‘Military Through the Ages’ Returns to Jamestown Settlement March 20-21

Time-Honored Weekend Event Adapted for Safety

Make ready for centuries of military history in one weekend during Jamestown Settlement’s “Military Through the Ages” event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day on Saturday and Sunday, March 20-21.

The time-honored weekend event, held every year since 1984 and cancelled for the first time last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will once again return to the grounds of Jamestown Settlement. This year, the event has been adapted with protective protocols to ensure a safe experience for all.

This unique chronological display of military history will allow visitors to interact with military re-enactors depicting armed forces from the 9th century to modern-day soldiers with the Virginia Army National Guard and explore military encampments to learn how uniforms, weapons and tactics evolved through the centuries.

Timeline from the 9th Century to the Virginia Army National Guard

Re-enactors will portray soldiers and military encounters from the medieval period, War of 1812, Napoleonic Wars, American Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Vietnam War in the 20th century. The U.S. Army Transportation Museum and Quartermaster Museum and the Virginia Army National Guard 111th Field Artillery will represent present day.

Period Musical Performances

Military music will be performed throughout the weekend, including the booming sounds of The Federal City Brass Band, re-creating a Union Army regimental brass band from the 1860s with original instruments dating to the period. In addition, Field Musick Virginia will present a mix of military music and instrumental history from the American Revolution through the War of 1812.

Attention! Protective Protocols for Weekend Event

All programs and activities have been adapted to meet protective protocols and social-distancing procedures to create a safe museum environment for everyone to enjoy. Masks will be required both indoors and outdoors during this weekend event. Military parades and the pass-in-review ceremony will not take place this year in an effort to limit large gatherings at one time.

Military Aspects at Jamestown Settlement

Arms, armor and military accouterments of 17th-century Virginia can be seen year-round inside Jamestown Settlement’s extensive galleries, featuring films and interactive exhibits that tell the story of America’s first permanent English colony and of the Powhatan Indian, English and West Central African cultures that converged in early Virginia. Outdoor re-creations of a 1610-14 English fort and Paspahegh town immerse visitors in daily life of 1600s Virginia. Visitors can board the Susan Constant, the largest of the three re-created ships that brought English colonists to Virginia in 1607, while Godspeed and Discovery are moored alongside at the pier.

“Military Through the Ages” is supported in part by James City County and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., Annual Fund.

About the Museum

Jamestown Settlement, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, is located on Route 31 just southwest of Williamsburg. Gift shop and café open during museum hours. Parking is free.

Operations at both museums have been adapted for everyone’s health and safety with protective protocols. Admission tickets can be purchased online on the eStore or in person, following safety protocols.

Jamestown Settlement admission is $18.00 for adults and $9.00 for ages 6-12. A combination ticket with the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is $28.90 for adults and $14.45 for ages 6-12. Children ages 5 and under are admitted free. Residents of James City County, York County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, receive free admission with proof of residency.

For more information, call (757) 253-4838 or visit jyfmuseums.org/militarythroughtheages.