Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the world and gives families a chance to learn what life would have been like for them in the 18th century.
Actors walk around in character; sewing, emptying pails of water, interacting with tavern owners, and gardening on the plantations. Families can take horse and carriages rides, tour the historic courthouses, blacksmith shops, infirmaries, trade shops and taverns. At night, ghost town tours are led by actors that perform stories inside haunted houses. This year, a new attraction debuted: the text-message-based interactive spy adventure RevQuest: The King’s Advance. Families can crack codes, decipher clues and explore the streets of the Revolutionary War-era city through the eyes of an undercover agent as they seek out an ally for help in the war for independence.
Not only is Colonial Williamsburg known for the Revolutionary City, the destination offers five hotels, an award-winning spa, 45 holes of internationally renowned golf, art museums, indoor/outdoor pools, and a plethora of dining options. Colonial Williamsburg’s guests experience a unique walk through history at Colonial Williamsburg’s 4th of July celebration. Events include a salute to the states behind the courthouse, reading of the Declaration of Independence on the courthouse stairs, and family activities like tomahawk throwing, 3-legged races, and crafts. The day concludes with a Salute to the Nation: A special tribute to our armed forces as well as fireworks.
Colonial Williamsburg also assists in overseeing archaeology at historic Jamestown, where they have recently uncovered the first evidence of survivor cannibalism in the North American Colonies. Guests also explore the church where Pocahontas and John Rolfe were married and an 18th-century Confederate bomb shelter that was used during the Civil War and the War of 1812.
The 4th of July event DIG! Kids, Dirt & Discovery, is a 50-minute hands-on excavation where children engage in a brief introduction to archaeological digging, screening and lab work.
An important African American site in the destination is the Great Hopes Plantation, where the plantation tour takes you through this living history site. Colonial Williamsburg’s African American Historical Interpretation staff engages in a variety of agricultural and domestic tasks, and discussion the institution of slavery and the life of the enslaved, along with farmers tending livestock and carpenters making building materials for new construction projects.
Fourth of July at Colonial Williamsburg has a series of events from sunup to sundown that explores patriotism from the 19th Century. The morning activities involve a Salute to the States to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of our nation with an exciting militia muster that salutes the 13 original states. Visitors will hear the Fifes and Drums play, see how the flags looked from the 13 colonies, while muskets and cannon celebrate the significance of this historic day. There is also an 11 a.m. reading of the Declaration of Independence as it would have taken place on July 25, 1776. Marking the occasion as if back in time, Virginia’s representatives adopted their own Declaration of Rights and a Constitution for the new state.
The evening entertainment at Colonial Williamsburg will be grand. At 5 p.m, the Swinging on a Star: A Tribute to the Local USOs and the Troops of World War II is quite a show, with entertainment seen by World War II servicemen and women at USO clubs in Williamsburg. A few hours later, at 7:30 p.m., visitors have the opportunity to see a concert by Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums in a distinct patriotic performance. Finally, around 9 p.m., a fantastic conclusion erupts with the Salute to the Nation (a tribute to our armed forces), as well as an exciting fireworks display.
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