Adventure beckons travelers to this Historic Region

Courtesy of Williamsburg CVB

Colonials still stroll the streets of Williamsburg, Photo credit Martin Walls

Offering the history of centuries, the fun of thrilling attractions, and the luxury of contemporary amenities, the Williamsburg area beckons you to a vacation experience you can find only in Virginia's Historic Triangle. Combine history and tradition, education and discovery, with fun and diversity, and you'll find something for all travelers in this restored 18th-century capital region.

Nearly 400 years of history transport today's visitors into our nation's inspiring tale of freedom, its struggle and achievement. Coexisting with the historical sites and legends are the marvels of modern culture. All within a few minutes' drive, the points of Virginia's Historic Triangle—Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown—offer visitors more than 20 attractions; all varieties of accommodations: hotels, motels, historic houses, bed and breakfasts, guest homes, and campgrounds; more than 150 shopping outlets; and world-class golf courses and dining venues.

Beginning with the first permanent English settlement in the New World, visitors can explore Historic Jamestowne, dating to 1607, including the church tower of 1639, as well as the foundations of private homes and public buildings. The National Park Service Visitor Center offers a 15-minute orientation film, a museum, and tours of the site. Archaeologists continue to excavate the original fort at Jamestown, which heretofore researchers had believed the fort's foundations had long since washed away in the James River. Costumed craftsmen in the re-created Glasshouse of 1608 give visitors a look at one of the settlement's earliest industries.

Nearby Jamestown Settlement brings early 17th-century Virginia to life. Board the Discovery, Godspeed and Susan Constant, replicas of the three ships that the colonists navigated across the Atlantic during their four-month winter voyage to the New World. Explore a re-created Powhatan Indian village and a re-created fort like that built by the Jamestown colonists. In all three outdoor areas, costumed interpreters guide visitors on a fascinating journey through the past. A film and extensive indoor galleries provide in-depth examination of life in early Virginia.

Visitors lend a hand to "Colonial" carpenters at Williamsburg.
Photo credit The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

A 15-minute drive east from Jamestown takes visitors to Colonial Williamsburg, the bustling restored 18th-century capital of the Virginia colony. Colonial Williamsburg comprises 173-acres of historic buildings, gardens, and public greens. Costumed interpreters ply their trades and re-enact and interpret aspects of colonial life.

This year Colonial Williamsburg celebrates its 75th anniversary of the restoration that began late in 1926, when John D. Rockefeller, Jr., purchased the Ludwell-Paradise House, the first property he acquired in Williamsburg. With seasonal variations, the "Days in History" program continues.

A sentry relaxes as visitors "invade" Williamsburg. Photo credit Martin Walls

Daily events will mirror activities one might expect to find on special community days during colonial times. Mondays and Thursdays are "Court Days" when visitors can explore the implications of law in the day-to-day life of 18th-century Williamsburg residents. Tuesdays and Fridays are "Muster Days" charged with militia and military events. Wednesdays and Saturdays are "Revolutionary Days" and Sundays are "Days of Rest and Leisure." Programs reflect events that happened during the spring, summer, fall and winter of 1774. That year was the moment in our nation's history when the move for independence took hold and fiercely galvanized Virginia and the other colonies. After the Boston "Tea Party" in December 1773, Virginia took the lead among the colonies in organizing a unified response to the British Parliament's reprisals.

In the spring, events will focus on the House of Burgesses' support of the Bostonians - and the city's reaction when the House is abruptly dissolved by Royal Governor Dunmore.

Summer will bring the First Virginia Convention and the election of delegates to the First Continental Congress. In the fall, Virginia signs the Continental Association - an agreement not to import British manufactured goods - and the community reacts to a lesser-known "tea party" in nearby Yorktown. Winter's programming will explore the winter of 1774-1775, when citizens begin to be affected by the Continental Association's refusal of imported British goods.

Art and antiques lovers will enjoy Colonial Williamsburg's Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and Bassett Hall, Williamsburg home of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr., Colonial Williamsburg's first benefactors, which feature exhibits of English and American antiques and folk art.

A scenic country road connects Colonial Williamsburg with Carter's Grove, an 18th-century plantation site and Georgian mansion overlooking the James River. Visitors may tour the grounds and house, which is furnished in the Colonial Revival style popular in the 1930s. The reconstructed slave quarter provides visitors a look into how half of the population of 18th-century Virginia lived. Amateur archaeologists will revel in the Winthrop Rockefeller Archaeology Museum that houses the collection of artifacts excavated from Martin's Hundred, the early English settlement centered in Wolstenholme Towne that was discovered in the 1970s. On March 22, 1622, the Powhatans rose to kill as many English as they could surprise in their homes and fields. This uprising was called at the time – and for centuries afterward – the Massacre of 1622. The partially rebuilt settlement of Wolstenholme Towne at Carter's Grove dates to 1619.

Adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg the College of William and Mary continues to provide higher education as it has since it was chartered by the British monarchy in 1693. William and Mary is the second oldest college in the United States. The campus includes the nation's oldest academic building in continuous use, the Wren Building, built by Sir Christopher Wren, several early 18th-century buildings and a network of peaceful tree-lined brick walkways.

Only 11 miles from Williamsburg is Yorktown, site of the last major battle of the American Revolution. A scenic drive along the Colonial Parkway, the 23-mile roadway that connects the three icons of America's historic past, brings visitors to the Yorktown Battlefield, the site of Washington's headquarters, Surrender Field, and the Moore House, where negotiations for Cornwallis's surrender took place. The National Park Service Visitor Center offers an orientation film, a museum, and maps for a self-guided auto tour of the battlefield and a walking tour of the picturesque town of York.

At the state-operated Yorktown Victory Center, innovative exhibits and an evocative film chronicle the Revolutionary era from the beginnings of colonial unrest to the emergence of the new nation, drawing from the perspectives of ordinary men and women. Outdoors, visitors can join a cannon crew and learn about 18th-century medical care in a living-history Continental Army encampment. A re-created 1780s farm provides a rare glimpse of how the majority of Virginians lived during the United States' formative years.

Just a few blocks away, the Yorktown waterfront offers visitors the peaceful views of the York River from the tree-lined Riverwalk. Located at the north end of the riverfront, the Watermen's Museum tells the story of Virginia's working Watermen and their families, who for generations have harvested the rivers and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay for its abundant seafood year round. Outdoor exhibits include a 5-log dugout canoe and other examples of boat building.

Though many people lived in towns, the plantation was an important center of life in the 18th century. Today, visitors can get a glimpse of plantation life from three historic properties known as the James River Plantations. West of Williamsburg along scenic John Tyler Memorial Highway, lies Evelynton home to the Ruffin family since 1847, whose patriarch, Edmund Ruffin, fired the first shot of the Civil War. Berkeley includes the site of the first official Thanksgiving in 1619 and the 1726 home of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and home of 9th U.S. President William Henry Harrison. Berkeley also provided the Civil War headquarters for General McClellan (1862) where "Taps" was composed. Shirley, the oldest plantation in Virginia, was settled in 1613 and America's oldest family-owned business, is home to 11 generations of the Hill-Carter family, and birthplace and marriage site of Anne Hill Carter, mother of Robert E. Lee.

Contemporary Attractions

Busch Gardens Williamsburg, voted the world's "Most Beautiful Theme Park" by the National Amusement Park Historical Association, features more than 40 thrilling rides, shows and attractions, authentic foods, quaint shops and a magical children's adventure area. Renowned for world-class roller coasters, this 17th-century European themed park presents all-new thrills with Ireland, the park's sixth country. Ireland at Busch Gardens Williamsburg offers visitors adventure that blends the charm of the past with the pulse of the present.

The hypercoaster Apollo's Chariot continues to thrill adventurers with nine pulse-quickening drops, the first of which plunges passengers down 210 feet of steel track at speeds in excess of 70 mph.

At nearby Water Country USA, the mid-Atlantic's largest water play park, sun lovers and thrill seekers can relive the fun of the '50s and '60s in an exciting adventure park created especially with families in mind. Waves of splish-splashin' adventure await guys and gals. Guests are invited to gear up for a high-speed toboggan race full of twists, turns and banks aboard Meltdown, one of nearly 30 slides, rides and attractions located within Water Country USA.

Even the most discerning traveler will delight in the finest aspects of Virginia's Historic Triangle. Wine enthusiasts must visit the Williamsburg Winery, in its 16th year. The first of its kind in the area since the 17th century, the Williamsburg Winery is located just two miles from the center of Williamsburg. Enjoy guided tours of the winery, barrel cellar and reserve tasting room, tastings of its award-winning wines and a meal at the Gabriel Archer Tavern overlooking the vineyard. The Tavern serves lunch daily and dinner Fridays and Saturdays March through October. Throughout the Historic Triangle, visitors will relish the various culinary opportunities.

