CW Planner

Growing a Colonial Garden

Explore this garden filled with vegetables and perfumed by heirloom roses and herbs.

A Fiddle for Your Pocket

Join fiddler John Turner for a musical exploration of pochettes, 18th-century portable pocket violins featuring popular holiday tunes.

A Mount Vernon Christmastide

Christmastide 1757. Colonel George Washington is home from the French and Indian War due to illness. Alone, he reflects on his past, his present, and what his future might hold.

A New Kind of Christmas

Join Roger, an enslaved man from the Randolph property, on his journey through loss, laughter, and reflection in search of the meaning of this season.

A Scottish Harvest Celebration

Explore the highlands of Scotland with Master Scottish Fiddler David Gardner, during this musical journey celebrating Lammas, a harvest festival, and the first reaping of the corn.

A Season Full of Holidays

Timothy Seaman and Thomas Abernethy celebrate the many holidays from Thanksgiving to Epiphany with delightful and moving musical selections.

A Soldier’s Song for Christmas

Join Kelly Kennedy and John Turner, on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, as they share words from soldiers blended with music of the period.

African American Contributions at the Governor's Palace

Learn about the contributions of free and enslaved African-Americans during your visit to the Palace. Tours every 20-30 minutes.

American Indian Interpretation

Explore the diverse cultures of Native peoples striving to preserve their traditional way of life and learn about the roles they played in creating a new country.

American Indian Life Series

A different program each day will examine a specific aspect of American Indian history, society, and role in the American story.

Annual Pie Sale

Come to the annual pie sale and choose from our famous pies like pumpkin, apple-cranberry, pecan, and rum cream.

Behind the Wythe House

Explore the yard of the Wythe House. Discuss Enlightenment thinking and the ideas that shaped the Revolution.

Brickyard Work

Discover the process of making bricks that will be used in building projects around town.

Capitol Exploration

Take a guided tour of the first floor of the Capitol. Learn about the founding principles of our government and your rights and responsibilities as citizens of a new republic.

Carpenter's Yard

Discover how the carpenters use hand tools to transform trees into lumber and lumber into buildings.

Celebrating 250 Years of Beethoven

Join musicians from William & Mary and Colonial Williamsburg for an all-Beethoven concert celebrating the composer’s 250th birthday. Seating is limited.

Chowning's Grand Illumination Holiday Feast

Come enjoy Chownings' Holiday Feast in the Garden of Chownings' Tavern. Families will be seated at their own picnic tables with social distancing to others.

Christmas Ceilidh

David Gardner, Gabe Stone, Dacotah Hartman present a holiday performance with Scottish dancing, fiddles, bagpipes, and more. Fun for the whole family.

Christmas Classics: Readings, Poetry and Music

John Turner and Kelly Kennedy bring to life excerpts from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and more, paired with music from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Christmas Decorations Walking Tour

Enjoy a one-hour walking tour for a closer look at the Colonial Williamsburg decorations and a discussion of holiday traditions, past and present.

Christmas and the Constitution

Join Hamilton and Madison in the throes of writing the Federalist Papers to support the constitution over a hectic holiday season, as they balance public and personal duty.

Coffee Cantata

Mrs. Charlton’s daughter Lizzy is wildly in love…with coffee! Join us for this comedic ballad opera, based on Johann Sebastian Bach’s Coffee Cantata from the 1730s.

Come Ye Thankful People Come

Join Kelly Kennedy and John Turner for a program of tunes, poems and readings from several centuries related to harvest time and Thanksgiving.

Courthouse Exploration

Experience justice in the 18th century. Discover how the courthouse connects colonists to their community. Guest entry every 15 minutes

Decorated Wreath Sales

Guests can purchase a beautifully decorated wreath or centerpiece in the Colonial Williamsburg style. Fresh greenery and popular dried materials will also be available.

Decorating the Private Homes

Join us for our 28th annual fun-filled celebration of the decorating efforts of the employees who live in Colonial Williamsburg's restored private residences.

Dominion Energy Presents Liberty Ice Pavilion

Enjoy a family-friendly activity at the Liberty Ice Pavilion sponsored by Dominion Energy. Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the holidays with a few turns on the ice.

Donor Visit with a Nation Builder

Donors who contribute $250 or more annually to the Colonial Williamsburg Fund are invited to visit with a Nation Builder. A free ticket is required.

Dressing for Christmastide with Mrs. Rind

Follow Clementina Rind, a businesswoman, government official, and mother, through her day to see what she wears and the reasons why she does.

