Colonial National Historical Park (CNHP) experienced a steep decline in visitation last year, according to recently released National Park Service tallies.
The federally protected site, which is home to Yorktown Battlefield and Historic Jamestowne, only drew about 1.6 million visitors in 2025, down from 2.5 million in 2024.
The data paints a picture of steadily declining visitation over the past five years. In 2021, the park logged more than 3.1 million visits.
National parks across the Commonwealth and the nation were impacted by NPS layoffs, reductions in operating hours and challenges related to the longest-lasting government shutdown in history. Still, the drop in visits at CNHP was more dramatic than at any other national park we analyzed.
Shenandoah National Park, for instance, recorded 1.68 million visitors in 2025, down from 1.72 million the year before. But visitation was still higher last year than in 2021, 2022 and 2023, even though 15 park employees were laid off amid federal cuts.
NPS began requiring entrance fees in 2023 for all visitors recreating at Colonial National Historical Park, including the parkway. Locals widely criticized the policy, with many arguing the charges could negatively impact tourism and deter residents from visiting the park.
Total recorded visits to CNHP were down by more than 42% in 2025 compared to 2022, before the mandatory entrance fees went into effect.
Per the fee policy, people who visit the park or use the parkway for any activity other than commuting must pay for a standard pass, which costs $15 per person, per visit.
Annual passes are available for $45. The entrance fee applies to adults and teens aged 16 and older, though some individuals, including seniors and military members, qualify for discounted or free annual passes.
An additional $15 entrance fee is also charged for each adult who enters the Preservation Virginia portions of Historic Jamestowne, which includes the James Fort Site, Archaearium, Memorial Church and Dale House Cafe.
Last year, about 9 million fewer visits were cumulatively recorded at national parks throughout the U.S., meaning the drop in visitation at CNHP accounted for a significant portion of the overall nationwide decline.
Conversely, a few national parks in Virginia saw increases in visitation in 2025, including Assateague, which drew 2.3 million visitors, up from 2.2 million in 2024. George Washington's Birthplace drew 72,000 last year, up from 59,000 the year before.
Local leaders have expressed optimism in an anticipated resurgence of tourism for the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026. Impacts to Colonial National Historical Park remain to be seen.
In August 2023, NPS initiated a Colonial Parkway rehabilitation project that was initially scheduled to be fully completed by June 30, 2026, ahead of the semiquincentennial Independence Day celebrations.
That timeline has been pushed out, with park officials announcing earlier this year that construction will still be underway well into the fall.
According to the most recent NPS update, the final segments - which include Hubbard Lane to Penniman Road and Newport Avenue to Route 199 - are not expected to be completed until November.
"The Colonial Parkway is now expected to fully reopen by late fall 2026," the park service stated in a news release. "This extension allows time to complete additional infrastructure needs and deferred maintenance projects, as well as rework in certain areas to meet NPS standards for aesthetic craftsmanship and historical integrity."
Busch Gardens Williamsburg also experienced a drop in visitation in 2025. Marc Swanson, the park's CEO, attributed the decline to reduced international tourism as well as volatile weather during traditionally busy times of the year.
In a call to investors in March, Swanson said he was working on a plan to attract more guests and drive revenue in the coming months.
An NPS spokesperson did not respond to our request for comment when asked about the decline in visitation at CNHP. |
