Jamboree History

Fort A.P. Hill, Va. -- A history of Jamborees
Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement, created the idea of holding a large encampment of Scouts and leaders to celebrate Scouting in England. He called it a jamboree.
The Boy Scouts of America has held National Jamborees since 1937; the first one was at the base of the Washington Monument on the Mall in Washington. In 1973, separate jamborees were held in the East and the West.
The Army's Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County has been home for the National Jamboree since 1981. Scouting is developing a permanent site for the National Jamboree near the New River Gorge in West Virginia. Scout officials say they hope the next Jamboree, in 2013, will be held there, but they acknowledge that construction delays could force it to be held at Fort A.P. Hill one more time.
The attendance figures include Scouts, their adult leaders and the staff needed to operate the Jamboree.
1937 Washington, 27,232
1950 Valley Forge, Pa., 47,163
1953 Irvine Ranch, Calif., 45,501
1957 Valley Forge, 50,100
1960 Colorado Springs, Colo., 53,378
1964 Valley Forge, 52,000
1969 Farragut State Park, Idaho, 35,000
1973 Farragut State Park and Moraine State Park, Pa., 64,000
1977 Moraine State Park, 28,637
1981 Fort A.P. Hill, 29,765
1985 Fort A.P. Hill, 32,615
1989 Fort A.P. Hill, 32,717
1993 Fort A.P. Hill, 34,449
1997 Fort A.P. Hill, 36,015
2001 Fort A.P. Hill, 40,002
2005 Fort A.P. Hill, 43,307
2010 Fort A.P. Hill, 44,000 (est.)