Colonial Williamsburg is a huge living history museum. You need several days to see it all. In addition to the historic buildings, there are tours and performances to enjoy. You can spend several hours in the Art Museums alone. Christmas is a good time to come because there are many special programs that show how the colonists celebrated Christmas.
There are 89 original buildings. The newest was the re-discovered Bray School. This school for enslaved and free Black children was built in 1760 and the building was moved to its current location earlier this year. (BTW, in the 18th century, some enslaved people were taught to read and write so they could perform their jobs better and become more useful to their owners. It wasn't until the 19th century that it became illegal to teach an enslaved person how to read and write.) They plan to have it ready to open to the public next September.
One of my favorite buildings is Charlton's Coffeehouse. When I first visited Williamsburg in 1985, a huge Victorian building sat next to the Capitol. After the last resident died, the family agreed to give the land to Colonial Williamsburg provided they moved the house to another location. They put the house on a truck and moved it to the other side of town, just outside the historic area. (It is now a B&B.) The Mars family (of candy fame) funded the reconstruction of Charlton's Coffeehouse and it opened in 2009. After touring the ground floor rooms, you descend into the original kitchen, where you are given a small cup of either dark drinking chocolate or dark roasted coffee.
Every day you can visit the Play House Stage and watch the various entertainments. I took a tour that was led by a person of the past. We followed him as he went about his daily activities. You can watch nation builders such as Washington, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and the Marquis de Lafayette talk about their lives and answer questions from the audience. I have learned so much from my visits here.
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Jan 2024
Thank you for your 5-star review and taking the time to write such a detailed summary of your visit with Colonial Williamsburg. Hello Tim. We are delighted that you enjoyed your historical experience at Colonial Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg is the largest outdoor living museum in the country, upholding our educational mission through immersive, authentic 18th-century experiences and programming for our guests. Our mission is that the future may learn from the past. We truly look forward to your return visit with your family and friends. Kind regards.