Colonial National Historical Park Fees & Passes

Plan Your Visit

Key Information

  1. Get an entrance pass

    All visitors must have one of these entrance passes:

    Pass Price
    Standard Pass $15.00
    Annual Pass $45.00
    America the Beautiful Pass (includes Senior Passes) FREE–$80.00

    Help me choose an entrance pass

Choosing an Entrance Pass

Do you have or qualify for a discounted America the Beautiful Pass?

If you already have an America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, that's the only entrance pass you need. Seniors, military, visitors with a permanent disability, and families with a 4th grader are eligible for a free or discounted America the Beautiful pass.

America the Beautiful Pass

How often do you plan to visit national parks in the next 12 months?

If you don't qualify for a discounted America the Beautiful pass, we recommend choosing an entrance pass based on your trip plans.

I'm visiting... We recommend
This park, once Standard Pass
This park, multiple times Annual Pass
More than one national park or federal recreation site America the Beautiful Pass

Entrance Passes

Colonial National Historical Park Annual Pass The Colonial Annual Pass admits passholder and three accompanying adults unlimited admittance to both NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield during regular operating hours. Pass is valid for twelve months from the month of purchase. Note: There is an additional $ 15.00 Preservation Virginia entrance fee for each adult entering on the Colonial Pass to Historic Jamestowne to visit the Preservation Virginia historic areas.

Standard Entrance Pass

$15.00

Note: Preservation Virginia charges a fee for entrance to their portion of Jamestown on any of the above dates. These areas include the James Fort Site, Archaearium, Memorial Church, and Dale House Cafe.

For Individuals

All visitors over the age of 16 need an entrance pass, including vehicle passengers. Children under the age of 16 don't need an entrance pass.

Adult (16 and older) -$15; good for 7 days entrance to Yorktown Battlefield (and NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne); can be upgraded to see Preservation Virginia areas at Historic Jamestowne for an additional $15 at the Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center. Yorktown Battlefield will not be selling the $30 entrance permit for Historic Jamestowne.

In-person Purchase Locations

  • Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center

    Cash or Credit/Debit

  • Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center

    Cash or Credit/Debit

More information
Annual Entrance - Park

Annual Entrance - Park

$45.00

The Colonial Annual Pass admits passholder and three accompanying adults unlimited admittance to both NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield during regular operating hours. Pass is valid for twelve months from the month of purchase. Note: There is an additional $ 15.00 Preservation Virginia entrance fee for each adult entering on the Colonial Pass to Historic Jamestowne to visit the Preservation Virginia historic areas.

In-person Purchase Locations

  • Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center

    Cash or Credit/Debit

  • Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center

    Cash or Credit/Debit

America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

A stack of all six versions of the America the Beautiful Pass

Covers entrance fees and standard amenity (day-use) fees at lands managed by

  • National Park Service
  • US Fish & Wildlife Service
  • US Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • Bureau of Reclamation
  • US Army of Corps of Engineers

Depending on the type of entrance fee charged at a site, covers
One private vehicle fee
or
Four per person fees

Type Available to Price
Annual Pass Everyone $80.00
Senior Annual Pass US citizens and permanent residents 62+ years old $20.00
Senior Lifetime Pass US citizens and permanent residents 62+ years old $80.00
Military Annual Pass Current US military and dependents Free
Military Lifetime Pass Gold Star Family members and veterans Free
Access Pass US citizens and permanent residents with permanent disability Free
4th Grade Pass US 4th graders Free
Volunteer Pass Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours Free

America the Beautiful Passes are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. Passholders must show valid photo identification (ID) with each pass.

How to Get an America the Beautiful Pass

In Person (Recommended)

Passes can be purchased or picked up at over 1,000 federal recreation sites.

Purchase and pickup locations

Order Online, Receive by Mail

To receive your pass by mail, order online at the USGS Online Store . Online orders are for physical passes, not digital passes, and may take up to three weeks to be processed and delivered. Order receipts may not be used in place of a physical pass. We recommend ordering at least three weeks in advance of your visit, or picking up a pass in person instead.

2024 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:

 

Colonial National Historical Park Entrance Fees & Pass Options


Colonial National Historical Park (Colonial NHP) requires a visitor entrance pass for all persons, age 16 & older. This pass provides access to the following resources managed by the park, including the Yorktown Visitor Center and Battlefield Tour Roads, Jamestown Visitor Center, Glasshouse, Island Drive Tour Road, New Towne and recreational access along the Colonial Parkway.

Pass Options

There are a variety of pass options available to purchase for your visit to Colonial NHP. These pass options provide visitors access, at a minimum, for seven consecutive days. Annual and lifetime pass options are also available, in addition to passes which provide visitors access to over 2,000 federal land and water sites across the U.S.

Colonial National Historical Park ONLY Pass Options

  • Individual Pass: $15 per adult (age 16+): This is a seven consecutive day pass, which is valid only for entrance fees at Colonial NHP.

  • Annual Pass: $45: An annual pass is valid for one (1) year from the month of purchase and provides the passholder and up to three (3) additional adults access.

Note: An additional $15 fee is required to access Preservation Virginia resources at Historic Jamestowne. These areas include James Fort Site, and the Archaearium.

