Mysteries of the Lost Colony: Exhibit Sheds Light on British-American History

This exhibit is presented by the North Carolina History Museum and The British Museum. The exhibit gives a glimpse at England's first attempt to establishing a permanent colony in the New World. The exhibit is broken up into seven parts: Elizabethan Street Scene, Introduction, England's first view of America from the British Museum, Theodor de Bry's Engravings, Indian Village, CSI:Roanoke Island, and "The Lost Colony. "

This exhibit started on October 13, 2007, and it runs through January 13, 2008. The admissions for adults is $10, Students, senior citizens, active military personnel at $8, Children ages 5 to 12 at $5, and Free for Children ages 4 and under. Group rates $8 Adult groups (10 or more) and $ 5 Youth groups ages 5 to 18 (10 or more). Now lets get to the exhibit.

The first part is the Elizabethan Street Scene. This is a scene based on Plymouth, England in 1585. As you walk in you will meet a female dressed in 16th century clothing to introduce you to the street scene and introduce the guess to the exhibit.
Opinion: The volunteer in this part of the exhibit was not the most pleasant and did not say anything as I walked in.

The second part was the introduction you learn about the Roanoke voyages and navigation during the 1500s. This part only happen if you had a tour guide. For the most part you looked around for yourself.

The third part was England's first view of America. This showed the artist John White paintings made during his second of five trips to the New World. The paintings were of the region's geography, natural history, and Algonquian-speaking people. This are rare paintings that are not seen often. this give people a glimpse of what the first inhabitants looked like. These paintings have been through a flood and fire and have manage to survive.

The fourth Theodor de Bry's Engravings made it possible for the John White paintings to be seen by more than just the Elizabethan's court.The drawings show American Indian life and customs. Also in this area is an original canoe that was found at Lake Phelps. In this area there is also a spotlight tour, which show visitors how to make fire and tell them how a canoe is made.

The fifth Indian Village shows three American Indian huts replicas as well as food eaten and how it was cooked. There is also a canoe in this area as well as a stuffed deer. This area also has a spotlight tour where visitors can grind corn as well as the learn the importance of corn in the American Indian diet. There is also a video of an American Indian powwow.

The sixth is CSI: Roanoke Island. In 1608 the Jamestown settlement disappeared without a trace and the museum has a poll set up to determine what happen to the English settlers.

The seventh and last site in the exhibit is the outdoor drama started in the 1930s to the present. There are photo memorabilia, clips, video, and costumes.

The exhibit ends with a store. Overall the exhibit was great. I would say the admission was a small price to pay to get a look at history. This exhibit ends January 13, 2008 before it moves on.