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Historic Area Overview

The Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg stretches over 301 acres, and includes 88 original 18th-century structures. Hundreds of houses, shops and public outbuildings are reconstructed on their original foundations. Some buildings are open to the public, while others are private residences and administrative offices. Learn more about the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.

Community and Municipal

Mere brick and mortar contained the combustion of ideas that were catalyst to the American Revolution. The opulent Governor's Palace was the embodiment of British order in the colonies. The Capitol was witness to the vote for America's move to independence. The Raleigh Tavern's neutral setting encouraged free debate. The Magazine held the colony's guns and ammunition, standing as a literal symbol of self-reliance.
Education and Religion

Two institutions shaped the lives of colonial Virginians: religion and education. Although schooling was more likely to be had from a private tutor than from a public school, the church loomed large in the governance of both spiritual and civic life.
Family Homes

Nose through the homes of the elite gentry class and everyday middling sort. Period furnishings and knowledgeable costumed interpreters let history surround you in three dimensions. See where Virginia's first signer of the Declaration of Independence, George Wythe, slept. Experience the connection between life and land at Great Hopes Plantation. Walk the rooms where middling gaolkeeper Peter Pelham and his family spent their days.
Historic Trades

Practicing tradesmen make Colonial Williamsburg a living town, ringing with clanging hammers and tinged with the smoke of industry. Visit the blacksmith, see what the milliner is working on, smell what's cooking in the kitchens, and more. Eighteen trades are practiced with 18th-century methods and tools.
Public Places

The tavern, the market, the theater: these are the places where early Viginians met their neighbors and exchanged all manner of currency. You can gather there, too, and listen to the echoes of 18th-century life.
Gardens

Plants and blooms authentic to Virginia in the 18th century unfurl with the seasons in Historic Area gardens. Take a walking tour of gardens both decorative and functional, or stroll at your own pace to see what's blooming.