Dressing for her Day of Days

Come to the Art Museums to visit with the Milliners/Mantua-makers as they stitch wedding millinery and clothing for a fashionable bride in four days.

Entertainments at the Play House

See the theatrical entertainments of The Jug Broke Theatre Co. Enjoyment for all! Check the marquee by the stage for daily performances.

Fiddling Away the Holidays

Master fiddler John Turner returns for this Colonial Williamsburg Christmas tradition of reveling in the lighter side of the holiday season.

Fire a Flintlock Musket

Fire live rounds at a target from two different reproduction 18th-century flintlock firearms used during the Revolutionary War.

Freedom's Paradox

Explore the paradox of the institution of slavery and the movement for independence in a 60 minute walking tour which begins and ends at the Randolph Yard.

Harp and Dulcimer Yuletide Joy

Join Ann Robinson and Timothy Seaman as they journey through seasonal favorites, distinctive new compositions, and rare melodic gems old and new.

Haunted Williamsburg

Brave centuries of scares, from 18th-century colonial ghost stories to creepy modern-day encounters!

Holiday Decoration Workshop

Create a festive holiday centerpiece in a mug to carry home with you in this workshop led by Colonial Williamsburg's landscape design team. $45 per person.

Lighting of the Cressets

Join us on the historic Duke of Gloucester Street as we bring our 18th-century streets to life at night.

Midwinter Stories

Celebrate American Indian life and culture through stories, song, and traditions.

Military Activity

Come explore the Magazine Yard and discover how this military storehouse and Virginia's diverse peoples shaped an empire and defined a new nation.

Music for St. Andrew's Day

Celebrate Scotland's patron saint with John Turner and Kelly Kennedy. Join them for tunes, stories and traditions concerning what has become a month long celebration.

Music for a Back Porch Virginia Holiday

Join musical historians Carson Hudson and Arden Clark for an old time holiday get-together.

Music in the Galleries

Enjoy 18th-century music on a variety of period instruments (harpsichord, violin, viola da gamba) as you stroll the galleries.

My Heart is in the Highlands

Enjoy poetry and the music associated with Robert Burns as Master Scottish Fiddler David Gardner takes you on a musical journey through the hills of Scotland.

Official Ghost Walk Junior

Calling guests of all ages! Enjoy this 45-minute ghost tour of traditional spooky stories with a Colonial Williamsburg flavor. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Outside the Box: 150 Years of Cigar Box Instruments and Music

Join musical historian Carson Hudson as he explains and performs on homemade instruments.

Palace Exploration

Experience the grandeur of royal government in Virginia just before its collapse. Explore the first floor of the residence of Virginia's last royal governor at your own pace.

Perambulations of a Rat

The magic and music of Fishmastide continues as we follow Pandora Chowning and Wimberly Crumb on their return to Williamsburg. Celebrate the season with the Jug Broke Theatre Co.

President George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Hear from President Washington on the 231st anniversary of this day of Thanksgiving.

Profound Joy

Timothy Seaman celebrates the wonder of winter, Christmas and Hanukkah on extended-range hammered dulcimer, with songs full of joy, hope and peace .

Public Auction

Take part in an exciting auction! Bid on selected items from Colonial Williamsburg stores as well as exclusive items not available elsewhere.

Randolph Yard Exploration

Explore the kitchen building and yard of the Randolph House at your own pace. Learn about the paradox of the Randolph household, home to 27 enslaved people and the Randolph family.

Rediscover Custis Square

Take a guided tour and talk with archaeologists in the field about the current archaeological investigations at John Custis IV’s 4-acre home and early 18th century gardens.

Remembering Christmas: Enslaved and Free

Listen in as a free black woman reflects and compares her years as slave and freed woman during the Christmastide.

Renegade Tours

Come join this active adventure, and unmask the secrets of this booming town on the verge of Independence!

Same Space, Different Place

Meet Rachel Whitaker, recently widowed tavern owner and her enslaved servant, Milly to discover how the Christmastide season is different for these two mothers.

Seasonal Offerings at the Charlton Stage

It’s cold outside, let us warm your hearts with a variety of museum theatre experiences highlighting songs and traditions of the winter season.

Slavery and the Law

On your visit to the Capitol, discover how enslaved African Americans interacted with and were impacted by the law. Tours every 20-30 minutes.

Stories of the Past, People of the Present

Celebrate American Indian culture through traditional stories and discuss with American Indian interpreters about what it’s like to tell the histories of their communities.

