Theme

The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, which replaced the Yorktown Victory Center in 2016, tells anew the story of the nation’s founding, from the twilight of the colonial period to the dawn of the Constitution and beyond. Comprehensive indoor exhibits and outdoor living history capture the transformational nature and epic scale of the Revolution and its relevance today.

Location

On Route 1020 in Yorktown; adjacent to Colonial National Historical Park, which encompasses Yorktown Battlefield, and 12 miles from Williamsburg. Six miles from Interstate 64, Exit 247. GPS address: 200 Water Street, Yorktown, VA 23690.

Exhibit Areas

Inside the museum building, Liberty Fever, an introductory film shown at regular intervals daily, sets the stage for indoor gallery and outdoor living-history experiences and tells the story of ordinary people living in extraordinary times. The 22,000-square-foot permanent exhibition galleries engage visitors in the tumult, drama and promise of the Revolution through period artifacts and immersive environments, dioramas, interactive exhibits and short films, including an experiential theater that transports visitors to the Siege of Yorktown with wind, smoke and the thunder of cannon fire. In an outdoor re-created Continental Army encampment, historical interpreters describe and depict the daily life of American soldiers and engage visitors in military drills, basics of espionage, and demonstrations of medical and surgical practices. At a Revolution-era farm, based on a real 18th-century family from York County, Va., includes a dwelling, kitchen, tobacco barn, quarters for enslaved people, and vegetable and herb garden, visitors are invited to help tend crops, process plant fiber for cloth and play 18th-century games.

Historical Perspectives

Yorktown was the site of the climactic battle of the American Revolution. In early fall 1781, Generals Washington and Rochambeau had the British army trapped along the shores of the York River. The allied American and French armies had all of the land routes blocked. The French navy blockaded escape by sea. General Cornwallis had no option but to surrender to the combined forces. This historic event is commemorated each year during Yorktown Victory Celebration and during a townwide commemoration on October 19.

Hours of Operation

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily year-round. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days. Allow a minimum of three to four hours for a visit.

Admission

$18.00 adults, $9.00 ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free.

From July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024, a value-priced combination ticket with Jamestown Settlement: $30.00 adults and $15.00 for ages 6-12. Discount for groups of 15 or more.

Annual pass with the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown: $44.00 adults and $22.00 for ages 6-12.

Virginia Residents Annual Pass: $30.00 adults, $15.00 ages 6-12. 

Parking is free.

Visitor Amenities

The museum shop complements and extends the museum experience with a comprehensive selection of books, prints, artifact reproductions, educational toys and games, jewelry and mementos. A café with seasonal food service and year-round snack and beverage vending offers seating indoors and on an outside patio. Guests also may purchase beverages and snacks at the vending machines inside the café and an assortment of food and beverages in the museum shop. A museum admission ticket is not required to visit the gift shop or café.

Administration

Operated by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Chairman: The Honorable Thomas K. Norment, Jr. 

Executive Director: Christy S. Coleman

Senior Director of Museum Operations and Education: Mariruth Leftwich

Museum History

Opened April 1, 1976, as one of three Bicentennial centers in Virginia. In the 1990s, the museum’s focus broadened to encompass the entire American Revolution. Work began in mid-2012 on transforming the Yorktown Victory Center into the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The project included reorganization of the 22-acre site, an 80,000-square-foot structure encompassing expanded exhibition galleries, classrooms and support functions, and enlarged and enhanced outdoor living-history areas. Museum operations transitioned to the new museum building in Winter 2015, as work continued on permanent exhibition galleries, an introductory film, and the outdoor encampment and farm. The film and galleries debuted October 15, 2016, along with the new museum name, and a 13-day Grand Opening Celebration culminated with a April 1 dedication that officially launched the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

American Revolution 250 Observance

The museum is collaborating with statewide and regional partners for the Virginia American Revolution 250 observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War and the independence of the United States in 2026.

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Information/Media Inquiries

For media requests for information and images, journalists should contact Media Relations, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, P.O. Box 1607, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-1607. Media inquiries can be submitted to enews@jyf.virginia.gov, or by emailing one of the media contacts below.

Tracy Perkins, tracy.perkins@jyf.virginia.gov or (757) 253-4114

Meghan van Joosten, meghan.vanjoosten@jyf.virginia.gov or (757) 253-4175

For general information about the museum, call (757) 253-4838 or visit jyfmuseums.org.