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October 19, 2007

Families experience how the holidays were celebrated in the 18th, 19th centuries at the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg

Children and their families can see and hear what made the holidays special in the 18th and 19th centuries through a variety of programs at the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Programs include:

  • American Christmas Musicworks! 5 and 6:30 p.m. Nov. 23, Nov. 25, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 9, Dec. 11, Dec. 16, Dec. 18, Dec. 23 and 30. This high-energy showcase of American Christmas favorites played on fiddle, guitar, mandolin and about a dozen more instruments. Come early so the kids get to play musical instruments like the ones used in the show. Hear some of Colonial Williamsburg's best-known musicians -- Dean Shostak, Kelly Kennedy and Stephen Christoff. (45 minutes) Additional $6 ticket required.
  • Festive Folk Art Workshop, 3 p.m. Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 12, 19 and 26. During this one-and-a-half hour workshop, participants tour the galleries and then create a folk art-inspired object to take home. Separate admission ticket of $15 required. Limited to 40.
  • Magical Creatures, 10:30 a.m. Dec. 8, 15, 22 and 29. Explore the galleries for griffins, phoenixes, mermaids, dragons and unicorns, and create a magical keepsake to take home. Included in museum admission. Space limited.
  • Ornaments! 2:30-4 p.m. Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28. Objects from the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum collection serve as inspiration for Christmas tree ornaments. Drop in to create an ornament for your own tree. Included in museum admission.
  • Toys from Times Past, 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Dec. 1. History comes alive as participants watch demonstrations of and play with toys dating back to the American colonial period. Observe toys that spin, fly, balance and use coordination skills. Included in program admission is a small historical toy kit that audience members get to take home. (45 minutes) Additional $6 ticket required.
  • Toys! 2:30-4 p.m. Dec. 8, 15, 22 and 29. During this kid’s only drop-in program, participants create a toy based on an object on exhibit. Included in museum admission.
  • The Night Before Christmas, 11 a.m. and 1:30 and 3 p.m. Dec. 24. Meet people from the past and hear the famous story. (30 minutes) Reservations required in addition to museum admission.

    Museum admission is required to attend these programs.

    The Museums of Colonial Williamsburg include the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum. Admission is included in any Colonial Williamsburg admission ticket or by separate museums ticket.

    Entrance to The Museums of Colonial Williamsburg is through the Public Hospital of 1773 on Francis Street between Nassau and South Henry Streets. Operating hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For information and reservations call (757) 220-7724.

    Established in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is the not-for-profit educational institution that preserves and operates the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia as a town-sized living history museum, telling the inspirational stories of our nation’s founding men and women. Within the restored and reconstructed buildings, historic interpreters, attired as colonial men and women from slaves to shopkeepers to soldiers, relate stories of colonial Virginia society and culture — stories of our journey to become Americans – while historic tradespeople research, demonstrate and preserve the 18th-century world of work and industry. As Colonial Williamsburg interprets life in the time of the American Revolution for its guests, it also invites them to interact with history. Williamsburg is located in Virginia’s Tidewater region, 20 minutes from Newport News, within an hour’s drive of Richmond and Norfolk, and 150 miles south of Washington D.C., off Interstate 64. For more information about Colonial Williamsburg, call 1-800-HISTORY or visit Colonial Williamsburg’s Web site at www.history.org.

    Media Contact:
    Penna Rogers
    (757) 220-7121



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