Colonial Williamsburg

    We may have come far since the candlelit days of the 18th century, but none of our modern luxuries and progress would have been possible without an understanding of the past. And at Colonial Williamsburg, this past is far more tangible than when it is buried in history textbooks and dusty museum artifacts. Colonial Williamsburg is the largest outdoor living museum in the United States, accurately portraying life in the American colonies during the pre-Revolutionary War era. Here, it is still possible to feel the fervor that the first shots of the revolution at Lexington and Concord caused amongst the colonists or watch the debates that ensued after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Visitors can experience the bustling rhythms of colonial life as a variety of craftsmen sit hard at work in their shops, binding books, engraving silver, fashioning 18th century dresses and wigs, and much more. Outside, gardeners use 18th century tools and methods to grow period accurate crops, and the iconic melodies of the fife and drum corps fill the air. The imposing Governor's Palace presides over the whole town, a symbol of the colony's wealth and permanence. Listen to the stories of the craftsmen and historical reenactors and watch 18th century colonial America come to life, and it is impossible not to appreciate and be fascinated by history as never before. 

Globe Amaranth

Historic records indicate that globe amaranth was a popular flower in Williamsburg during the 18th century, as the species does well in hot Virginia summers and makes an excellent cut and dry flower.

 

Golden Everlasting

The Wheelwright

The Tailor

The Apothecary 

George Wythe, a citizen of the Enlightenment and teacher of influential figures such as Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe

Fife and Drum Corps

18th Century Farmer holding a Nankin Bantam Chicken

Nankin Bantam chickens were kept as incubators and the cocks were often fancy pets for young ladies. 

“They were showy pets; wealthy 18th century families would show off their Nankin Bantam roosters, like ‘Ooo, look at my fancy chicken’”

Common Lantana

Hidalgo Mason Wasp on Blue Mistflower

Tobacco, Virginia's famous cash crop

The Engraver

The Shoemaker