The Music Theatre of Williamsburg, offers visitors an evening of scintillating entertainment for all ages by an exceptional cast of musicians, vocalists and dancers. The theatre features an ever-changing, high-energy revue of music from the legendary favorites of the Big Band era to the most popular artists of early Good Time Rock ‘n Roll. In addition to the regular show, the theatre features nationally known artists throughout the year. Leading the lineup, TV personality Tom Netherton brings "The Tom Netherton Show" to the Music Theatre in 2002.

Would-be explorers can discover how seafaring has influenced Americans from the beginning to the present day at The Mariners' Museum in neighboring Newport News. Seafaring adventures come alive in 13 galleries filled with hand-carved ship models, figureheads, and small craft from around the world. The Museum's 550-acre park provides outdoor enthusiasts with a playground for hiking, fishing, and canoeing.

Just one mile away, meet live animals, native to Virginia, at the Virginia Living Museum. A unique combination of wildlife park, botanical gardens, planetarium, observatory, aviary and aquaria, this museum is a must see for animal and nature lovers.

See who "gets there first with the most" at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum. Inside the gates of Ft. Eustis, six acres will take you from early mule-drawn wagons to modern HUMMVs. The museum includes films, dioramas, models and a gift shop.

A Shopper's Paradise

From detailed 18th-century reproductions at Colonial Williamsburg's Craft House to the latest couture at factory outlets, shopping opportunities are virtually endless. At the Williamsburg Pottery Factory, shoppers find 200 breathtaking acres of unique shopping, 32 buildings filled with an astonishing array of handmade articles made by artisans on-site such as pottery, china, baskets, plants, and more — all at bargain prices. In addition to the famed salt-glazed pottery, handwork includes floral arrangements, dried and silk flowers and made to order frames. The nearby Williamsburg Soap & Candle Company offers an observation room and educational film where visitors may watch soap and candles being made. A village of specialty shops with unique shopping opportunities entices shoppers with factory seconds and bargains galore.

Close to the Williamsburg Pottery Factory and the Williamsburg Soap & Candle Factory, the Williamsburg Outlet Mall, Prime Outlets at Williamsburg and Patriot Plaza Premium Outlets are a shopper's utopia of hundreds of factory outlet stores, all with merchandise at discount prices. In downtown Williamsburg, small shops and boutiques fill Merchants Square, adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg. Jewelry, clothing, books, decorative accessories, quilts, and fine dining all are located within this walking plaza between Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William and Mary.

Special Events

Williamsburg offers a roster of special events – many of them free – that draw visitors to the area year-round. These include Colonial Williamsburg's Antiques Forum in February and

Garden Symposium in April, the Occasion for the Arts in October, Colonial Williamsburg's Grand Illumination and Yorktown Celebrates Christmas, both in early December.

Golf

Golf enthusiasts, pros and amateurs alike, hone their skills on the area's numerous upscale daily fee and resort courses. Ranked in the top 50 greatest golf destinations in the world by Golf Digest in 2000, Williamsburg has gained popularity for its top quality courses. Among the many options are the Ford's Colony Country Club, Colonial Williamsburg Golf, Kingsmill Resort, Kiskiack Golf Club, and the Williamsburg National Golf Club. Each October golfers from around the world enjoy the PGA Michelob Classic, held in October at Kingsmill on the James. Also several courses offer parent/child golf academies or clinics throughout the year giving all members of the family the opportunity to enjoy sports together.

Getting to Virginia's historic Triangle

The Williamsburg area lies midway between Richmond and Virginia Beach, 150 miles south of Washington, DC. Three airports provide convenient service to the Historic Triangle: the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport 20 minutes from Williamsburg, the Norfolk International Airport and Richmond International Airport both only 50 minutes away. All three have ground transportation available through car rental companies, bus, and limousine service.

After you have enjoyed Williamsburg Click here to go on to Yorktown

Amtrak offers direct service to Williamsburg from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Richmond. Nationwide Trailways bus service is also available. Colonial Williamsburg operates buses throughout its Historic Area. The James City County Transit Company provides local public transit year-round and the Williamsburg Visitors Shuttle Memorial Day through Labor Day, daily from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with pick-ups every half-hour. The $1.00 fare for adults and children over six is valid for an entire day. For more information, contact the Williamsburg Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 368-6511 or P.O. Box 3585, Williamsburg, VA 23187, or visit our web site at www.visitwilliamsburg.com. More than 10,000 rooms are available in the area, and for convenient, complimentary vacation reservations service, call the Williamsburg Hotel & Motel Association toll-free at 1-800-899-9462