Colonial Williamsburg: the world’s largest living history museum—the restored 18th-century capital city of Britain’s largest, wealthiest, and most populous outpost of its empire in the New World. Here we interpret the origins of the idea of America, conceived decades before the American Revolution. The Colonial Williamsburg story, “Becoming Americans,” tells how diverse peoples, having different and sometimes conflicting ambitions, evolved into a society that valued liberty and equality. Americans cherish these values as a birthright, even when their promise remains unfulfilled. Williamsburg was the thriving capital of Virginia when the dream of American freedom and independence was taking shape and the colony was a rich and powerful land stretching west to the Mississippi River and north to the Great Lakes. For 81 formative years, from 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political, cultural, and educational center of what was then the largest, most populous, and most influential of the American colonies. It was here that the fundamental concepts of our republic — responsible leadership, a sense of public service, self-government, and individual liberty — were nurtured under the leadership of patriots such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and Peyton Randolph.
Jamestown Settlement: The story of the people who founded Jamestown and of the Virginia Indians that they encountered are told through film, gallery exhibits and living history. Gallery exhibits trace Jamestown's beginnings in England and the first century of the Virginia colony and describe the cultures of the Powhatan Indians, Europeans and Africans who converged in 1600s Virginia. Outdoors, visitors can board replicas of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607, explore life-size re-creations of the colonists' fort and a Powhatan village, and tour a riverfront discovery area to learn about European, Powhatan and African economic activities associated with water. In the outdoor areas, costumed historical interpreters describe and demonstrate daily life in the early 17th century. Glassblowing factory: Witness what was surely one of England's first manufacturing attempts in North America. You will be mesmerized as glass treasures are produced before your very eyes. Many of these treasures can be purchased through the sales outlet at the Glasshouse. Jamestown Island: Travel back in time and imagine walking these hallowed grounds with Captain John Smith, George Percy, Pocahontas and John Rolfe. The adventure you undertake here represents the foundations of whom and what we are as a people and as a nation. See archeological ruins of historic Jamestown and the remains of the oldest structures in Virginia.
Yorktown Victory Center: America’s evolution from colonial status to nationhood is chronicled through a unique blend of timeline, film, thematic exhibits and outdoor living history. An outdoor exhibit walkway details events that led to American colonies to declare independence from Britain. Indoor exhibition galleries recount the war’s effect on 10 ordinary men and women who witnessed the Revolution, highlight the roles of different nationalities in the Siege of Yorktown and explore the story of the Betsy and other British ships lost in the York River during the war. Exhibits also describe experiences of ordinary soldiers, Yorktown’s importance as an 18th-century port and the development of a new government with the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Outdoors, visitors can explore a re-created Continental Army encampment, where historical interpreters describe and depict daily life of American soldiers at the end of the war. A recreated 1780s farm, complete with a house, kitchen, tobacco barn, crop fields, and herb and vegetable garden, shows how many Americans lived in the decade following the Revolution.
Yorktown Battlefield: The site of the final, major battle of the American Revolutionary War and symbolic end of Colonial English America. On this battlefield, between September 28 and October 19, 1781, General George Washington and his allied American and French army of 17,600 troops surrounded and besieged General Charles Lord Cornwallis’ 8,300 British, German and American loyalist forces, which were fortified within the port of Yorktown.
Berkeley Plantation: Virginia’s most historic plantation. On December 4, 1619, early settlers from England came ashore at Berkeley Plantation and observed the first official Thanksgiving in America. See the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and President William Henry Harrison, “Old Tippecanoe.” “Taps” was composed at Berkeley when General McClellan headquartered 140,000 Union troops in 1862. An architectural gem, the 1726 Georgian mansion is furnished with rare period antiques. Berkeley’s grounds are its crowning jewel. Five terraces of restored boxwood and flower gardens offer breathtaking vistas of the James River. Audio-visual program and museum exhibit area available. Costumed guides conduct tours of the mansion daily.
Shirley Plantation: Virginia’s first plantation (1613) and the oldest familyowned business in North America (1638). The current residents are direct descendants of the original owners. The guided tour of the Great House features original woodwork, family portraits, silver, and furniture as well as the famous “flying” staircase. Outbuildings included on the self-guided grounds tour are the Root Cellar, Pump House, Kitchen, Laundry, Ice House/Granary, Tool Barn, Smokehouse, Stable, and Dovecote. Guests may view rotating archaeology exhibits and, periodically, observe archaeologists excavating on the grounds. Today, Shirley continues to be a private family home, a working farm, a growing business and a National Historic Landmark.
