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<div class="vw-attraction">

{{Text hero
|title=Cape Henry Memorial
|subtitle=Virginia attraction guide
|kind=attraction
}}
<div class="vw-photo-hero-fallback-source" style="display:none">
{{Attraction header
|name=Cape Henry Memorial
|image=
|alt=
|kicker=VIRGINIA ATTRACTION
|summary=A small National Park Service memorial in Virginia Beach marking the approximate site of the English colonists’ first landing in Virginia in 1607, with views toward the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay entrance.
}}
</div>

{{Attraction quick facts
|label1=Location
|value1=Virginia Beach, within Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story
|label2=Managed by
|value2=National Park Service
|label3=Known for
|value3=The approximate 1607 landing site and the Battle of the Capes
|label4=Access
|value4=Military-base access rules apply; confirm current arrangements before going
}}
<div class="vw-attraction-intro">
Cape Henry Memorial is a compact outdoor historic site at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. A granite cross marks the approximate place where English colonists came ashore in April 1607, before traveling on to establish Jamestown. The site is part of [[Colonial National Historical Park]] and sits on an active military installation. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/learn/historyculture/index.htm
|title=History & Culture: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

The memorial is more than a single marker: visitors can see a statue of French admiral Comte de Grasse, a monument to the 1781 Battle of the Capes and a walkway leading to a view over the dunes, Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay entrance. Access arrangements are an essential part of planning: the memorial is within Fort Story, and National Park Service visitor pages describe restrictions and shuttle procedures that may change. Check the park’s latest directions and hours before setting out. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/planyourvisit/directions.htm
|title=Directions: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/planyourvisit/hours.htm
|title=Operating Hours & Seasons: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>
</div>

<div class="vw-commerce-flow">
{{Book destination
|destination=VA-CAPE-HENRY-MEMORIAL
|name=Cape Henry Memorial
}}
{{Viator maybe
|destination=VA-CAPE-HENRY-MEMORIAL
}}
</div>

== Why visit Cape Henry Memorial? ==
Cape Henry is a meaningful stop for visitors tracing Virginia’s early colonial history or the closing years of the American Revolution. Its significance comes from two moments tied to the bay’s entrance: the 1607 landing associated with the founding of Jamestown, and the 1781 naval battle in which French and British fleets fought nearby. The French victory helped prevent British reinforcements from reaching Yorktown. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/learn/historyculture/index.htm
|title=History & Culture: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

The setting is part of the experience. The memorial occupies a small area among coastal dunes, with a short walkway to an ocean-and-bay overlook. It is an outdoor, largely self-guided visit rather than a staffed museum; the National Park Service says there are no facilities or special services at the site. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/planyourvisit/directions.htm
|title=Directions: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

== Start here ==
Begin at the granite First Landing Memorial Cross, which commemorates the wooden cross the English colonists are said to have planted after coming ashore. Read the nearby interpretive panels for context, then look for the Battle of the Capes monument and de Grasse statue. Finish with the walkway to the dune-top viewpoint, where the memorial’s location at the entrance to the bay becomes clear. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/learn/historyculture/index.htm
|title=History & Culture: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

== What to see and do ==
<div class="vw-attraction-card-grid">
{{Attraction card
|title=First Landing Memorial Cross
|text=A granite cross erected in 1935 commemorates the wooden cross associated with the colonists’ 1607 landing. The memorial marks the approximate landing site, not a precisely established point on the modern shoreline.
}}
{{Attraction card
|title=Battle of the Capes memorial
|text=See the granite monument honoring the 1781 naval encounter between French and British fleets near the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.
}}
{{Attraction card
|title=Admiral de Grasse statue
|text=A statue honors the French admiral whose fleet’s victory in the Battle of the Capes helped shape the outcome at Yorktown.
}}
{{Attraction card
|title=Interpretive panels
|text=Three wayside panels introduce Cape Henry’s role in the 1607 landing and the later naval battle.
}}
{{Attraction card
|title=Dune-top overlook
|text=Follow the walkway to look out toward the Atlantic Ocean and the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. Stay on established paths and take care around the dunes.
}}
</div>

