Revenues Up in 2011 for Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

By Sam Thrift Monday, January 16, 2012

Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center saw an increase in admissions revenue last year, even though paid attendance declined, because of a hike in ticket prices in 2011.

According to a press release, paid visitation at the two living-history museums operated by the state’s Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation totaled 586,341 in 2011, a decline of 1.5 percent from 2010.  Admission sales amounted to $5,167,050, an increase of 4.2 percent.

While paid visitation was down at the Jamestown Settlement, it was up at the Yorktown Victory Center, which this year will start its transformation to an 80,000 square-foot center focused on the entire American Revolution. It will be the only museum of its kind in the U.S.

Debby Padgett of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation said the increase in revenues is primarily the result of the admission prices increasing from 2010 to 2011 at the Jamestown Settlement. The price for an adult ticket went from $14 to $15, while tickets for children age six to 12 went from $6.50 to $7.25. Padgett said ticket prices had not changed at Jamestown for years prior to the increase.

“The national economy and consumer outlook continue to have an impact, though the rate of decline has leveled off from previous years,” said Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Senior Director of Marketing and Retail Operations Susan Bak, “We are very gratified at the increase in admissions revenue, which is attributable to the ticket pricing structure.”

Ticket sales to individuals accounted for 63 percent of total paid visitation at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center in 2011, according to a press release. An estimated 75 percent of individual visitors came from outside Virginia.  Group visitation, including school field trips, comprised 37 percent of total paid visitation.

In addition to paid visitation, there were a total of 59,695 complimentary admissions at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation museums in 2011, a 12.2 percent increase compared to 2010. Complimentary admission includes residents of James City and York counties, along with the City of Williamsburg.

The number of visits to their website, historyisfun.org, exceeded 1.6 million in 2011, according to a press release.

“We’ve continued to broaden our reach to prospective visitors with enhancements to the historyisfun.org website, introduction of new forms of electronic communication, emphasis on Internet search marketing and a commitment to destination marketing,” Bak said.

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation works with partners in the area to promote cooperative tickets and vacation packages that include the group’s museums along with Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and Art Museums, Historic Jamestown, Water Country USA and Yorktown Battlefield.

For more information about the Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center call (757) 253-4838 or visit www.historyisfun.org.