Colonial Parkway
America's History Highway
| Departure: | Historic Jamestowne, Virginia |
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| Destination: | Yorktown Victory Center, Virginia |
| Time to allow: | 1 day |
By traveling the 23 miles of the Colonial Parkway, travelers can take in the entire 174 year period of British colonial history in North America at Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.
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Start: Historic Jamestowne
Witness archeology in action at the 1607 James Fort excavation, tour the original 17th-century church tower, and reconstructed 17th-century Jamestown Memorial church, or take a walk with a park ranger through the original settlement along the scenic James River.
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Stop 1: Jamestown Settlement
Directions from previous place: Go northwest on Colonial Parkway, drive for 1 mile and then turn left to stay on the Parkway and end at Jamestown Settlement.
Distance from Previous Site: 1.26 miles / 2.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 3 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 3 hours Get a glimpse of 17th-centry Virginia life, at the site of America's first permanent English colony. Through films, indoor gallery exhibits and outdoor living history, Jamestown Settlement lets you experience what life was life centuries ago. Board a replica of one of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607 or explore a life-size re-creation of the colonists' fort and a Powhatan village.
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Stop 2: Colonial Williamsburg
Directions from previous place: Go north on Colonial Parkway, then make a right onto Jamestown Road. After 5.5 miles, make another right onto S. Boundary St., then a left onto VA-5; road then turns into W. Francis St. Turn left onto Waller St., after road becomes Capitol Landing Rd, turn left onto 1st St. to end at Colonial Williamsburg.
Distance from Previous Site: 7.05 miles / 11.3 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 17 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 2 hours Experience what life was like in the 18th century; visit the homes and public buildings where men like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Patrick Henry met to change a society and inspired a fight for independence. This living breathing community shows you farmers in their fields, craftspeople practicing their trades and merchants selling their wares. Pause in the town square to hear impassioned speeches and watch powerful performances that once inspired a nation to change and strike out on their own.
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Stop 3: Yorktown Battlefield
Directions from previous place: Leaving the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, take the Colonial Parkway approximately 13 miles east to the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center. The visitor center is located at the eastern end of the parkway.
Distance from Previous Site: 13 miles / 20.8 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 25 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 30 minutes Visit the site of the last major battle of the American Revolution at the Yorktown Battlefield.
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End: Yorktown Victory Center
Directions from previous place: Leaving the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center, take the Colonial Parkway approximately 1.5 miles west and turn right, following signs to the Yorktown Victory Center.
Distance from Previous Site: 2 miles / 3.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 5 minutes Visit the Yorktown Victory Center to lean about the start of the American Revolution, from the start of colonial unrest to the formation of a new nation through a timeline, indoor exhibits, an engaging film and outdoor living history area. The past comes to life through costumed historical interpreters participating in drills and chores in this recreated Continental Army encampment.