== History and significance ==
In April 1607, English colonists entered Chesapeake Bay and landed at Cape Henry. The National Park Service identifies the memorial as marking the approximate site of that first landing in Virginia. The colonists later traveled up the James River and established Jamestown; Cape Henry is therefore an important opening point in the story told across Colonial National Historical Park. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://home.nps.gov/articles/colonial.htm
|title=Virginia: Colonial National Historical Park
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

The memorial also interprets the Battle of the Capes, fought offshore in 1781 between French and British fleets. The French victory helped prevent British naval relief from reaching General Cornwallis at Yorktown, contributing to the circumstances that led to his surrender. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/learn/historyculture/index.htm
|title=History & Culture: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

The granite cross was erected in 1935 by the Daughters of the American Colonists. The memorial landscape was later moved inland as the shoreline advanced; a National Park Service cultural-landscape inventory documents the relocation in 1981. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://irmadev.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2302281
|title=Cape Henry Memorial: Cultural Landscapes Inventory
|website=National Park Service DataStore
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|date=2023
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

== Planning a visit ==
Cape Henry Memorial is within Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story, so do not assume that ordinary public-road access applies. National Park Service pages describe checkpoint procedures, restrictions on driving onto the base, and shuttle access from the gate area; another page notes that the site may close during periods of heightened security. The posted instructions may change or differ, so review the NPS directions and hours immediately before visiting and contact the listed base public affairs office if access is unclear. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/planyourvisit/directions.htm
|title=Directions: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/came/planyourvisit/hours.htm
|title=Operating Hours & Seasons: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

The memorial is an unattended outdoor site without visitor facilities or special services. Plan for a short, self-guided stop, wear footwear suited to outdoor paths, and bring any water or other necessities you need. The NPS lists no entrance fee, but base access requirements still apply. <ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://home.nps.gov/came/planyourvisit/fees.htm
|title=Fees and Passes: Cape Henry Memorial
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-22
}}</ref>

== Nearby attractions ==
<div class="vw-attraction-nearby-grid">
{{Nearby card
|title=First Landing State Park
|link=First Landing State Park
|text=A Virginia state park on the coast near Cape Henry, with trails and access to Chesapeake Bay landscapes.
}}
{{Nearby card
|title=Virginia Beach
|link=Virginia Beach, Virginia
|text=The nearby coastal city offers beaches, dining and other visitor services.
}}
{{Nearby card
|title=Norfolk
|link=Norfolk, Virginia
|text=A nearby waterfront city with museums, maritime history and cultural attractions.
}}
{{Nearby card
|title=Colonial National Historical Park
|link=Colonial National Historical Park
|text=Explore the park’s connected historic places, including Cape Henry, Jamestown and Yorktown.
}}
{{Nearby card
|title=Yorktown Battlefield
|link=Yorktown Battlefield
|text=Visit the Revolutionary War battlefield associated with the campaign that followed the 1781 naval victory.
}}
</div>

<div class="vw-amazon-flow">
'''Travel books and maps:''' [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Cape%20Henry%20Memorial%20Virginia%20travel%20guide%20map&tag=virginiawiki-20 Browse related Virginia travel books and maps on Amazon]
<div class="vw-affiliate-disclosure">As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases.</div>
</div>

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://www.nps.gov/came/ Cape Henry Memorial — National Park Service]
* [https://www.nps.gov/came/planyourvisit/directions.htm Directions and access information — National Park Service]
* [https://www.nps.gov/came/planyourvisit/hours.htm Operating hours and seasonal information — National Park Service]
</div>

[[Category:Virginia attractions]]
[[Category:Virginia history]]

Cape Henry Memorial - Revision history

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