Smith's Fort

04/24/2026

Get ready for an adventure this Saturday at 11 AM! Embark on our first-ever Natural History Hike along the 1 mile out and back nature trail and uncover lesser known tales of Virginia's wildlife.

Delve into the mysteries of the first insect documented by English colonists, a quirky wildlife bill rejected in 1826, and story behind the “Virginia Nightingale.” Don't miss this exploration into natural history at Smith’s Fort in Surry, Virginia!

Tickets are included with general admission or just $5 on their own, available for purchase on site.

12/05/2025

Attention: Due to snowfall and freezing conditions, the following sites will be closed today, December 5th: John Marshall House, Patrick Henry's Scotchtown, Smith's Fort, and Bacon's Castle.

Cape Henry Lighthouse and Historic Jamestowne are OPEN!

We anticipate all sites will resume normal operations tomorrow, December 6th. Stay safe and warm!

12/03/2025

It's Giving Tuesday, this year your money goes further at Preservation Virginia. Giving Tuesday supporters will receive an additional Preservation Virginia membership of equal value to “gift” away to an individual or family! PV members receive free admission to Bacon’s Castle, John Marshall House, Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown, Cape Henry Lighthouse and Smith’s Fort!

If this BOGO deal wasn’t enough, your donations are also DOUBLED! Two generous foundations have awarded us a generous matching gift of $40,000! But we need your help to make the match.

Your donations support the preservation and restoration of Captain John Smith’s proposed fort site along Gray’s Creek. As well as the education of thousands of visitors each year! Every dollar makes a difference. Please consider making a gift to preservation today, December 2nd!

Make a difference here: https://preservationvirginia.org/support/donate/...

11/29/2025

It may be Black Friday, but the deal of the year happens this Tuesday! On Giving Tuesday, buy a Preservation Virginia membership and give one away at equal value. Each individual, dual, or family memberships, purchased will give you and a loved one access to 100 miles of Virginia history!

Get (and give) a year of free/discounted admission to all five of our locations: Bacon's Castle, John Marshall House, Patrick Henry's Scotchtown, Cape Henry Lighthouse and Smith's Fort. Preservation Virginia Members also receive discounts to special events year-round!

This holiday season, give the gift of history. Join or renew your membership this Tuesday, December 2nd, and share a PV membership with friends or family!

Join us here: https://preservationvirginia.org/support/donate

When participating in the BOGO deal, please select "yes" to the following on the donation page: "Would you like to make this a gift membership for someone else?". Once selected, please enter the name and contact information of the gift recipient to ensure the extra membership goes to the right place!

07/02/2024

Surry County provides plenty of opportunities for experiencing history! Smith’s Fort is the site of Captain John Smith’s proposed “New Fort'' and is located directly across the James River from Jamestown. It was acquired by Preservation Virginia in 1933. With its connection to Pocahontas’ marriage to John Rolfe in 1614, a circa 1761 house that retains much of its historic fabric, and having been purchased by a collective group of African American families in 1886, the layers of history at this site run deep! As archaeology is starting at the site soon, there are always new ways to experience this amazing place. We’ll see you where history happened: https://preservationvirginia.org/.../smiths-fort-plantation/.

11/26/2021

Time is running out to visit Smith's Fort historic site before closing for the winter season! Did you know that in 1609, John Smith ordered the construction of a "New Fort" across the James River from Historic Jamestowne? See the fort site for yourself by walking the 1/2 mile trail to a scenic overlook at Gray's Creek. Also tour the 18th century Manor House, and self-guided outdoor audio tours are available as well. Plan your visit at www.preservationvirginia.org.

11/05/2021

It's a wonderful time of year for a visit. Thank you for the great post, Surry County, Virginia

03/19/2021

The clouds are parting, and it's going to be a beautiful weekend! There's so much to see and do at Preservation Virginia historic sites, including Smith's Fort. Stop by this weekend for our specialty outdoor tour, "18th Century Tidewater Architecture."

This weekend is chock-full of interesting specialty tours at our sites- be sure to get them in this month: "African American History at Bacon's Castle", "Sir, We Are Not Weak: The Women of Revolutionary Era Patrick Henry's Scotchtown", "18th Century Tidewater Architecture at Smith's Fort", and "John Marshall at Home", a virtual tour of the John Marshall House. Find these events and more at https://preservationvirginia.org/upcoming-events/.

12/10/2020

Though we're closing the interior of Smith's Fort for tours until next year, you can still access the grounds for a new audio tour and to visit the actual fort site on Gray's Creek.

In an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of our guests and staff, Preservation Virginia has made the difficult decision to cease guided tours of five of our historic sites for the season.

With COVID-19 numbers and positivity rates steadily rising in Virginia, the interiors of Bacon’s Castle, Smith’s Fort, Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown, the John Marshall House and Cape Henry Lighthouse will close until next year beginning Friday, December 11. However, the grounds of Bacon’s Castle, Smith’s Fort and Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown will remain open and guests can access new audio tours via cell phones. Social distancing and the wearing of masks are required for self-guided exterior tours, and a suggested donation of $5 is requested for accessing the grounds.

We're committed to the talented teams of site interpreters at each location. Given this unexpected closing, staff members will be compensated for their scheduled hours through the end of the year.

We look forward to welcoming guests back inside our historic sites in 2021. In the meantime, stay tuned to our website, YouTube channel and social media pages for updates, new educational videos and online programs. Stay safe and well!

12/01/2020

We, like other historic sites and museums faced serious challenges this year. But even in the face of a pandemic, our work continues. We have increased our educational programs and continued preservation projects- all of these programs moved forward, and only because of your help. We rely so much on donations from our members and supporters- thank you for making this work possible!

This , making a gift to Smith's Fort and Preservation Virginia goes twice as far. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund has generously offered to match up to $25,000 in donations received online through our website!
You can see our progress and help reach the goal at https://preservationvirginia.org/sup.../2020givingchallenge/. Thank you for your continued support!