Colonial Williamsburg

Welcome to the bustling town where Washington dined, Jefferson danced and the revolutionary ideas of the early patriots were born.

Here each day, our nation’s story unfolds in the restored town where many great Americans who helped build this country came together to plot freedom from Britain.  From 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg served as the capital of Virginia, England’s largest mainland North American colony.  When the capital moved to Richmond in 1780, Williamsburg began to deteriorate.

In 1926, Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin approached John D. Rockefeller Jr. with a dream of restoring Williamsburg. The town you see today, clustered around the one-mile stretch of Duke of Gloucester Street, is little changed from the one that our founding fathers knew.

Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area and the adjacent Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg Inn and Merchants Square shopping district are all listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Faithfully preserved and restored, the historic area is now a town-sized museum.  America’s oldest and largest living history experience is operated by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a not-for-profit organization.

Homes and trade sites have been restored or rebuilt as accurately as possible, using existing foundations and period-appropriate materials.  Even the animals are true to the 18th century and are based on breeds that were common during that time.  You will enjoy music from a tavern balladeer, delicious aromas emanating from a kitchen hearth and the taste of fresh bread from the bakery.

Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area is a living working city, open 365 days a year.
Ticketed guests may explore the homes and wander the streets of history in this town populated by a rich cast of patriots and loyalists, tradespeople and merchants, hardy farmers and enslaved Africans -- all accurately demonstrating 18th-century life and work and offering inspirational stories of the lives they lived on the eve of the American Revolution.

Skilled craftspeople create saddles, garments and wheels for use by other Colonial Williamsburg tradespeople and citizens; people live in the homes you’ll pass by; and actual commerce takes place within the town’s many shops and taverns.

Twenty-first-century guests can debate the issues of the day with a founding father, take a carriage ride and visit the shops and taverns where Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and others conceived the ideals of liberty, independence and personal freedom that influenced the founding of our country.

For two hours each day, from mid-March through late-November, Williamsburg’s 18th-century residents communicate the excitement, uncertainty and tension of the period through the compelling, interactive dramatic presentation "Revolutionary City®."  Citizens voice their outrage as the government takes away their rights, enemy combatants are suspected of war crimes and families are torn apart by war in this outdoor drama.

World-class indoor museums offer you opportunities to explore American folk art and 18th- and 19th-century decorative arts, as well as to discover something about the lives of Colonial Williamsburg’s notable benefactors, John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby.

Centered in the area's historic triangle, Williamsburg is the perfect base for you to set off on the scenic 23-mile Colonial Parkway.
The America’s Byways Program designated the parkway as an All-American Road.  The Colonial Parkway connects the historic sites of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown and helps illustrate the English Colonial experience in America.

And the best part?  Your purchases of tickets, gifts, golf games, spa services, food and lodging will help us preserve and operate this special place and share our vital educational mission with generations to come. Every day, Colonial Williamsburg is improving the quality of history education by bringing the American experience to life for young people across the country.
 

From the blazing forge and ringing blows of the blacksmith’s shop to the cool elegance of the hand-rubbed mahogany and porcelain in the Governor’s Palace, Colonial Williamsburg is a cultural treasure that every American should explore.  Come discover the sights and sounds as they were more than 200 years ago. Colonial Williamsburg is an experience you’ll never forget.

Want to learn more?  Visit www.history.org or call 1-800-HISTORY (1-800-447-8679).