Bacon’s Castle: One of the earliest surviving homes in Virginia. Considered one of the oldest brick structures in this country, Bacon's Castle was built in 1665 by the Allen family. The details in the brickwork and triple chimney stacks and the cruciform-designed floor plan are virtually extinct in this country. Rooms are furnished in period antiques reflecting the different eras the house witnessed. The house's unusual name derives from a revolt that took place at this site between followers of the then deceased Nathaniel Bacon and troops of the Governor of Virginia. Bacon probably never visited or saw this house. Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation: This National Register landmark is located west of Williamsburg along the Route 5 Scenic Byway. The plantation was established in the eighteenth century by Virginia's prominent Southall family. The original portion of the house built in 1790 is a rare survival of Early Virginia Log Architecture. The grounds include Ashland (1835), Dower Quarter (1835), Ladysmith (1857) and Duck Church (1917), as well gardens, the Harwood graveyard and the Woodland Nature Trail. A selfguided grounds tour is offered daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and highlights Civil War and African-American history.
Carter’s Grove: Colonial Williamsburg interprets more than four centuries of life at Carter's Grove. The reception center introduces visitors to 17th-century Wolstenholme Towne, the Carter's Grove mansion, the slave quarter, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Archaeology Museum. Reconstructed on the site is the slave quarter, an exhibition of mud-chinked log buildings much like those that most ordinary colonial Virginians, black and white, called home. The complex interprets the culture developed by African-Americans on the site, which dates to the 18th century.
Busch Gardens: Acclaimed as America's loveliest theme park, is a beauty that also houses a few beasts within her gates. Nationally ranked with two of the top 10 rollercoaster in the US are the Loch Ness Monster and Alpengeist. Watch out for the Big Bad Wolf, but don't forget the Garden's newest thrill coaster, Apollo's Chariot! Shows and rides of all kinds fill the park's European-themed villages, including a great kids place, Land of the Dragons. Open from mid-March to the end of October.
Presidents Park: Williamsburg newest attraction, this park features original sculptured busts of all the United States presidents from George Washington to the current occupant in the White House. Created by artist David Adickes, each of the sculptures are 18 to 20 feet high from the shoulders to the top of the head and are accompanied by highlights and facts on each presidential administration.
American Rover Tall Ship Cruise: Sail across the scenic Elizabeth River and Hampton Roads harbor on the largest, passenger carrying topsail schooner operating under the US flag. This majestic, three-masted tall ship, modeled after the cargo schooners that once sailed the Chesapeake Bay, leaves from the downtown Norfolk Waterfront for narrated, two- and three- hour harbor cruises.
Cannonball Trail: This walk-it-yourself tour is a new heritage trail with 400 years of American history, which connects historic sites woven among featured attractions in Downtown Norfolk. The Cannonball Trail becomes, in effect, a "story-telling stage" for interpreting Norfolk's rich and multi-faceted history. There are 40 sites included on the trail such as the Willoughby-Baylor House, Freemason Street Baptist Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, The MacArthur Memorial, and the Confederate Monument.
Macarthur Memorial: The final resting place for General Douglas Macarthur and his wife. Located in Downtown Norfolk's restored 1850 City Hall, the complex contains a museum, theater and special exhibit galleries, gift shop, and archives. The Macarthur Memorial's extensive collection of military and personal artifacts allows visitors to discover the compelling story of General of the Army Douglas Macarthur and the millions of American men and women who served our nation during the Spanish American War, World Wars I, World War II, the Occupation of Japan, and the Korean War. Nauticus & USS Battleship Wisconsin: A fun and exciting interactive science and technology center exploring the power of the sea. It features more than 150 exhibits including computer and video interactive films on a giant screen, exotic aquaria, touch pools, shark petting, national-caliber traveling exhibits, and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. Battleship USS Wisconsin is berthed alongside.
Naval Station Norfolk: The Naval Station Norfolk, which is the largest naval base in the world, offers 45 minute bus tours which are conducted by Navy personnel, passing giant aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines, frigates, amphibious assault ships and one of the busiest airfields. The tour also passes historic homes from the 1907 Jamestown Exposition.
Spirit of Norfolk: The Spirit of Norfolk features bountiful buffets, great music and dancing as you cruise Norfolk's historic waterways. Enjoy panoramic views from two climate-controlled decks, or soak up the fresh air from the outdoor third deck.
The Mariners’ Museum: One of the largest and most comprehensive maritime history museums in the world, houses a treasure trove of more than 35,000 items inspired by human experiences with the sea. For over 70 years, The Mariners' has illustrated the spirit of seafaring adventure, assembling a renowned and strikingly diverse collection of maritime artifacts - figureheads, scrimshaw, hand-crafted ship models, decorative arts, prints, paintings and small craft from around the world. The Museum's permanent galleries display treasures like the turret from the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, Captain John Smith's map of the Chesapeake Bay and the world's oldest Chris-Craft. The Mariners' Museum has opened its latest permanent gallery, the International Small Craft Center, home to a renowned collection of small craft from around the world.
