Yorktown Battlefield

State: Virginia. Type: Revolutionary War battlefield in Yorktown, York County, preserved within Colonial National Historical Park. Site of the September 28-October 19, 1781 siege that ended with General Cornwallis's surrender to George Washington and French allies. Operated by the National Park Service. Standard 7-day pass covers Yorktown Battlefield and NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne.

Yorktown Battlefield preserves the ground where the Revolutionary War effectively ended, in a siege that ran from late September to mid-October 1781. American forces under George Washington, joined by French troops under the Comte de Rochambeau and a French naval blockade, surrounded British General Charles Cornwallis's army at Yorktown on Virginia's York River. After weeks of siege, Cornwallis's roughly 7,000 to 8,000 soldiers surrendered on October 19, 1781; Cornwallis himself did not attend the ceremony, sending Brigadier General Charles O'Hara in his place. Though the formal Treaty of Paris was not signed until 1783, the Yorktown surrender ended major combat on the American mainland. Today the battlefield is preserved by the National Park Service as part of Colonial National Historical Park, with a visitor center, battlefield tour roads, and historic structures including the Moore House, where surrender terms were negotiated, and Nelson House. The nearby American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, opened in 1976, adds artifact galleries and outdoor living-history programming.

Yorktown Battlefield sits in Yorktown, York County, Virginia, along the York River in the Chesapeake Bay region, on the Colonial Parkway that connects it to Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg. The battlefield and visitor center are part of Colonial National Historical Park.

The Tidewater Virginia climate here brings hot, humid summers and mild winters, similar to nearby Jamestown and Williamsburg. Since much of a battlefield visit involves driving or walking outdoor tour roads and open fields, seasonal heat, humidity or cold should factor into visit planning.

Spring and fall offer the mildest weather for walking the battlefield's outdoor tour roads and earthworks. Because the battlefield tour roads stay open until sunset while the visitor center keeps set daily hours, visitors wanting to combine both should plan their day accordingly.

The Siege of Yorktown ran from September 28 to October 19, 1781, the final major land engagement of the American Revolutionary War. Facing a Franco-American army with overwhelming numbers and a naval blockade cutting off resupply or evacuation, British General Charles Cornwallis surrendered his forces on October 19, 1781; Cornwallis cited illness and did not attend the surrender ceremony himself. The victory effectively ended major fighting on the mainland, though the war was not formally concluded until the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The battlefield grounds were preserved and today form part of Colonial National Historical Park, administered by the National Park Service, alongside the separately operated American Revolution Museum at Yorktown (opened 1976 as the Yorktown Victory Center), which interprets the broader Revolutionary War story with artifacts and living-history areas.

Visitors can drive or walk the battlefield's tour roads past preserved earthworks and redoubts, visit the National Park Service visitor center for historical context, and tour surviving historic structures such as the Moore House, where surrender terms were negotiated (open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as staffing permits). The nearby American Revolution Museum at Yorktown adds indoor galleries and outdoor living-history programming for a fuller Revolutionary War experience.

The battlefield's earthworks and redoubts, the NPS visitor center, and the Moore House (surrender negotiation site) are the core sites on the battlefield itself; the Nelson House and Poor Potter site are also on the grounds, though not open for interior visits per recent NPS information. The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, a separate site nearby, adds museum galleries and reconstructed living-history areas.

Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is the nearest airport. The battlefield is reached via the Colonial Parkway, which links Yorktown to Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg, making a rental car the most practical way to combine all three historic sites.

The visitor center and store are open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while battlefield tour roads remain accessible until sunset; the Moore House is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as staffing permits. The park closes on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

A standard 7-day pass is $15 per person (ages 16+), covering Yorktown Battlefield and National Park Service areas at Historic Jamestowne; children under 16 enter free. An annual pass covering both sites for the pass holder and three accompanying adults is $45. America the Beautiful passes are also accepted (resident annual $80, senior annual $20, military annual free). Note that separate Preservation Virginia fees ($15 per adult) apply for non-NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne. The park also offers free admission on eight designated dates in 2026, including Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day weekend and Veterans Day.

Plan at least two hours to drive or walk the battlefield tour roads and visit the visitor center, with additional time if touring the Moore House or adding the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

Williamsburg, a short drive away via the Colonial Parkway, offers the widest range of lodging in the area, from major hotel chains to properties tied to Colonial Williamsburg, and is the typical base for visiting Yorktown alongside Jamestown.

The historic Yorktown waterfront has a small cluster of casual dining options, while Williamsburg, a short drive away, offers a much broader range of restaurants for visitors basing themselves there.

The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown sits nearby and pairs naturally with the battlefield. Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne, and Colonial Williamsburg, are all connected via the Colonial Parkway as part of Virginia's Historic Triangle.

Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is the closest airport with commercial service. A rental car is effectively necessary to travel the Colonial Parkway between Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg.

The battlefield tour roads and earthworks involve walking on uneven, sometimes grassy terrain, so sturdy footwear is worth wearing. Because the Moore House and some structures keep limited open hours, confirm interior access before planning around them. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking or hiking shoes for the earthworks and tour roads, water, and sun protection, since much of the battlefield is open and exposed. A National Park Service pass (standard, annual or America the Beautiful) should be purchased or presented at the visitor center.

Check the Moore House's limited weekend opening schedule if you specifically want to see its interior. Combine the battlefield with the nearby American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and consider a multi-site pass if also visiting Historic Jamestowne. Confirm current park alerts before visiting, since some historic structures may be closed for preservation work.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The park's general visitor line is 757-898-2410, per the National Park Service's official Yorktown Battlefield contact information.

Colonial National Historical Park - Yorktown Battlefield (National Park Service) - https://www.nps.gov/york/index.htm

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.