A Visit to Colonial Williamsburg

The streets of historic Colonial Williamsburg — *The streets of Colonial Williamsburg*

On the Road…

Last year my husband and I took a road trip from Chicago to Colonial Williamsburg, stopping in at Washington DC along the way and Monticello when we returned.
However, this post is just about Colonial Williamsburg.

First off, it was wonderful. I am a history lover and was so excited to visit. Having grown up on the West Coast, this was my first time. Not that people from there don’t visit, but we didn’t - and it’s not quite the relatively short trip it is from the Midwest or East Coast.

Colonial Williamsburg reenactors. — *Theatre performances happen frequently. The musician on the right is in the basement of Christiana Campbell’s Tavern.*

It’s Hot in July…

Anyway, as I said, I really enjoyed it but there are a few things I would do differently when visiting in the future. First of all, I would not go at the end of July, unless it is a really cool summer.
As a tourist, it was hot walking around but that wasn’t the main drawback. Well, it’s sort of the main drawback but not in terms of yourself - it’s more about the fact that the reenactors that would normally be strolling the streets and demonstrating historic crafts and artisan skills, could not be outside.

Those historic outfits are hot - and when it’s 90 degrees outside, they become even more so. They had to move almost all the normally outdoor reenactors into museum or alternate spaces. This was fine, but I think you lose a lot of the historic atmosphere of the town and streets without the period-clad actors populating the sidewalks.

In some ways it’s like when kids have to trick or treat in a mall instead of out in the neighborhood. It’s just not the same sensory experience.

Even When It’s Hot, There’s Still Lots to Do!

That said, we still had a great time. And there are plenty of reenactors and artisans in the historically accurate shops and businesses that line the main streets.

Hanging Sings in Williambsburg VA. — *Some of the shops and business with whimsical signage.*

One thing I have always loved are the hanging signs of the past. They’re so whimsical, you see a lot of them in English villages (pubs especially) and more of them on the East Coast than the Midwest. But all around Colonial Williamsburg, style and design is important, whether the sign is hanging or not.

Williamsburg Book Binder — *The Bookbinding Shop*

Visiting the Authentic Artisans & Businesses…

In any of the shops with reenactors they are happy to tell you about their trade or craft and demonstrate how it was done back in the Colonial day.

Some of the equipment in both the printing press and bookbinding shop had me wishing for analog days. Yes, you can still buy these specialty items today - there are highly talented woodworkers and crafts people who could probably produce them, but due to the amount of time and labor, they would be quite expensive.

Colonial Williamsburg Print Shop. — *Inside the Print Shop…*

Print Shop aprons and metal type. — *In the Print Shop, metal type for the press and a wall full of aprons.*

Reenactor with spinning wheel. — *This was spinning shop, creating lovely skeins of yarn.*

In this spinning shop yarns were being spun and dyed. If I remember correctly, you could purchase some of the wares that were made for your own needleworking.

Dining in Colonial Williamsburg…

The above photo is one of the dining rooms in the King’s Arms Tavern. There are several rooms, usually it’s much busier but we were there very early when they were just seating people.
One thing you notice in the buildings and in places like this dining room, is the hollow sounds. Because there are very few rugs on the floor and you’re walking on planks - it’s just a small thing but it does make you feel like you’re in a different time period.

Earlier I had a photo of a musician playing at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern.
If you go there to eat, you will either be seated upstairs in the main dining room or downstairs in what feels much more like a small, historic pub. Like most of the historic decor, it’s rather spare. I think the floor was cobbled and the seating was highbacked, wood booths. It was dark.

If I were to go back, I would request to wait until an upstairs table was available. The one thing about the downstairs though, is that I believe it is more historic and original. I think the host told us that was where George Washington dined. So in that respect, it was really cool. And they do have the musicians come down.
I guess because the booths are high-backed and the space is intimate, you kind of feel like you’re by yourself rather than in a shared dining room experience.

Williansburg shop. — *A bit of historical shopping.*

Shops on the Main Street, Duke of Gloucester

Of course there’s shopping available. And quite fun and interesting it is to visit these little 18th century purveyors of historic items. I bought some ink and a few other trinkets. And we bought a George Washington rubber duck.
Duke of Gloucester is the main thoroughfare; it’s book-ended by William and Mary College on one end and the capital building on the other.

George Washington rubber duck. — *A little bit of George for your bathtub.*

Townsquare, Colonial Williamsburg. — *The brick lined Merchants Square.*

If you wander beyond the historic tradeshops of Colonial Williamsburg, you’ll come to Merchants Square. Here you’ll find restaurants, wine tasting, bookstores and other specialty shops that outwardly are clad in classic colonial style but convienently modern inside.

Merchants Square in Williamsburg with outdoor umbrellas. — More Merchants Square…

There are many places to sit and relax and people watch before popping in for a bit more shopping.

Traditional home decor for sale. — *A view into some of the shops…*

If you are a subscriber to magazines like Veranda or Southern Living or Traditional Home, you will love the home decor shops here. Lots of blue and white, Chinoiserie and one store even had a whole design service with Colonial American classic wood beds, chests etc.

Lodging and Hotels…

If you’re planning on staying ‘on site’ - which I recommend - there are several lodging options. You can actually spend the night in a historic house, but we didn’t. We opted for the Williamsburg Lodge, but there are about four other options - all of which are dog-friendly, the exception being the historic houses.

Williamsburg Lodge lobb. — *The Williamsburg Lodge lobby.*

Our hotel had a very nice lobby with a number of seating nooks, furnished in colonial style, of course. I will say that our room was dark. It was in the newer ‘add on’ and towards the far end.

If you go, ask for a room that is NOT there, I walked past other parts of the hotel that looked very light and airy. The room itself was fine, it had a fireplace I think (I can’t actually remember because it was summer and we wouldn’t have used it) and a long deck - all brick, but because it was fronted by leafy trees and another deck overhead, there was almost zero natural light.

Seating area Williambsurg Lodge. — *A seating area with historic displays.*

A short way away from our hotel was the Williamsburg Inn. This was quite a bit more expensive than our hotel. We didn’t stay there but we did go to their charming bar for a drink. I would recommend that. They also have a golf course and by the look of the lobby and attention to detail in the service, I would say the higher price is deserved.
Also, Queen Elizabeth II stayed there twice, so there is that;)

Our hotel also had a restaurant that was quite busy - it sort of had that ‘convention-goer’ vibe. People working on laptops etc. It’s a much more laid-back style than the Williamsburg Inn, so just a case of personal preference and how much you want to spend.

Market Square Taven — *Market Square Tavern, A lodging house.*

Market Square Tavern is actually a historic house that you can stay in. It has 11 rooms and I believe you rent out the whole house.
The original owner was a barber and wig-maker named Robert Lyon. The next owner, Gabriel Maupin was a prominent person in the American Revolution and true patriot. Apparently, he named his son George Washington Maupin, after the future president. The house was a hub for the community.

Colonial style house, Williamsburg. — *A perfectly pretty colonial building.*

Antique colonial chairs. — *Antique colonial chairs at the The Art of Colonial Williamsburg Museums.*

A Word about the Museums…

Last but not in the least bit, ‘least’ are the museums. The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg were a true surprise in the best way. So much more than I expected.

If you are someone who is interested in Early American furniture and Antiques, you’ll be in heaven. It is extensive. So extensive, that I won’t try and go into it here, I’m doing it as a separate post.

So, until then, if you’re thinking of planning a trip to Williamsburg, don’t hesitate, although, again, try not to hit the really hot weather. I think fall would be delightful and sort of fit the colonial atmosphere:)

Colonial Williamsburg in July