Visitor's Center

This is the best place to start your tour of the battlefield. It is located in the heart of the British earthwork lines. Entrance fees are $5 per person. There is a small series of displays, a movie, and the start of a short tour. While we were there, part of the display area was under construction--setting up Washington's HQ tent if I recall correctly.

The Lafayette Cannon inside the center.

Of note is a 1/4 size frigate. I'm not quite sure why it is there, other than for visual effect, but it looks impressive.

The Lafayette Cannon

Off to the side is the Lafayette cannon. Evidently, some time after the battle, Lafayette returned to America and embraced this cannon. He had noticed it on the battlefield because it had a dent in it made by an American ball during the siege. You can see it through the spokes in the wheel.

Notice the dent on the barrel--look through the spokes.

A small gift shop sells a number of books, plus a considerable array of "rubber tomahawk" items. An observation deck is in the back, which looks out over the siege lines. A theater runs a movie about the area and battle. Since time was of the essense, we skipped the movie, but waited the two minutes for the quick tour.

More Yorktown Battlefield

Introduction
Historical Preliminaries
Visitor's Center
The Quick Tour
Forward March...Ouch! Ouch!
Redoubts 9 and 10
Grand French Battery
Augustine Moore House
Surrender Field
Yorktown Victory Monument

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