Jamestown Settlement, Living history museum in Jamestown, United States.
The Jamestown Settlement is a living history museum along the James River in Virginia that recreates the early colonial period. The site displays three replica sailing vessels, a fortified compound with timber palisades and colonial-style houses, and a Powhatan village with traditional dwellings and gardens.
The institution opened in 1957 for the 350th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in North America. Virginia founded the museum to show how English colonists and Powhatan encountered each other and lived during the 1600s.
Staff dressed in period clothing perform tasks from the 1600s and show how colonists made tools and grew crops. Visitors also see how the Powhatan lived, built canoes, and worked hides before European ships arrived.
The grounds sit along the riverbank and are easy to walk, with most areas flat and ramps available. Visitors can spend time both indoors and outdoors, so weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes are helpful.
The three replica ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery can be boarded, and visitors may go below deck to see the cramped quarters. The museum also preserves items from the original settlement, including pottery, tools, and personal objects from the early 1600s.
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