Colonial National Historical Park

✨ An Evening of Remembrance in Yorktown ✨

Thank you to everyone who joined us on May 30 for Decoration Day, a special evening of remembrance held at both the Yorktown National Cemetery and the Yorkstar‑Zedekiah Masonic Cemetery.

In partnership with the Yorkstar‑Zedekiah Masonic Lodge, we reflected on the lives and legacies of those laid to rest at these sacred sites and highlighted ongoing efforts to preserve and protect both cemeteries for future generations.

The evening concluded with a moving luminaria illumination—each light a symbol of remembrance and honor.

We are grateful to all who came together in community to remember, reflect, and uphold this meaningful tradition.

A Taste of Tavern Life in 1600s Jamestown

In the 1600s, colonists traveled to Jamestown for court sessions, meetings of the General Assembly and to***co inspections. When they needed a place to eat, drink and rest, they stayed at ordinaries—the taverns of early Virginia.

Tavern keepers weren’t just hosts, but regulated professionals. Lawmakers required them to obtain a license from the colony use English-standard measures and follow strict price rules.

Archaeologists later uncovered a large brick foundation in New Towne—now known as the Jamestown Tavern Site. Excavations revealed cellar remains filled with stories: bottles, charred wood, even a brass spigot from the casks once stored there.

Want to learn more? https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/new-towne-a-jamestown-tavern-site-1670s.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com

📸 17th-century Jamestown tavern scene, sketched by Sydney King

#

This Memorial Day, we honor more than 112,000 service members and families laid to rest in national cemeteries managed by the National Park Service.

Designed as “sacred groves,” these landscapes stand as places of dignity, remembrance, and national gratitude.

Yorktown National Cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 2,200 individuals, many unknown. They served in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and in both World Wars. Their sacrifice gives deeper meaning to the very ground that shaped our nation’s history.

🇺🇸 Join us in honoring those who gave their lives in service to our nation.

More: https://www.nps.gov/york/yorktown-national-cemetery.htm

#250

📷: flags on gravestones at Yorktown National Cemetery

A Rare Bloom Returns to Colonial: Meet the Yorktown Onion 🧅💜

One of the rarest seasonal plants in Colonial National Historical Park is beginning to bloom — the Yorktown Onion. This wild onion shows off a tall, vibrant purple flower that appears only briefly from May to June.

Believed to have arrived in Virginia by accident during the Revolutionary War, this plant originally comes from southern Russia and now grows in only a few places in the United States. It has become a beloved natural symbol of the Yorktown area.

Look, Don’t Touch:
Yorktown Onions are a protected species under York County law — collecting or cutting them is not permitted. Please enjoy their beauty and leave them for others to discover.

🎥 Learn More: https://youtu.be/zNQSR0Wl4Vg



📸 Caption: Yorktown Onions bloom outside of the historic Nelson House in Yorktown.

Tracing Jamestown’s Early Footsteps

Long before today’s visitors set foot on Jamestown Island, early settlers were already reshaping the landscape. They cleared fields, planted to***co, and built homes, storehouses, and churches. Roads emerged around the fort, wharves, and nearby plantations—creating the first pathways of a growing colony.

More than 400 years later, the landscape still carries the imprint of those early choices. Field patterns, archaeological sites, and earthworks reveal how the settlement expanded through the 1600s. Remarkably, some of the roads we travel today began as those very same early roads and trails.

A landscape shaped by history still revealing its story.

Learn More: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/archeology/about-archeology.htm



📸 New Towne landscape looking east from January 1956

🥾🌿 Celebrate National Trails Day with Us 🌿🥾

Celebrate with Colonial National Historical Park on June 6.

National Trails Day® is your chance to get outdoors, connect with your community, and give back to the trails you love. Join the nationwide movement to help build a world where everyone feels welcome and has access to enjoy the great outdoors. 💚

We’re hosting a Slabtown Trail Cleanup volunteer event to celebrate.
• 📅 June 6, 2026
• 👟 Open to volunteers 13 and up
• 🌲 Expect walking through wooded areas with some uneven or difficult terrain
• 💪 Volunteers should be comfortable with moderate physical activity

🔎 Want more details? Search for events near Yorktown and Jamestown here:
https://americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/find-an-event/

📧 Ready to register? Email [email protected] — we can’t wait to see you out there!

🌿✨ Garden Heroes at Work ✨🌿

Twelve U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown students spent three hours last Saturday transforming the gardens at the historic Nelson House on Main Street in Yorktown. They raked leaves, pulled weeds, and trimmed hedges—leaving the space looking better than ever.

This Good Neighbor Day America project was part of a nationwide effort to inspire 250 million acts of kindness and service. 💙

Thank you to these dedicated students for lending their time and energy to our community.

🎨✨Make your mark on the park!✨🎨

Students in grades K–12: Take part in Colonial National Historical Park’s 2026 Yorktown Day Art Contest.

This year’s theme — “From Ideals to Action: The Road to Yorktown” — encourages young creators to explore how the values that sparked the American Revolution still shape our lives and communities today.

🖼️ Submit your artwork September 14–18, 2026
The park will display all entries at the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center, showcasing the creativity and passion of our young artists.

🏆 Best In Show Wins Big!
The park will feature winning artwork on the 2027 Park Annual Pass. The winning artist will receive a free 2027 pass—good for a whole year of exploring Colonial National Historical Park.

📚 For full details and submission rules, visit the official page:
https://www.nps.gov/colo/learn/kidsyouth/2026-yorktown-day-art-contest.htm

🎨 Bring your creativity. ✨ Share your story. 🚀 Inspire your community.