2025 Guided Tours
2 p.m. February 22 and December 6, 2025
Contact 757-356-1223 to schedule other dates and times for groups.

​Location & Hours
7410 Fort Boykin Trail
(757) 357-2291
March - October 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
November - February 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

​For guided tours of the site, contact the Isle of Wight County Museum at 757-356-1223.

Fort Boykin

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By 1621, there were two settlements on this side of the James River – Bennett’s Welcome and Basse’s Choice. On March 22, 1622, an Indian attack on the Virginia colony claimed the lives of hundreds of settlers, including 52 settlers at these two sites. Following the attack, colonists were instructed by the House of Burgesses in Jamestown to construct a protected fort to serve as a lookout for future attacks. The fort, a triangular-shaped earthen structure, took approximately six months to construct and was originally christened The Castle due to its deep natural ditches, high elevation and steep embankment fronting the James River.

Refortified during the American Revolution, War of 1812 and Civil War, the fort is now an 18-acre park. Today guests can venture inside the fort for a self-guided tour to learn more about the fort’s history and enjoy the fort’s natural habitat and beach access.