Four hundred years ago a small group of Englishmen settled along side the James River, these men and boys were sent by London originally to look for resources that could be profitable. Over time this group of men became known as the first English Colony in America, and the town became known as Jamestown.

The visitor center is the home to the Jamestown film and galleries, the film shows every 30 minutes and is all about the way the Jamestown Settlement evolved over the years. The 30,000 square foot gallery shows how the settlement effect the Powhatan Indians and displays many items that have been discover in Jamestown.

The Jamestown Settlement has been recreated, to look at how it would have done back in the 1600’s. You can walk through a Powhatan village; this shows how the Powhatan’s lived at the time of the first colonization. You can see how they used the surroundings to create their homes, you can try out some of the techniques that they would use often too.

There are three replica ships for you to explore down in the bay, trying to imagine how it must have been living on one of those small wooden ships for over four months travelling across the ocean is very difficult. There are demonstrations at the dock, including the firing of a canon into the water.

The James fort with its thatched roofs reminds me of my home town in England, you can really see that this settlement was built by the English. In the fort we stood and watched a couple of demonstrations, including a musket being fired, The man firing it answered questions from everyone who was watching. As with all of the staff at the Jamestown settlement he seemed very knowledgeable and was really helpful.

The whole Jamestown settlement area is easy access for everyone, the paths are wide, and even though on a hill they are not steep, it would not be strenuous work pushing a baby buggy or a wheelchair around the area.

If you would like more information about the Jamestown Settlement and directions from Virginia Beach, please visit their web site.