Historic Jamestowne will reopen to the public March 1, roughly two and a half months after the historic site and museum temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic on Dec. 21.
The site and museum, administered by Jamestown Rediscovery and their partner, the National Park Service at Colonial National Historical Park, have implemented “changes to operations and health and safety protocols” to ensure guests, staff and volunteers remain safe during the pandemic.
Those changes include a limited capacity of visitors allowed in the Memorial Church and the Archaearium museum buildings at one time, the release states. The Visitor Center exhibits and film will remain closed, though the building will reopen for retail and ticket purchases, and the public restrooms will also be available.
All programs for the public, “including Jamestown Rediscovery archaeology, staff presentations, and living history performances,” will take place outside, according to the release.
These changes are in addition to general social distancing recommendations, hand sanitizing stations, increased signage about the new safety protocols and “changes in wayfinding,” and mask requirements.
The National Park Service has “implemented a mask requirement for employees, visitors, partners and contractors,” the release states, in accordance with President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing. “Masks are required in all indoor facilities operated by Jamestown Rediscovery and the National Park Service,” and outside anywhere that social distancing is not possible.
Because of the still-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, “Jamestown Rediscovery will continue to assess and make changes as needed to operations in order to maintain a safe guest experience and working environment,” the release said.
“The safety of visitors, staff and volunteers remains our number one priority and we have been closely monitoring the state of the ongoing pandemic,” said Jim Horn, Jamestown Rediscovery President, in the release. “All of us very much look forward to safely welcoming visitors back to the site.”
Tickets to visit the park are $25 for adults, and free for children age 15 or younger. They provide entrance for “seven consecutive days and include access to all NPS and Jamestown Rediscovery fee areas at Historic Jamestowne, all public tours and programs, and the Yorktown Battlefield,” the release states.
Tickets can be purchased at historicjamestowne.org/visit/tickets/ beginning on Friday or on-site at Historic Jamestown.
Maggie More, 757-446-2305, mmore@virginiamedia.com
