Colonial National Historic park

Before Virginia Was A State It Was A Colony – And It All Started Here

This area in Hampton Roads was key to the founding of the Colony of Virginia and the broader history of the United States. Colonial National Historical Park protects and interprets several sites of key historical importance.

For many, the best part of the park is Colonial Parkway, a scenic 23-mile parkway which links Jamestown, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg – together, these areas are called Virginia’s Historic Triangle. This limited-access road is designed so commercial development along the route is shielded from view.

Jamestown – also known as Historic Jamestowne – marks the location of James Fort, which was built in 1607. Today you can see the ruins of the fort and the Ambler Mansion as well as the Tercentenary Monument, the General Assembly Monument, and the John Smith Statue.

Yorktown is the site of the siege and surrender of General Charles Cornwallis to General Gorge Washington during the Revolution. Though fighting went on for another year, the surrender marked its effective end. You can see the Moore House where the surrender negotiations took place in 1781.

About 200 acres of the Green Spring Plantation are a part of the park, as is the Cape Henry Memorial.