Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center

What Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center does

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. operates two accredited living history museums in Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown Settlement, commemorating the 1607 founding of America's first permanent English settlement, and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown (formerly the Yorktown Victory Center), marking the 1781 decisive Revolutionary War victory. The museums combine indoor galleries and films with outdoor living history areas staffed by costumed historical interpreters who demonstrate colonial life, military drills, and period crafts. The organization supplements these core experiences with rotating special exhibitions, a digital interactive platform (Reign & Rebellion, Liberty Tree, How Revolutionary Are You?, By George Game), mobile apps, and extensive K-12 and homeschool educational programming aligned with Virginia curriculum standards.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: per-visitor admission tickets (including single-site, combo, four-site, and America's Historic Triangle passes), annual membership subscriptions, tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3) entity (tax ID 31-1618642), private event rentals for weddings and corporate functions, and on-site museum shop merchandise sales. Distribution is direct via the jyfmuseums.org website, on-site box offices, and group sales channels for school field trips and tour operators. Local Virginia residents receive free admission, and the Museums for All program provides accessibility pricing.

The Foundation functions as an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, providing institutional stability, while operating as a private nonprofit fundraising arm. It serves a diversified visitor base spanning K-12 students and educators, families, homeschool communities, local residents, tourists, and private event clients. Recent strategic emphasis has centered on timed special exhibitions aligned with the Virginia 250 commemoration cycle and expansion of virtual learning and digital interactive experiences to extend reach beyond physical attendance.

Name

Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center

Legal name

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://historyisfun.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation operates two accredited living history museums in Virginia — Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown — serving tourists, K-12 students, families, and event clients through admissions, memberships, donations, and venue rentals as a Commonwealth of Virginia agency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Living History Museums

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120), Historical Sites (71212)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Living history museums
• Historical education programs
• Museum admission tickets
• Private event venues
• Cultural heritage tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Williamsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Visitors purchase individual or combo tickets for Jamestown Settlement, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and America's Historic Triangle sites. Ticket tiers include single-site, combo, and four-site passes.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership with tiered circles providing free admission, special member-only tours, and other benefits. Includes individual, family, and corporate membership options.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) qualified charity with tax identification number 31-1618642. Includes online donations, planned giving, and various giving programs.
4. Private Event Rentals: Venues available for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings at both museum locations.
5. Museum Shops: On-site museum shops selling historical merchandise, books, gifts, and educational materials at both locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. operates two living history museums in Virginia—Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown—offering indoor exhibits, outdoor living history areas with costumed interpreters, gallery films, educational programs, and private event venue rentals. The organization sells admission tickets, memberships, museum shop merchandise, and venue rentals while supplementing revenue with tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Product overview

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation operates a two-museum complex consisting of Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The museums offer indoor exhibits, living history experiences, films, and educational programs. Ticketing includes individual museum admissions, combo tickets, and multi-site passes. The organization provides educational products including virtual learning, classroom outreach, and mobile apps. Special exhibitions rotate throughout the year alongside permanent collections. The museums also offer venue rental for private events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jamestown Settlement Living history museum depicting the 1607 founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, featuring outdoor living history areas, indoor exhibits, galleries, and films for visitors of all ages.
• American Revolution Museum at Yorktown Museum showcasing the American Revolution and the 1781 Yorktown victory, with living history areas, exhibits, galleries, and the 'By George Game' interactive experience for visitors.
• Annual Membership Program Annual subscription membership with tiered circles providing unlimited free admission to both museums, exclusive member-only tours, and additional benefits for individuals, families, and corporate members.
• Private Event Rental Venue rental services hosting weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings at both museum locations, offering distinctive historical settings for celebrations.
• Museum Shops On-site and online retail shops selling historical merchandise, books, gifts, and educational materials related to early American colonial history and the American Revolution.
• Field Trips and Group Visits Guided and self-guided educational visits for school groups and organizations with curriculum-aligned programming aligned with Virginia studies standards.
• Virtual Learning Programs Remote educational programs and virtual experiences for students and educators covering early American colonial history and the American Revolution.
• Classroom Outreach Educational programs bringing museum resources and historical interpreters directly into K-12 classrooms for hands-on history learning experiences.
• Give Me Liberty! Special Exhibition Special exhibition showcasing Patrick Henry's famous speech and featuring the Rothermel portrait, free with museum admission.
• Following the Dragon Special Exhibition Special exhibition featuring Chinese Ming porcelain artifacts unearthed at James Fort, revealing the historical connection between China and the early Jamestown colony, free with museum admission.
• Fresh Views of the American Revolution Special Exhibition Extended exhibition showcasing bicentennial folk art and community art with new perspectives on the American Revolution.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Red Hill (Patrick Henry's Red Hill)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Hill provided the Rothermel portrait of Patrick Henry's famous speech for the 'Give Me Liberty!' special exhibition. Partnership involves artifact/ artwork lending for exhibition purposes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Colonial Williamsburg: Largest living-history destination in the immediate Williamsburg/Yorktown corridor and co-tenant in the America's Historic Triangle joint-ticket product; competes for the same tourist, group, and event-rental demand while also being a strategic bundling partner.
• Plimoth Patuxet Museums: Plymouth, MA-based living-history museum featuring costumed interpreters at a recreated 17th-century English colonial settlement — directly comparable in pedagogical model (living history + interpretive galleries + K-12 programming) and visitor demographic mix.
• Mount Vernon: George Washington's historic estate operated as a private nonprofit museum with living-history interpreters, education programs, ticketed admission, and venue rentals — directly comparable operating model and revenue mix for an American-history house museum.
• Historic Jamestowne (Preservation Virginia): Operates the archaeological site at the original 1607 Jamestown fort directly adjacent to Jamestown Settlement; shares subject matter, geography, and visitor overlap, and competes for educational group bookings despite their complementary positioning.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: Operating nonprofit maritime history museum featuring recreated 19th-century village with costumed interpreters — closely comparable operating model, including outdoor living-history programming and educational K-12 field-trip infrastructure.
• Monticello: Thomas Jefferson's historic home operated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation with comparable admissions, membership, and educational programming; comparable scale and mix of on-site interpretation + ticketed access + venue rentals.
• Virginia Museum of History & Culture: Virginia's primary state-level history organization operating a museum, library, and publications program — overlapping subject matter and K-12 educational outreach across the same Commonwealth.
• Strawbery Banke Museum: Portsmouth, NH outdoor living-history museum with costumed interpreters at a recreated early-American settlement — comparable operating model, scale (similar employee range), and educational mission.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: Federal-scale national-history museum; not a direct local competitor but the broadest incumbent in early-American and Revolutionary history, setting programming benchmarks that influence visitation expectations.

Emerging players

• Colonial National Historical Park (NPS): National Park Service-administered historic sites in the same Virginia corridor (Jamestown Island, Yorktown Battlefield) — competes for the same heritage tourism and K-12 field-trip demand while offering free or low-cost federal-site alternatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/jyfmuseums
• Facebookfacebook.com/historyisfun
• Instagraminstagram.com/jyfmuseums
• Xx.com/historyisfunorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jamestown-yorktown-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center