The First Permanent English Settlement in North America

In the early 17th century, the Virginia Company sailed from England to try and establish the first permanent English colony in the New World. They sought out to settle Virginia, find gold, and identify a water route to Asia. The explorers landed on Jamestown Island on the banks of the James River on May 14, 1607.

Historic Jamestowne and the Jamestown Settlement are two of the five major sites in Virginia's Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. 

Historic Jamestowne

The mission of Historic Jamestowne is to preserve, protect and promote the original site of the first permanent English settlement in North America and to tell the story of the role of the Native American, European, and African cultures that came together to lay the foundation for a uniquely American form of democratic government, language, free enterprise, and society.

Jamestown Settlement

The story of the people who founded Jamestown and of the Virginia Native Americans they encountered is told through film, gallery exhibits, and living history at Jamestown Settlement. Outdoors, visitors can board replicas of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607, explore life-size re-creations of the colonists' fort and a Powhatan village, and tour a riverfront discovery area to learn about European, Powhatan, and African economic activities associated with water.