Jamestown is part of the Colonial National Historical Park. An area that is overflowing with our nations history. In school this past year, Little Man was learning about our nations timeline, so we decided to experience it for ourselves.
Historic Jamestowne
Put your walking shoes on. The settlement is surrounded by streams and marsh, so you will have a good walk from the visitors center across a boardwalk to the site. Sadly it was clear that people thought the marsh was a trashcan, so we used the walk to talk about how to keep America beautiful.
When you first step off the board walk you are greeted by a towering monument, designed in such a way that it doesn't take away from the area. Spend a few moments reading the inscriptions, but prepare yourself. When you look away from the monument, it is abundantly clear why they chose to settle here. The area was so peaceful and beautiful. Even on the cloudy rainy day we had.
The settlement is active archeological site. Due to the weather, we didn't get to see any actual work. That said, they have done a good job of providing descriptions and photos or the areas that were covered. Other areas still have structures, or recreated structures, and there is a map of the settlement that even shows the land changes overtime. Another opportunity to talk about the earth itself. There was even an old well. When a well went dry, it became a garbage dump. They have an archeological museum on site, and they have an exhibit that shows the different things they found in the wells.
Little Man liked reading the boards and exploring, but he had a hard time picturing it all. He said it felt like a Lego house half built, which I understood. So we decided to check out the other areas.
The Glasshouse
On the way out of the visitors center, we got our postcards and our stamps. The park ranger told us that we could get an additional stamp at the Glasshouse and gave us directions. Apparently, we drove right past it on the way in. It's a small little road that leads to a parking lot. And once you are in the parking lot, you really have to look for the path that leads down to the house in the woods. A tip is to head towards that handicap parking spots. At the bottom of the path, you will see a wood barn. Head on in.
“We got to watch them make oil lamps and a giant glass bubble.”
I'm going to be blunt... This was one of our favorite stops. Inside there are artisan glass blowers working on their craft. We learned that this was on of the first artisan trades of the area. We got to watch them make oil lamps and a giant glass bubble. The were happy to answer any questions we had, and they had a whole gift shop of stuff they made. Little Man, went back into the workshop with a paper weight from the gift shop and asked them how they made it. So they showed him. They made 2 for him to see, and then put them off to the side for us. We had to come back the next day to get them, but now he has a truly unique souvenir, that was made just for him.
Jamestown Settlement
Just down the road from Historic Jamestowne is the Jamestown Settlement. Yes, this is confusing, and there is more than just a difference in spelling, so allow me to clarify. Historic Jamestowne is the National Historical Site. Jamestown Settlement is a museum that was created to show people what life was like on the settlement. It's separate from the historic site since the historic site is an active archeological site. The museum is not a National Park. This mean it does come with an extra charge, but I really recommend it when with kids.
This place was AWESOME!!! Everything is hands on and interactive. There are people acting out roles too, so they tell you about their lives and you get to ask any question you want. You start by walking through a recreated Powhatan village. Little Man was trying out the beds, asking about food, grinding down maze for chickens, and helped carve out a canoe. The would the a large tree, and burn part of it, then scrap out the ash.
The second area had 3 recreation ships. This showed you the boats they traveled on. Little Man got to explore, steer, even ring the bell. I got to go into shock. This things were so small, but they were true to size. How you fit 20+ people on one of these boats with all their gear and supplies???
The 3rd area was the settlement itself. Complete with post fence. We learned about how they made homes and cooked food. We talked to woodworkers and blacksmiths. We played with chickens and explored the Governor's house. We ended our tour with a stop in the armory. Not only did they let little man hold a musket, a sword, and a shield... they explained how they were used.
Final Thoughts...
Ups: This place is designed really great. You get to experience history, but you get to take it out of the box and play with it too. Everyone was knowledgeable and friendly. We both learned some things, and they did a wonderful job of making history come alive.
Downs: While walking around an active archeological site is cool, we only got to see blue tarps. I wish we could have seen people working. Also it was hard for Little Man to really understand without also visiting the museum for an extra charge.
Mom's Pick: The Glass House. It was mesmerizing to watch them work. We could have stayed there for hours. Also, the sips at the museum. They looked exactly how I pictured them, but the size was staggering.
Little Man's Pick: The Glass House and the Armory Demo. He loved watching them blow and then pop a glass bubble and being taught about the different weapons.
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