Colonial National Historical Park, Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield, are federal fee areas. Entrance fees are required by law.
However, if your academic group consists of individuals 16 years of age or older; is an educational institution recognized by a federal, state or local government; and is visiting Colonial National Historical Park at Historic Jamestowne or Yorktown Battlefield to satisfy curriculum requirements, you are eligible to receive a fee waiver for entrance into the park, if the purpose of your visit is educational and not recreational. An academic group must meet the following three criteria in order to qualify for a fee waiver:
(1) The organization must be accredited or have an educational tax-exemption or be recognized as an educational provider;
(2) A group beyond the 12th grade must be earning credit hours; and
(3) The request for a waiver must include a brief statement of how specific park resources will support the curriculum requirement.
School groups with students 15 years old and younger are not required to submit an academic fee waiver. If any of your students are 16 years and older you will be required to complete the fee waiver request. To obtain a waiver of entrance fees, federal regulations require that you present a letter on official school or district letterhead upon your arrival at Historic Jamestowne or Yorktown Battlefield.
Home School Groups: We in the National Park realize there are many families that home school their children. Most states recognize Home School Groups as educational institutions. As such, we will accept a Fee Waiver Request Letter from home schoolers. We understand that you may not have official letterhead. Therefore, just put the name of your home school group (ex. Whomever Home School) at the top of the letter (where a school letterhead would be) to include your address and telephone number. Then complete the fee waiver request as indicated below and on the Example Fee Waiver Request Letter.
DO NOT MAIL THIS REQUEST TO THE PARK. BRING IT WITH YOU AND PRESENT IT TO THE PARK RANGER AT THE VISITOR CENTER FEE DESK OR IF THE SCHOOL GROUP IS VISITING ONLY THE JAMESTOWN GLASSHOUSE THEY MUST TURN-IN THE FEE WAIVER TO THE GLASSHOUSE STAFF. The Fee Waiver Request letter must contain the following information:
1. Address letter to the Park Fee Coordinator
2. Include the date of your visit to Historic Jamestowne or Yorktown Battlefield (Separate fee waiver letters are needed for each site)
3.State the purpose of the visit. Purpose must relate to educational, not recreational reasons. Please be specific.
4. Number of children and adults with the group
5. Grade Level
6. Number of buses, vans and/or cars (POVs)
7. Name, phone number and address of contact person. Title of contact person
8. Name of school principal
9. Name and phone number of commercial tour company transporting group, if applicable
For an example of an Educational Entrance Fee Waiver Request use this link.
Upon arriving at the park, school groups should report to the Visitor Center fee collection desk and check in, this whether you are submitting a fee waiver letter or not. School groups with fee waiver letters will leave the request with the Fee Collector. The group may then be admitted for free. In order to ensure your group receives free admission and is exempt from the entrance fees, all of the above information must be included in the letter. Groups that do not qualify for free admission will be charged $10.00 per adult, ages 16 and above (this fee will be good for both Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield) or $100.00 per bus if traveling on a commercial bus. Separate request for fee waivers are required for the National Park sites at Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield. Questions regarding a waiver of entrance fees for school groups may be obtained by calling (757) 898-2411 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The fee waiver applies only to entrance fees into the park. Educational and interpretive programs are available for school groups for a nominal interpretive fee. Reservations are required for these programs and must be scheduled at least two months in advance. For more information about scheduling a program for your school group, contact the Interpretive Program Coordinator at (757) 898-2411 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday.
