Come see where America began!  Historic Jamestowne is the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America . The site is jointly administered by APVA (Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) and the National Park Service.  The Colonial Parkway links Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield, another NPS site; the three make up Colonial National Historical Park .  You will also find Colonial Williamsburg on the parkway.

Colonists from the Virginia Company landed on Jamestown Island on May 13, 1607, and the country now known as the United States of America began there.  The first English representative government met at Jamestown .  The first Africans came to Jamestowne in 1619.  They were brought as indentured servants; the system of enslaving Africans developed later in the 17th century.

In the present day, there is an ongoing archaeological dig on the island.  The archaeologists have discovered where the original fort was actually built.  For many years it was believed that part of the fort had disappeared into the James River , but Dr. Kelso and his crew found evidence of the fort walls and were able to establish the location.  More than a million artifacts have been found; a small fraction of them are on display in a new museum, called the Archaearium.  The remains of the church tower can be seen, as can original foundations for the church and the statehouse.  Also on the island, you'll find statues of Pocahontas and John Smith.  There are roads of 3 or 5 miles that loop around the island.  From these roads can be seen the swamps and wild flora and fauna.

There is a small cafe, the Dale House, which serves pizza, salads, and sandwiches among their offerings. 

 On the Colonial Parkway leading to the island, you'll find the glasshouse.  A glassblowing facility operated here in the early 1600's, and produced glass for export as well as for local needs.  Today's glassblowers practice the art as it was done in the 17th century, and their products, including wine bottles and paperweights, are available for sale.