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A Political Mind: An Evening with James Madison
Step back into the birth of a nation as award-winning actor and historian Bryan Austin brings to life James Madison, the brilliant architect of the American federalism.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Bassoon & Organ Recital
Join us in this beautiful 18th-century worship center and enjoy a candlelit recital by bassoonist Elizabeth Roberts and organist Rebecca Davy.
Open to the Public
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Beyond Words: Bringing History to Life Responsibly
2026: A Five-Year Conference Series is sponsored jointly by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, William & Mary, and the Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture.
CW Admission
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Bobby BlackHat Blues Spectacular - General
Bobby BlackHat cordially invites you to bring in the New Year with a fun filled evening of Toe Tappin’, Finger Poppin’, Hip Shakin’ Blues!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Bobby BlackHat Blues Spectacular VIP
Bobby BlackHat cordially invites you to bring in the New Year with a fun filled evening of Toe Tappin’, Finger Poppin’, Hip Shakin’ Blues!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Broadway Dance Arts: It’s A Wonderful Life
"It's A Wonderful Life" is a spectacular holiday dance and variety show that will be sure to put you into the most upbeat holiday spirit to deck the halls!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
Map & Program Guide
Download our printable map and guide to help plan your path around the largest outdoor educational living museum in the country.
Click to Download-
Chamber Concert: Music from the British Isles
Enjoy music from the British Isles in this 350-year-old church.
Open to the Public
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Choral Evensong of Remembrance
Join us for a choral evensong of remembrance presented by the Choirs of Bruton Parish, Rebecca Davy, Director, and JanEl Will, Organist.
Open to the Public
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Christiana Campbell's Christmas Dinner
Celebrate Christmas with a chef-curated dinner at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Christiana Campbell's Grand Illumination
Celebrate the start of the holiday season with a dinner at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern before or after the Grand Illumination fireworks.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Christiana Campbell's Thanksgiving Dinner
Enjoy a lovely prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner while relaxing in the colonial ambiance of Christiana Campbell's Tavern.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Christmas Feast Shields Tavern
Ring in Christmas in 18th-century style while enjoying a three course traditional holiday fare.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Christmas Holiday Golden Smoke To-Go Pick-Up Menu
A Christmas Day meal prepared by the Chefs of the Golden Horseshoe Clubhouse. Available for pick up December 23 and 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Conversation: Farming with George Washington
Meet George Washington at our Ewing Field where you can discuss farming practices, innovation, and the importance of agriculture to society.
CW Admission
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Conversation: Meet a Person of the Past
Meet people of the past for some informal conversation or activity.
Open to the Public
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Conversation: Meet and Greet the Rare Breeds
Our Coach & Livestock team cares for over 100 rare breed animals, from lambs to cows to chickens to horses. Discover how they ensure these animals' safety and proper care.
CW Admission
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DIY Craft: Jane Austen
Explore objects on exhibit through the works of Jane Austen, then make an inspired bookmark to take home.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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DIY Craft: Quilting
Discover the story of Rita Mae Pettway, quilter, and enjoy a mini-quilting project.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Decorating the Private Homes
Join us for our 32nd annual, fun-filled celebration of the decorating skills of the employees who live in Colonial Williamsburg's restored private residences.
