Yorktown Victory Center

viajante
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Editor Pick

Yorktown Victory Center

  • November 26, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by two cruisers from Ames, Iowa
Yorktown Victory Center

We couldn’t have timed our visit to Yorktown better …or worse! Today was the 226th anniversary of Cornwallis’ surrender at the Battle of Yorktown that was the end of the Revolutionary War. Nifty, huh?! Well the problem was there were very formal military activities going on in town to mark the event. Roads were closed, traffic diverted. We drove in a circle and had to talk to the same soldier again who sent us off in that direction. Finally we found a back road access to the Yorktown Victory Center. This living history museum is partnered with the Jamestown Settlement we visited earlier in our stay. The same careful gallery displays and outdoor interactive exhibits existed in both places.

In the gallery I was really impressed with all white statues of individuals set in their natural surrounds. A spotlight would highlight that area and an audio ran with the words of that individual talking about living through the war years. It was interesting to get the perspective of those on the home front. Another interesting display took us “underwater” to see the archeological dig of the sunken ship Betsy.

Outside we visited the encampment of the Continental Army. The costumed guide told me six soldiers shared one of those small tents….well it would be easier to keep warm that way. A tiny cone-shaped tent was for storing the muskets. The officer’s tents were a little more spacious. Woven branch and twig structures filled with rocks are called gabions. They were used to shore up the trenches. Another guide showed us the surgeon/dentists tools and another taught us how to load and fire a musket.

Stepping forward a few years, we visited a post-revolutionary 1780s farm. This was a profit making operation (probably from tobacco) but also supplied the family with their food both plant and animal. The farmer’s wife even had a trained jumping chicken. Talk about entertainment!

In the gift shop we found a very nice selection of books for both adults and children. We found a book about one of the characters we saw highlighted in the museum. I also found some pretty yellow slipware and free samples of kettlecorn.

From journal Six Parts of the Historic Triangle

Editor Pick

Yorktown Victory Center

  • December 18, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by NiteOwlTX from LaPlace, Louisiana
Yorktown Victory Center

The second site in Yorktown is the state-run site. Like the sites in Jamestown, the state sites offer a lot more living history than the national park, while the national parks occupy the original sites. The Yorktown Victory Center begins with the Road to Revolution Timeline; as you walk to the gallery, you follow the timeline of the colonization and revolution in America.

The galleries contain many artifacts from the war. “Witnesses to the Revolution” is the first gallery; this is a wax museum with several different rooms. Each of the characters come to life as audio of their thoughts is played. This offers insight into how the different factions of the colonies, i.e. the revolutionists, the Tories, the women, the children, and the slaves, felt about the revolution as it progressed. “Converging on Yorktown” chronicles how each of the military units ended up here in Yorktown. “Yorktown’s Sunken Fleet” shows the artifacts found on the ships sunk outside of Yorktown. Finally, a film “A Time of Revolution” gives the human perspective to the war and how it affected the people.

There are two living history exhibits, the Continental Army encampment and the 1780s farm. The encampment shows various aspects of life in the Continental Army. Reenactors show how medicine was practiced, how food was cooked, and how the rifles were used. The 1780s farm shows how life was after the war as America plunged into an economic depression.

For visitors who will also see Jamestown, the state also runs the Jamestown Settlement. 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 Jamestown 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

I recommend this site for any interested in history and for families with children.

Website: www.historyisfun.org

From journal Relive History in Virginia's Historic Triangle

Yorktown Victory Center

  • April 12, 2004
  • Rated 3 of 5 by denmother04 from Austin, Texas
This museum details the history of Yorktown and its part in the Revolutionary War. The exhibits are kid-friendly and there are areas for the kids to try on costumes and do other activities. The film is interesting. It was nice to get some Revolutionary-era information in a region so dominated by Colonialism.

From journal A Williamsburg Family Vacation

Yorktown Victory Center

  • August 11, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Waffle House from Union City, Michigan
The Yorktown Victory Center is the state run building at Yorktown (not associated with the Battlefield which is a National Park). After entering the first building (which contains the gift shop) and paying the enterance fee, you walk down a "historical" walkway to the museum. This walkway has larges walls with historical events that led up to the Revolutionary War, with quotes from many key personalities from that time.

After leaving the walkway and entering the museum, you walk through an very unique exhibit. Each alcove has three or four "people" (statues) in what would have been a normal setting; a recording is taking place over speakers that accounts what life was like for each of those people during the period focused on in that alcove. A spotlight highlights each "person" as they "tell" their story. There is a movie at the museum (others said it was good, a two-year-old prevented us from watching it). On a lower level there are artifacts from the "Betsy", one of the ships sunk in the harbor.

When you leave the museum, you head to a soldier encampment where "soldiers" answer your questions and talk about life as a soldier. They also perform demonstrations, the most popular one being the loading and firing of a canon.

After leaving the encampment, there is a "colonial farm" to pass through. People are actively working the farm in the colonial style, and answer questions and give explanations for what they are doing.

From journal Historical Williamsburg

Yorktown Visitor Center

  • July 9, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Anniecski from Toledo, Ohio
There are two places that talk about the battle of Yorktown. One is the Yorktown Victory Center, a type of museum that includes a living history area. The other is the Yorktown Battlefield tour. You may purchase the map for the driving tour for $5 at the Yorktown National Battlefield. It'll be some of the best money you'll spend. he driving tour gives you a very realistic picture of the ways the French and American forces worked together, as well as the close proximity of the enemy lines. The Yorktown Victory Center is interesting--and probably of more interest to children than to adults. You can also purchase a combination ticket to the Jamestown settlement and Yorktown Victory Center. The combo ticket gives you a slight discount, and the two places may be visited on seperate days. These places are often overlooked because Colonial Williamsburg is much larger and showier, but history buffs will be amiss if they skip these.

Leave time also to check out the village of Yorktown, a quaint small town steeped in history. Look closely at the historic homes--many still are embedded with cannonballs shot during the Revolution, reminders of a time when ordinary citizens were under fire for demanding their freedom.

From journal Williamsburg Was Great Once My Mother-In-Law Left!

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