Yorktown Victory Monument
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Location
Ballard Street and Main Street, Yorktown
Commemorates
The 1781 victory and French-American alliance
Best for
History, architecture and a short stop in Yorktown
At the eastern end of historic Yorktown, the Victory Monument stands within Colonial National Historical Park as a public memorial to the decisive 1781 campaign. Its location near Main Street makes it a natural stop while exploring the village, and the National Park Service lists interpretive information, parking and wheelchair accessibility among the site’s amenities.[1]
The monument is more than a marker of a battlefield outcome: its inscriptions and sculptural details tell a story of victory, national unity and cooperation between France and the United States. Take time to look closely at the base and column, then pair the stop with Yorktown Battlefield or a walk through Yorktown, Virginia.[2]
Plan a trip to Yorktown Victory Monument
Why visit the Yorktown Victory Monument?
The monument offers a compact introduction to how Americans commemorated the Revolution a century after the fighting. Its design was planned to represent both the victory at Yorktown and the French-American alliance, making it a meaningful complement to the battlefield landscape nearby.[3]
It is also an easy landmark to fold into a broader Yorktown visit. The monument stands at Ballard Street and Main Street, and the National Park Service describes it as about a 500-yard walk or drive from the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center.[4][5]
Start here
Begin with a slow circuit around the base. The monument’s four-sided historical program includes inscriptions relating to the victory, the siege, the alliance with France and the resulting peace with Britain. Looking upward, notice how the sculptures and symbols extend that story from the founding colonies to the nation that followed.[6]
For context on the events being commemorated, continue to the battlefield visitor center and the siege landscape. The monument is a memorial, not a substitute for exploring the earthworks and other sites associated with the Siege of Yorktown.[7]
What to see and do
Read the inscriptions
Walk around the base to take in its historical account of the siege, the victory, the French-American alliance and the peace that followed.
Look for the thirteen figures
The sculpted figures hand in hand around the podium represent the original thirteen colonies; the encircling inscription reads “One country, one constitution, one destiny.”[8]
Notice the alliance symbols
Congress’s design instructions called for emblems of the alliance between France and America, alongside symbols of war and peace.
Continue from the memorial to the battlefield’s visitor center, tour roads and Revolutionary War landscape.
Pair the monument with the village’s historic streets and waterfront for a fuller visit to Yorktown.
History and significance
In October 1781, the surrender of British forces at Yorktown marked a decisive American and French victory in the American Revolution in Virginia. Congress resolved shortly afterward to commemorate the victory with a monument, but the memorial was not built until the centennial era.[9]
Congress renewed the project in 1880, authorizing funding and a commission to select a design. The cornerstone was laid on October 18, 1881, at the opening of Yorktown’s centennial celebration. The design team included architect Richard Morris Hunt and sculptors J. Q. A. Ward and Henry Van Brunt; construction used granite for the shaft.[10]
The crowning figure was set in 1884, and the monument was reported complete in 1885. Its visual program links the Yorktown victory to the founding colonies and the French alliance. The National Park Service notes that the structure was officially inspected in 1890.[11]
Planning a visit
The monument is at the corner of Ballard Street and Main Street in Yorktown. The National Park Service lists parking and wheelchair accessibility among its amenities; visitors should check current site conditions and access information before setting out.[12]
The NPS superintendent’s current visitor-hours information lists Yorktown Battlefield grounds, including the Victory Monument, as open from 6 a.m. to sunset. Hours, closures and other conditions can change, so confirm the latest details with the park before visiting. The battlefield visitor center has separate operating hours.[13][14]
For a more complete visit, allow time for the battlefield visitor center and nearby historic sites. The monument is a short walk or drive from the visitor center, but check current conditions and event information if you plan to attend a program or ceremony.[15]
Nearby attractions
Yorktown Battlefield
Explore the siege landscape and the visitor center at the principal Revolutionary War site nearby.
Yorktown, Virginia
Discover the historic village, waterfront and local visitor stops around the monument.
Colonial Parkway
Take the scenic parkway connecting Yorktown with Jamestown and Williamsburg.
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
Visit the museum’s exhibits and outdoor living-history areas focused on the Revolution.
Travel books and maps: Browse related Virginia travel books and maps on Amazon
References
- ↑ The Yorktown Victory Monument, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Yorktown Victory Monument (cont.), Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Yorktown Victory Monument (cont.), Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ The Yorktown Victory Monument, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ The Fifes and Drums of Yorktown perform at the Yorktown Victory Monument, Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Yorktown Victory Monument (cont.), Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Yorktown Victory Monument (cont.), Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ National Park Service Hosts Virtual Program “The Lives of Monuments: Victory and Alliance at Yorktown” on April 15, Colonial National Historical Park, National Park Service, April 2, 2021. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Yorktown Victory Monument (cont.), Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Yorktown Victory Monument 03, Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ The Yorktown Victory Monument, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Superintendent's Compendium, Colonial National Historical Park, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Operating Hours & Seasons, Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ The Fifes and Drums of Yorktown perform at the Yorktown Victory Monument, Yorktown Battlefield, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-22.