The second site on Jamestown Island is a state-run facility. It offers a lot more living history than the original site.

This site is much different from the National Park Service site, which shows the land without interpretation. At this site you will see an Indian village, Fort James, and the ships that brought the settlers to America. Instead of walking around and looking at the framing of buildings, here you see the actual buildings, built in the same style they would have been built almost 400 years ago.

There is a 15-minute film that explains the foundations of the colony. Also, there is an indoor museum with artifacts from the colonial period. Outside, there are three main areas: the Indian village, the fort, and the ships. There are tours every hour that will take you through each of these areas, with an interpreter from that time period. These interpreters will act as members of the societies that they represent: Indians, colonists, and sailors. Take the time to see the tour; you will get much more out of it then just seeing the rebuilt villages alone.

This attraction is mostly for those interested in history. Children will find this much more exciting than the park maintained by the National Park Service, as they will be able to interact with Indians, see a cannon being fired, and climb about a sailing ship. Teenagers and thrill junkies might find short term interest in the sites but will be better served elsewhere. Value-seeking travelers will find this attraction to be a good value, as the price-to-time spent ratio will be fairly low; it takes at least 3 hours to see everything this attraction has to offer.

For visitors who will also see Yorktown, the state also runs the Yorktown Victory Center. If you buy your tickets together, you can save $1.50 per person on each of the attractions. Children from 6 to 12 are half price. Children under 6 are free. The combination ticket with Yorktown can be used on different days, so you can see everything in Jamestown on one day, then go to Yorktown within the next couple of days to redeem the other half of your ticket.

Website: www.historyisfun.org

The original Jamestown site is an archeologist’s dream! Everything is within an easy walk to explore and discuss. Too bad the visitor’s center was so damaged from Hurricane Isabel last year. The settlement is a re-creation, re-enactment facility -- the kids loved it! They especially enjoyed the Powhatan village area, where they got to "tan" animal hides and grind maize!

This hands-on museum gives kids (and their parents) a life-sized view of the Jamestown fort and an Indian village. The ability to climb on, over, and through the exhibits guarantees that kids will be interested and might even learn something! Use this museum as preparation to visit Jamestown Island to see the actual ruins.

Compared to Colonial Williamsburg, this was a little disappointing, but OK to see once. The visitor center is attractive and large, but only contains a small gift/bookshop. The actual settlement is set up like a loop, with not too much there. There are some period actors doing some crafts that were done during that time. They are very friendly and informative. Of the three ships that were supposed to be there, one was out for repairs, but we did enjoy checking out the other two ships, and talking with the colorful "captains." The fort had several period buildings in it, which were interesting to check out, and the Indian villiage had only two period actors that you could get information from. The entire visit took us about 2 hours, and we took our time.

In the winter of 1606, under the rule of King James I, the Virginia Company launched a fleet of three ships on a mission that would change history forever. The Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery landed on the banks of Virginia’s James River the following spring, where their cargo of 104 men set to work on their new home. Named Jamestown, in honor of their king, this site became the New World’s first permanent English settlement.

Jamestown Settlement is located about a mile from the original site of Historic Jamestown. Here, visitors will find a variety of interactive exhibits suitable for all ages. While visitors are welcome to stroll the grounds on their own at any time, I strongly recommend taking the guided tour first. This will ensure that tourists know the profound significance of everything they see. The costumed interpreters are very knowledgeable and do well at keeping their groups engaged.

Tours usually begin at the Powhatan Indian Village, which consists of several beautifully recreated dwellings, a crop garden and ceremonial dancing circle. This is perhaps the closest anyone will ever get to the real world of Pocahontas, the legendary Native American girl who befriended the English colonists. The exhibits are based on the eyewitness sketches of John White, an Englishman who was among the first (yet unsuccessful) pioneers who attempted to colonize Virginia about 20 years before Jamestown.

Next, visitors learn about other settlers in the New World, the Virginia Company and the English colonists’ harsh four-and-a-half-month journey across the Atlantic. Afterwards, tourists get on board life-sized replicas of the three ships that brought the colonists to the New World. Here, one gets a sense of the adventure that motivated them as well as a new appreciation for 12-foot ceilings and bathrooms with doors.

Lastly, the tour moves on to the triangular-shaped James Fort, which is modeled after what the colonists built upon their arrival in 1607. Here, guides explain early building techniques as well as the essential role tobacco played through famine, disease and territorial struggles. Inside the impressive stockade barrier are "wattle-and-daub" structures with thatched roofs – a traditional English building style. Included among these first structures are a church, storehouse, armory and several dwellings that make the idea of "personal space" a joke.

This wonderful museum is open from 9am to 5pm daily. There is a nice gift shop and a family/diet friendly café on premises. Adult admission is $11.25 and a child’s ticket is $5.50. A combination ticket with Yorktown Victory Center is also available.