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Tour the City

Anderson’s Blacksmith Shop
& Public Armoury

Witness the blacksmiths and armorers hard at work as they shape iron and steel into the tools, hardware, and weapons needed to fight a Revolution.

Dedication—November 2013

Governor’s Palace

Enter the years immediately before the Revolution and experience the grandeur of royal government in Virginia just before its collapse.

Capitol

Step into the tumultuous year of 1776 as you explore the Capitol building of Virginia and learn of the colony’s contributions to the American Revolution.

Peyton Randolph House

Experience the stark contrasts of freedom and slavery at the house of one of the most prominent families in Virginia.

Great Hopes Plantation

Great Hopes Plantation represents the daily life of African American slaves, carpenters, and working farmers living rurally. Share in their daily experiences.

Become a resident of a city on the verge of war—or in the midst of it—as you explore the government buildings, shops, homes, gardens, and taverns of Williamsburg. Encounter townspeople on their own soil as they live through a time of change and uncertainty. Buzzing with political discussion and dispute, the city comes alive. Enter the residents’ homes or learn about their workplaces; see where they sleep, where they eat, and where they socialize.

Many of the buildings, like the Courthouse, Magazine, and Wetherburn’s Tavern, have stood in Williamsburg since the 18th century. Others, like the Capitol and Governor’s Palace, have been reconstructed on their original foundations. Some of the buildings are used as private residences and offices. Flags out front indicate areas open to guests.

Family Homes and Gardens
Take an intimate glimpse into 18th-century life with an invitation to enter local homes and explore the gardens. See the elegant furnishings and eye-catching wallpapers of the wealthy, the modest dwellings of the “middling sort,” and the spartan quarters of the enslaved. Meet the people who live and work inside.

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Community Places
Explore the buildings where revolutionary ideas were born, discussed, and disputed. From the imposing Governor’s Palace, meant to signal British order and power, to the Capitol, where a successful vote initiated American independence—these brick structures hold the city’s past, present, and future. Get a glimpse into the daily lives of members of the community in the churches, the taverns, and the market.

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Trades
See how and where the residents of Williamsburg made a living. From a thriving Public Armoury churning out weapons to the shop of a tailor looking for a new way to import fabrics—hear how industries were affected by the Revolutionary War. Meet the townspeople behind the trades and learn what it takes to become an artisan.

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