Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg consists of many of the buildings that formed the original colonial capital of Williamsburg in James City County from 1699 to 1780.

While there are many living history museums, Colonial Williamsburg is unusual for having been constructed from a living town whose inhabitants and post-Colonial-era buildings were removed.

Early in the 20th century, the restoration and recreation of Colonial Williamsburg, one of the largest historic restorations ever undertaken, was championed by the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin and the patriarch of the Rockefeller family, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., along with the active participation of his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, who wanted to celebrate the patriots and the early history of the United States.

Unlike other living history museums, however, anyone can walk through the historic district of Williamsburg free of charge at any hour of the day.

Location

Williamsburg
James City County, Virginia
USA

Getting There

Colonial Williamsburg is accessible by public transportation. The Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) operates several bus routes that serve the Colonial Williamsburg area, including the Red Line and Green Line. These buses stop at various points throughout Colonial Williamsburg, making it easy to explore the historic area. Additionally, Amtrak offers service to the nearby city of Newport News, and from there, you can take a bus or taxi to Colonial Williamsburg.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Virginia that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.