Where to purchase: These passes can be purchased in person, online, or using your mobile device by scanning fee signs posted throughout the park.

In person when arriving at:

  • The Yorktown Visitor Center, 1000 Colonial Parkway, Yorktown, VA 23690; or

  • The Jamestown Visitor Center, 1368 Colonial Parkway, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Online at: Colonial National Historical Park - Recreation.gov Buy you pass online with the recreation.gov logo

 

Or

Using your mobile device by scanning fee signs posted throughout the park.

 
Fee Wayside

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Buy you pass online with the recreation.gov logo

Advanced Purchase of Passes & Credit Card Payment Encouraged, if possible.

The park encourages the advance online purchase of passes through the recreation.gov website at Colonial National Historical Park - Recreation.gov. Additionally, in person payment through a credit card is encouraged and available during normal operating hours at Yorktown and Jamestown Visitor Centers.

 

America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes

The America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes allows access to more than 2,000 recreation areas managed by six Federal agencies, including the National Park Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Army Corps of Engineers. If you want to have a pass shipped to you in advance of your visit, a variety of federal lands passes are available online. Otherwise, these passes are also available in person during normal operating hours at Yorktown and Jamestown Visitor Centers.

To view the suite of annual or lifetime pass options, including the Interagency Annual Pass, Military Annual Pass, Military Lifetime Pass, 4th Grade Pass, Senior Annual Pass, Senior Lifetime Pass, Access Pass, and Volunteer Pass visit: Entrance Passes (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov))

 
Interagency Pass

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How Your Fees Help Colonial National Historical Park

Entrance fees are an important source of revenue in National Parks to improve the visitor experience, including recreational opportunities. The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) allows the NPS to collect and retain revenue and requires that fee revenue be used to enhance the visitor experience. At least 80 percent of the money stays in the park where it is collected, and the other 20 percent is distributed to benefit other parks across the system that do not collect fees.

Recreation fees help the park fund important work and projects at Colonial NHP. For example, these fee dollars have supported:

  • York River shoreline stabilization project along the Colonial Parkway.

  • Restoration of cultural landscapes within the park.

  • Repair work of historic cannon carriages.

  • Painting and restoring picket fences in historic Yorktown.

  • Visitor safety including providing additional traffic safety patrol and signage where needed.

For more information on how your fee dollars are at work across the National Park system, visit Your Fee Dollars at Work (www.nps.gov/aboutus/fees-at-work.htm).

 

Are you planning an Organized Group (Commercial or Non-Commercial) visit to Colonial NHP?

Colonial NHP charges a per user entrance fee for all recreational users including those visiting with a commercial or non-commercial group. Reservations are not required to visit the park.

Academic Fee Waiver

If you are organizing a visit for a school or other bona fide educational institutions (accredited, officially recognized, or tax exempt for educational purposes), you may request an academic fee waiver. The fee waiver allows qualifying groups free entry into the park for educational purposes. Academic fee waivers are not granted automatically, and applicant groups must show they qualify for the waiver. To complete the fee waiver application, visit the academic fee waiver page for more information. Applications must be submitted to Colonial NHP at least four (4) weeks prior to your visit.

The academic fee waiver provides admittance to resources managed by Colonial NHP. This includes Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center, the Yorktown Battlefield Tour Roads, Jamestown Island Visitor Center, New Towne, Jamestown Glasshouse, and Island Drive Loop.
The Academic Fee Waiver does not include access to our partner, Preservation Virginia's property which includes the James Fort site, Memorial Church, and Archaearium. For information regarding tickets to our partner's site, contact Preservation Virginia.

Commercial Organized Group Fees

If you are operating a business that provides leisure or recreational services while in the park it is considered a commercial group and you are required to have a Commercial Use Authorization and pay entrance fees for all adults 16 and older. A commercial group is defined as consisting of one or more persons traveling on an itinerary that has been packaged, priced, or sold for leisure or recreational purposes by an organization that realizes financial gain through the provisions of the service. For more information, please visit: Commercial Use Authorizations - Colonial National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Note: At this time, Road-Based Commercial Tours (commercial buses) are not required to apply for a CUA at Colonial NHP but must check-in to pay fees at one of the NPS Visitor Centers as the first stop within the park.

Are you interested in planning a special event or activity in the park?

A special park use is a short-term activity that takes place in a park area and provides a benefit to an individual, group, or organization, rather than the public at large. This may include events, ceremonies, filming, and other activities and requires permission and a special use permit from Colonial NHP. Many of these events and activities require payment of the per person recreation fee by the organizer and may also require a permit fee.

Colonial NHP charges per person entrance fees for all recreational users including those participating in special events and activities.

For more information, visit: Permits & Special Park Use - Colonial National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Exemptions To Entrance Fee Requirements

  • NPS areas along the waterfront of Yorktown are maintained by an agreement with York County at the County’s expense and are currently fee free.

  • Visiting on the fee free entrance days listed above.

  • Non-recreational through traffic utilizing the Parkway does not require a recreation fee.

 

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Last updated: April 26, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 210
Yorktown, VA 23690

Phone:

757 898-2410

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