Published on Jan, 2025
Colonial Williamsburg is a huge living history museum. I love to go there for the Christmas holidays. They have all natural decorations and special programs for the holidays. Colonial Williamsburg is one of the few places that is open on Christmas Day.
One highlight of the Christmas season is the Grand Illumination. It used to be held on the first weekend of December, but for the past two years they have held it three times, on the first three weekends of December. It can be very crowded, but it is a lovely atmosphere and the fireworks displays are worth seeing.
I love the theatre and try to see as many performances as I can at the Play House Stage (on the site of the first theatre in British North America). This is an outdoor theatre so performances are weather dependent. They have three 20-25 minute shows three times a day. You can see musical programs, light-hearted plays, and story telling. (I wish they would bring back the full length colonial era plays they used to have in the evening at the Kimball Theatre.)
The town is decorated for Christmas. They did not decorate houses in the 18th century, but when visitors came to Williamsburg in the first years of the restoration, they asked where the decorations were. Colonial Williamsburg decided to make decorations using all natural elements. You can take a tour of the decorations.
The Robert Carter House was recently opened for touring. Unlike the other exhibition homes, this house is not furnished. Instead, the tour focuses on the historical architecture. Sections of the wall have been removed so you can see what is under the plaster, such as the original brick chimney stack from 1727. Carter showed off his wealth by using crimson wallpaper. Archaeologists actually found a small piece of the original wallpaper. I was the only one on the tour of the Robert Carter House. My guide was very knowledgeable and enjoyed giving a tour to one interested person.
Williamsburg had 88 original buildings. They recently discovered the 89th and moved it to a new location. It was the Williamsburg Bray School, a school for enslaved and free Black children. The building is not yet open to the public, but I was able to take a photo of the exterior and talk to the guide about the archaeological discoveries.
The very first building to be reconstructed on its original foundations was the Raleigh Tavern. Each day, a scene from the past plays out in front of the tavern. On some days the Shawnee Princes arrived in 1774. The Governor was negotiating a treaty with the Shawnee and required them to send four hostages to Williamsburg to ensure the peace would be kept.
Nearby, the Milliner and Mantua-maker shop had a special program on "Dressing the Holiday Bride". I watched two women making a bridal gown to look like the one in the nearby drawing. (A mantua-maker constructs silk dresses.)
One of my favorite buildings to visit is the Charlton Coffeehouse. They give you a sample of chocolate, coffee, or tea. Then I met Robert Carter inside the private dining room. Nearby I watched a presentation by Nation Builder Patrick Henry. Another day, the Nation Builder was James Armistead Lafayette. He was a slave who had to deliver some goods to the Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette asked him to become a spy for the American cause during the Revolution. After the war, Lafayette helped him gain his freedom.
I highly recommend the "Talk of the Town" morning walking tour led by a person of the past (in character). My tour leader was James Armistead Lafayette. You follow him as he goes about his business in the city.
Don't miss the special evening programs. "Revolutionary Points of View" explores the different positions on independence that the colonists had. As we entered, we were each given a piece of paper with a quote from one of the Burgesses. I read my statement aloud to the audience in a dramatic way. It was a lot of fun.
As you can imagine from this lengthy review, I spent a week at Colonial Williamsburg. I keep coming back because there is always something new to see and something new for me to learn.
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