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Money-Saving Tips for Visiting Jamestown, Virginia
We've found some money-saving tips to make your visit to Jamestown, Virginia, even better.
Consider Combo Tickets...Carefully!
Used to be that you could buy a combo ticket for Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield that saved you $3 over separate tickets. As of January 1st, 2007, admission to these parks is ONLY sold on a combo ticket ($10 gets you adult admission to both sites for 7 days; kids 15 and under are free).
Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center tickets can be bought separately or as a combo ticket. If you do want to see both, the Combination Ticket saves you $3.50 per adult, and $2.25 per child, over the cost of purchasing separate tickets for each site. So yes, the combo ticket is a good deal.
(Note: a special $30 admission ticket will be required for the Settlement during "America's Anniversary Weekend," May 11-13, 2007.)
Be aware, however, that combo tickets may not always be a good deal for you.
For example, we priced the America's Historic Triangle ticket, which includes admission to Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown Battlefield and the Yorktown Victory Center. We couldn't see how it really saved any money over buying separate tickets (either that, or our calculator was broken)...sooooo, we called the web site! (Anything for you, right?)
Here's what they said at the ticket office: "The America's Historic Triangle ticket isn't so much for a cost savings-- it's more for flexibility, so you can go wherever you like whenever you like." Further clarification, please?
At some of the sites, an individual ticket is only good for the day of purchase. So if you are planning on seeing all the sights, but make some last minute changes to your itinerary, the America's Historic Triangle can make things a bit easier, since it's good for 5 days (buy it through a Williamsburg hotel, and you can get it good for 7 days at the same price).
Loved scurrying through the ships and defending the fort from marauders at Jamestown Settlement? Want to go back a second day? No problem, if you have the Historic Triangle ticket. Bought a regular ticket (or even the Settlement/Yorktown Victory Center combo ticket) and want to go back a second day? You'll have to pay again!
On the other hand, if you don't make it to one or more of the Historic Triangle sites, you'll definitely lose money. So make sure you really do plan to see them all before you buy one of these "mega" combo tickets.
Pick Up a Free Visitor Guide
There are several free visitor guides for the Historic Triangle area. They are well worth picking up at area attractions, hotels and major restaurants. They offer dining, shopping, and attraction info, as well as area maps and...coupons!
The guides include:
- "The Colonial Guide"
- "The Official WHMA Visitor's Guide"
- "The Original Williamsburg Magazine"
Which guide do we like best?
It's close, but overall, we prefer "The Colonial Guide." It's smaller than the others, so it's easier to carry in a jacket, backpack or purse. The maps are clear and easy to navigate. Plus, the coupons are grouped in one section of the guide (easier to find).
Second place goes to "The Official WHMA Visitor's Guide" for its clear maps and tear-out discount card (in case you don't have scissors handy to clip coupons!). And it has a few more attraction discounts than the others.
Ultimately, we like to travel light. So what we do is this: pick up both. Tear out the discount card, the one-page coupon guide, and the map from the center of the "The Official WHMA Visitor's Guide". Then use "The Colonial Guide" to actually walk around with.
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