Williamsburg

How to Get There

Overview

Williamsburg is a small city in eastern Virginia on the Virginia Peninsula, and it is the home of Colonial Williamsburg, the world's largest living history museum, a restored eighteenth-century capital with costumed interpreters, historic buildings, and demonstrations. It is the center of Virginia's Historic Triangle, along with Jamestown and Yorktown, linked by the Colonial Parkway, and it is also home to the College of William & Mary, the second-oldest college in the United States. The city is a popular destination for families, history lovers, and school groups.

Visitors come to Williamsburg to walk the streets of Colonial Williamsburg, to see the Governor's Palace and the Capitol, and to tour the College of William & Mary. They also come for Busch Gardens Williamsburg, for the nearby Jamestown and Yorktown, and for outlet shopping and golf.

History

The town was founded in 1632 as Middle Plantation, and in 1699 it became the capital of the Virginia colony, renamed Williamsburg for King William III. For more than 80 years it was the political, social, and cultural center of the colony, and Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and others walked its streets and debated independence in the House of Burgesses. In 1780, the capital moved to Richmond, and Williamsburg declined into a quiet college town. In the 1920s, the Reverend W.A.R. Goodwin and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. began restoring the colonial town, and Colonial Williamsburg opened to the public in 1934.

Sightseeing and Popular Landmarks

Colonial Williamsburg covers 301 acres with more than 80 original buildings and hundreds of reconstructed ones, including the Governor's Palace, the Capitol, Raleigh Tavern, and shops with working tradespeople. The Wren Building at the College of William & Mary, built in 1695, is the oldest college building in the United States, and Bruton Parish Church is an active colonial church. Merchants Square has shops and restaurants, and the Colonial Parkway is a scenic drive to Jamestown and Yorktown.

Culture and Museums

The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg include the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, and the Governor's Palace and the Capitol offer tours of the colonial government. The Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, nearby, are living history museums. The city also has the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary, and the Williamsburg Winery and the Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park are popular attractions.

Parks

The Colonial Parkway is a 23-mile scenic road through the Colonial National Historical Park, linking Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown, and it is a popular route for bicycling. The Virginia Capital Trail is a 52-mile paved trail to Richmond, and York River State Park has hiking and kayaking. Waller Mill Park has a reservoir, trails, and a swimming beach, and the William & Mary campus has Lake Matoaka and the Crim Dell Bridge.

Seasons and Weather

Williamsburg has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and humid, with highs in the upper 80s°F, and winters are mild, with highs in the 50s°F and about 7 inches of snow. Spring and fall are the most pleasant seasons, and the holidays are celebrated with decorations in Colonial Williamsburg.

What to See

• Colonial Williamsburg: costumed interpreters, trade shops, and buildings along Duke of Gloucester Street
• College of William & Mary: including the Wren Building, the oldest college building in continuous academic use in the country
• Bruton Parish Church and Merchants Square
• Jamestown and Yorktown, linked by the Colonial Parkway

This article uses material from Wikipedia as well as information from official tourism and institutional sources. Key references include Visit Williamsburg, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, William & Mary, National Park Service Colonial National Historical Park, Virginia Tourism, and National Weather Service Wakefield. Wikipedia material is from the articles "Williamsburg, Virginia" and "Colonial Williamsburg", and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.