Williamsburg

map of the Colonial Williamsburg area

Day one of our 'historic triangle' trip featured Jamestown and Yorktown, respectively. Day two was Colonial Williamsburg.

Colonial Williamsburg is well-known in America. Billed as the world's largest living history museum, it "includes several hundred restored or recreated buildings from the 18th century, when the city was the capital of the Colony of Virginia; 17th-century, 19th-century, and Colonial Revival structures; and more recent reconstructions." (from Wikipedia)

The Colonial area can be viewed as an inverted T, with the governer's mansion, capitol building, and William & Mary University at the three points (clockwise from the top). We started at the mansion, touring that building and grounds before heading south and then east to the capitol building, ducking in various houses with exhibits to see aspects of life from that era along the way. That took a few hours, so we broke for lunch and returned to the capitol building, heading west along the main road (and continuing to visit exhibits) before hitting William & Mary's campus, where we enjoyed some shopping and a quick look at the Wren building. Then it was heading back east on the main road, where we ducked in the church before heading back north past the governor's mansion and got ready for the drive home. Pictures below capture some scenes.

Colonial Williamsburg is a fun place to visit, but can easily be done in a day and should be part of a larger visit to the area. In addition to the historic parts, you might want to visit nearby Busch Gardens, Water Country USA, Norfolk, and other attractions.