Emily Butko Museum Review

Over Spring Break, I was able to visit the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia. During my tour I learned how important the settlement and museum is to the local community and the state of Virginia. Our tour guide discussed how in Virginia students have a better grasp of American history because they can see the settlement and visit the museum. When they learn about Virginia history they are also learning about American history. Without this museum and the replica of the settlement students might not be able to make these connections. There is so much history behind Jamestown and the surrounding area and the museum educates visitors and the local community about this history. It allows the community to trace their roots back and understand how their ancestors lived and how they ended up where they are today.

Inside the museum there were a few things that stood out to me. There were loud bird noises that were playing. This could be extremely distracting and overwhelming to individuals who may fall on the autism spectrum. When I talked to other members on my tour I talked to them about how these noises could be distracting and all of them said something along the lines of “wow I never thought of that”. The museum was also very wide open with plenty of room for a person with a wheelchair to move around, the only part that was not very wheelchair accessible would be the replica of the settlement. However, I understand it might be hard to try and make the settlement as realistic as possible and accommodate for people with physical disabilities.