Fort Norfolk: Fort Norfolk is the last remaining of 19 harbor-front forts authorized in 1794 by President George Washington. Stepping through the fort's arched entryway transports visitors to another era. The fort's four-acre site overlooks the Elizabeth River and includes earthwork embankments, ramparts, a dungeon, officers' quarters, powder magazine, barracks, and guardhouse. Most structures in the fort date to 1810. The fort helped protect Norfolk during the War of 1812. In the Civil War, Confederate forces seized the fort and used its magazine to supply the CSS Virginia (Merrimack) during its battle with the USS Monitor. In 1862 the fort was recaptured by the Union Army and used as a prison. Later it was an ordnance depot for the Navy. In 1923 the fort was occupied by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which still owns Fort Norfolk.
Fort Monroe and the Casement Museum: Completed in 1834, Fort Monroe is one of the most historic attractions the Army has to offer. It is the largest stone fort in America, as well as the only one surrounded by a moat. The fort is open to the public, unless there is a security check in progress. Within the fort is the Casemate Museum, which gives a history of the fort and features Jefferson Davis's prison cell, Robert E. Lee's living quarters, and a slew of old military uniforms and supplies.
Pamplin Historical Park & National Museum of the Civil War Soldier: Journey back into the 19th Century at Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a Virginia Historic Landmark, Pamplin Historical Park is recognized as one of America’s premier historical attractions and as the most innovative Civil War history park in the country. Located on the site of the April 2, 1865 "Breakthrough," the battle that ended the Petersburg Campaign and led to the evacuation of the Confederate capital at Richmond, the Park’s 422 acres include four award-winning museums, four antebellum homes, living history venues, and shopping and dining facilities. Costumed interpreters conduct engaging demonstrations of military and civilian life of the Civil War era. Historians conduct guided tours of the battlefield and plantation homes daily. The award-winning National Museum of the Civil War Soldier forms the Park’s centerpiece. Here, the story of the 3 million common soldiers who fought in America’s bloodiest conflict is told in breathtaking fashion using the latest museum technology. An impressive artifact collection is set amidst lifelike settings. Interactive learning stations attract kids and grownups alike. The entire experience is keyed to an audio tour featuring the words and “voices” of real participants in the war. Museums interpreting plantation life, slavery in America, and the Breakthrough battlefield of April 2, 1865 are within a short walk of the National Museum.
WILLAMSBURG EVENINGS
Lantern Walking Tours
Explore the trades of Colonial Williamsburg during an interpreter-led visit to shops and workplaces in the 18th-century capital.
Colonial Dance
This program will help your students understand another facet of society by experiencing one of the favorite pastimes of colonial Virginians - dance. Discover what this diversion reveals about societal customs and cultures. Students may have a chance to participate.
Papa Said, Mama Said
Experience a moving program in which 18th century free and enslaved blacks reflect on lessons learned through stories told by their elders.
In Defense of Our Liberty
Enlist in the Continental Army at the Magazine. Become a new recruit and see what it was like to be a soldier in the 18th century.
Discovering the Past
Experience the fascinating world of historical archaeology as your students study the clues left behind. Learn about the material culture of a society and the process of using archaeology to learn more about the past.
Cry Witch
Participate in a re-creation of a dramatic trial and weigh the evidence to determine the guilt or innocence of “The Virginia Witch.” Legends, Ghosts, Mysteries, and Myths Travel to candlelit rooms to hear colonial tales of mystery and the unexplained.
Grand Medley of Entertainments
Marvel at the amazing feats, strange beasts, and fast-paced hilarity of the traveling players.
Ghost Tour: Experience a candlelit tour through the streets of historic Williamsburg while hearing “true” stories of the unexplained and supernatural.
Yorktown Ghost Tour: A narrated coach ride and candlelit walking tour of historic Yorktown. African Experience An interactive program exploring the experiences of Africans brought to Colonial America through music and storytelling.
Pamplin Park night program: This overnight program lets you enter the world of the Civil War Soldier. As a newly enlisted Private you will don your uniform, shoulder your musket and march off to a new adventure. Learn about the importance of military communication and how to decode signals. Participate in skirmishes. Participants will dress in Union or Confederate uniforms and sleep in a recreated period encampment. Authentic Civil War era meals will be cooked and served during the program.
Mystery Theater Playhouse: Now in their 10th sensational year, Mystery Dinner Playhouse is a popular, fun-filled evening for families, couples, students, seniors and tour groups. Audience members participate in solving a hilarious comedy murder mystery while enjoying a delicious dinner. A wacky cast of characters provides clues to help you solve the evening's crime.