The Storyteller” Dylan Pritchett, the Northern Neck Chantey Singers and Legacy of Weyanoke. The music and storytelling weekend is a highlight of “From Africa to Virginia” month at the state-operated living-history museum, with gallery exhib

Posted on February 2, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., February 2, 2015 – A new museum building at the Yorktown Victory Center and a maritime special exhibition at Jamestown Settlement provide the backdrop for an array of special public programs throughout 2015. The two state-operated living-history museums tell the story of America’s beginnings through indoor films and exhibits and outdoor re-created settings: Powhatan Indian villa

Posted on January 15, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., January 13, 2015 – Paid visitation at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, living-history museums operated by the state’s Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, totaled 546,671 in 2014, a decrease of 2.4 percent from 2013. Admissions revenue amounted to $5,026,279 in 2014, down 2.5 percent. Paid attendance was 393,697 at Jamestown Settlement, 1.9 percent less than in

Posted on January 13, 2015, by ciniva

‘African-American Musical Imprint Weekend’ February 14-15 at Jamestown Settlement WILLIAMSBURG, Va., January 12, 2015 – February is “From Africa to Virginia” month at Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center history museums. Gallery exhibits and daily interpretive programs highlight the culture of the first recorded Africans in Virginia and the experience of people of African descent in

Posted on January 6, 2015, by ciniva

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., January 6, 2015 – The Garland and Agnes Taylor Gray Foundation, a supporting organization of The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia, has provided a grant of $150,000 in support of the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, planned to replace the Yorktown Victory Center in late 2016. In recent years the Gray Foundation has awarded grants totaling $259,000