Explore

Explore the Patawomeck Museum & Cultural Center as well as the Living History Village to learn the story of Stafford's FIRST people.

Explore the Patawomeck Museum and Cultural Center to discover all the opportunities for children and adults to learn, interact, and grow. Tour the museum, visit all the stations in the Living History Village, and get a picture beside the largest Ginkgo tree in Virginia.

Museum. The Museum has thousands of artifacts that help to tell the complex history of the Patawomeck Tribe. The artifacts include war clubs, gardening implements, pottery and ancient weaponry. The collection represents 10,000 years of history.

Be sure not to miss the replica of the cape believed to have been worn by Powhatan. This replica, designed for the movie “The New World” was crafted by Jacquelyn West, an Oscar nominated costume designer, and her staff. It is made entirely of turkey feathers collected by Tribal Members. The current Chief, Charles "Bootsie" Bullock, is pictured to the right wearing the Feather Cape.

Living History Village. The Living History Village provides an immersion-based experience portraying the life inside a Patawomeck Indian Village in Stafford County circa 1491, just prior to Western Europe’s “discovery” of the new world. Try your hand at the large wooden mortar and pestles to grind corn into meal. Visit the various stations, ask questions, and observe Tribal Members as they make cordage, weave nets and cook meat, which was hunted and prepared by themselves. We will not be reciting a story about the past, because we are telling OUR STORY and sharing our skills and traditions passed down from generation to generation. Be a part of our journey as we celebrate our Native American Heritage and honor our ancestors by keeping their memory alive by sharing their wisdom and culture. Come see what you will discover during your visit.

Ginkgo Tree. At the end of the tree-lined drive towers a large Ginkgo Biloba Tree greeting all visitors to the Patawomeck Museum & Cultural Center. This majestic tree provides vibrant autumn foliage in the fall and shade from the sweltering heat in the summer. As of May 2021, the Ginkgo Biloba Tree has been added to the state registry as the largest Ginkgo tree in Virginia.

About Us. The Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. is a registered 501(c) 3 not-for-profit corporation operated by the Officers and Directors of the organization, known as the Elected Tribal Council. The history of the Tribe pre-dates the 1300’s in Stafford County. Our Tribe was instrumental in the saving of the Jamestown Colony and therefore the founding of the country. READ MORE