Super Happy Fishmastide

Come celebrate Fishmastide with the Jug Broke Theatre Company as they sing songs of the magical beast who saved good souls lost at sea and returned them home on Christmas Day.

Talk of the Town: Christmastide

Walk through town with a resident of 18th century Williamsburg as they share reflections on the holiday season.

The Art-Full Tree

On a guided holiday tour explore the galleries and gaze at the Art Museum's huge decorated tree, and create your own art-inspired ornament to take home.

The Land We Left Behind

Join Kelly Kennedy as she shares the stories and feelings of those who left a land to make a new one in America and their Christmas traditions from around the world.

The Night Before Christmas

Experience the unique spirit of Christmas as people from the past read the classic Christmas story and bring the events to life.

The Old Dominion and Caledonia

Travel back to the 18th century with Master Fiddler David Gardner as he uncovers the Scottish influences in the popular music of Virginia from Colonial times to the present day.

The Palace Garden Party

Join us on May 7, for an immersive 18th-century garden party at the Governor's Palace. Guests will enjoy seasonal enchantments with libations, traditional music, and dancing.

The Price of Womanhood

Meet two women separated by time, but not by place as they discuss what it means to be female, educated, represented, and equal.

The Public Armoury

Witness the effort of diverse individuals to support the Revolutionary War at this industrial complex.

Tradespeople at the Ludwell-Paradise Stable

Join the wheelwright or farming historic trades at the Ludwell-Paradise Stable.

Tradespeople in the Galleries

Visit with the cabinetmakers, silversmiths, gunsmiths, joiners, tailors, and more to explore the techniques and tools used in their trades.

Tradespeople in the Raleigh Tavern

Visit the silversmiths, wigmakers, bookbinders, public leatherworks, and more to explore the techniques and tools used in their trades.

Visit a Nation Builder

Step into the past with a Nation Builder and learn about their contribution to the founding of our nation.

Visit a Nation Builder- Aggy of Turkey Island

Step into the past with Aggy of Turkey Island, Entangled with her master; fighting for her family's freedom.

Visit a Nation Builder- Edith Cumbo

Step into the past with Edith Cumbo, Free Black Sister, Mother, Fighter, Founder.

Visit a Nation Builder- George Mason

Step into the past with George Mason, Father of American Rights.

Visit a Nation Builder- James Madison

Step into the past with James Madison, Scholar Statesman.

Visit a Nation Builder- Marquis de Lafayette

Step into the past with the Marquis de Lafayette, French Hero of Two Worlds.

Visit a Nation Builder- Martha Washington

Step into the past with Martha Washington, our Nation's first First Lady.

Visit a Nation Builder- Thomas Jefferson

Step into the past with Thomas Jefferson, The Rebellious Philosophe.

Visit with Fife & Drum

Get some insight into the world of Colonial Williamsburg's Fife & Drum Corps. Limited capacity.

Weavers at Work

Watch how flax, cotton, and wool are converted from tangled masses into orderly, precise fabrics.

Who Will Bring My Presents?

Meet Grandfather Frost who delivers gifts in Russia, La Befana from Italy and our own Santa Claus.

Williamsburg Inn Christmas Day Meal

Enjoy a festive Christmas Day at The Williamsburg Inn's Regency Room.

Williamsburg Inn Holiday Tea

Celebrate the season with a festive holiday tea in the elegance of the Williamsburg Inn. Sample the Inn's special holiday blend and enjoy cookies and pastries.

Williamsburg Inn New Year's Eve Dinner

Come enjoy the perfect 4-course meal with wine pairings at the iconic Williamsburg Inn for New Year's Eve.

Williamsburg Inn Thanksgiving Day Meal

Celebrate this special day at the Williamsburg Inn Regency Room. $99.99-$24.99 Pre-paid reservations required. Call 855-421-0470 for reservations.

Williamsburg Lodge Christmas Day Meal

Gather the family to enjoy a sumptuous family-style Christmas day meal at the Williamsburg Lodge.

Williamsburg Lodge Thanksgiving Day Feast

Gather your family for Thanksgiving Family Style at the Williamsburg Lodge. Call 855-421-0470 for reservations.

Winter in the Valley

Join the Waterman family for delightful Christmas songs and family stories from the 18th century as we welcome you into our music-making home during our favorite season!

Wreath Decorating Workshop

Take home your own Williamsburg style wreath that you decorate yourself after learning the tricks of the trade from the landscape design team that decorates the Historic Area.