Art Museums Admission
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Evening Program: Capitol Concert
Celebrate the joys of holiday music with this 18th-century concert by the Governor's Musick Ensemble.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Evening Program: Christmastide at the Courthouse
Join musicians Brian Forsman & Bill Weldon for the best dance tunes and songs of Christmastide.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Evening Program: Cry Witch
Question witnesses, weigh evidence, and determine the guilt or innocence of "the Virginia Witch." Not appropriate for young children due to subject matter and intense emotion.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Evening Program: Dancing at the Governor's Palace
"Virginians will dance or die" wrote an 18th-century diarist. What better time than the 21st century to learn a few "new" dance steps? Audience participation encouraged.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Evening Program: Haunted Williamsburg
Brave centuries of scares, from 18th-century colonial ghost stories to creepy modern-day encounters!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Evening Program: Palace Concert
Colonial Williamsburg's early music ensemble, the Governor's Musick, offers an elegant evening of chamber music.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Evening Program: Revolutionary Points of View
Step back in time to the eve of the American Revolution. There are just as many opinions about war and independence as we hear about politics and religion today.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Evening Program: To Hang a Pirate
Join us in a trial of a Blackbeard crew member that occurred in Williamsburg in 1719. Hear the evidence and make a judgment!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Event: A Big Band Christmas
Swing your way into the holidays with the great big band sound of the Williamsburg Classic Swing Orchestra in their 15th annual performance.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Event: A Crooner's Christmas
Good Shot Judy pays tribute to the Classic Christmas Crooner Hits!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Event: A Kilted Christmas with Eireann's Call
A delightful holiday journey through Celtic lands and traditions.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Event: Christmas Dreams - Institute for Dance
It's Christmas in Williamsburg, and Janie Sparkle wants just one thing this year: for all her wishes to come true! Join iDance for this local holiday tradition.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Event: Holiday Pops - Williamsburg Symphony
The Williamsburg Symphony’s Holiday Pops. Michael Butterman conducts your holiday favorites with Tiffany Haas, soprano.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Event: The Virginia Cat Festival
Join us for some CAT-tastic fun! The Virginia Cat Festival features special guests, film screenings, performances, workshops, panels, marCATplace vendors, and more.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Event: Williamsburg Old Time Radio Hour
Travel back in time to the golden age of radio with unique stories about Williamsburg during the Colonial Restoration. Enjoy live music, sound effects and holiday nostalgia!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Feast of the Seven Fishes Christmas Eve Dinner
The chefs of the Williamsburg Inn’s beloved Rockefeller Room are bringing a special nine-course interpretation of the Feast of Seven Fishes to celebrate Christmas Eve.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Film: Williamsburg – The Story of a Patriot
See the 1957 film, in its vibrant 70mm format, that tells the story of a Virginia planter deciding to join the patriot cause.
Open to the Public
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For Donors: Visit a Nation Builder
Donors who have access to the donor reception center in the St. George Tucker House as part of their giving advantages are invited to meet with a Nation Builder.
Donor Exclusive
Free Event Ticket
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Goodwin Room Halloween Tea
Enjoy a spooky afternoon with your family and friends while indulging in the fine Afternoon Tea at the Williamsburg Inn with a Halloween inspired menu.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Grand Illumination Yuletide Celebration
Join us Saturday evenings from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. during Grand Illumination on the lawn of the St. George Tucker House for a Yuletide Celebration.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Hands-On: Company of Comedians
Children of all ages! Join the Play House Players on the Duke of Gloucester Street to learn about Williamsburg’s theatre and participate in 18th-century entertainments.
Open to the Public
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Hands-On: The Art-full Tree
Explore the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg and discover the Folk Art Christmas Tree, then make your way to the Goode Education Studio and create an ornament to take home.
Art Museums Admission
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Hands-On: Under Arms
Guests of all ages will step into the shoes of soldiers enlisting in the army during the American Revolution.
CW Admission
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Hands-on: Daily Life
Participate in the daily activities of an 18th-century family at the Geddy House.
CW Admission
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Historic Organ Recital - Rebecca Davy
Rebecca Davy, Music Director at Bruton Parish Church, gives a recital on the Historic English Chamber Organ, one of Colonial Williamsburg's 18th-century instruments.
Open to the Public
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Historic Organ Recital - Sarah Bland
Sarah Bland, organist at Hickory Neck Episcopal Church, gives a recital on the Historic English Chamber Organ, one of Colonial Williamsburg's 18th-century instruments.
Open to the Public
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Horticulture Workshop: Candle Centerpiece
In this hands-on class, Colonial Williamsburg's landscape designers will show you how to make a centerpiece with candle to take home and enjoy.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Horticulture Workshop: Fresh Fruit Decorations
In this hands-on class, Colonial Williamsburg's landscape designers will show you how to make a decorative apple candle and fragrant orange pomander to take home.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Horticulture Workshop: Small Centerpiece
Following a demonstration by a Colonial Williamsburg landscape designer, participants will create their own "Williamsburg Style" arrangement in a holiday mug to take home.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Horticulture Workshop: Wreath Decorating
Take home your own "Williamsburg Style" wreath that you decorate after learning the tricks of the trade from the landscape design team who decorate the Historic Area.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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King's Arms Tavern Christmas Dinner
Celebrate Christmas Day with a three-course prix fixe dinner in the charming setting of King’s Arms Tavern.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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King's Arms Tavern Grand Illumination Dinner
Celebrate the start of the Holiday season with a three-course prix fixe dinner at King's Arms Tavern before or after the Grand Illumination fireworks.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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King's Arms Tavern Thanksgiving Dinner
Treat your family to a hearty prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner at King's Arms Tavern.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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King's Arms Wine Dinner with a Nation Builder
Dine in the company of a Nation Builder and enjoy a chef-curated five-course meal paired with some of Mr. Jefferson's favorite wines from his travels in Europe.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Museum Discoveries: Pop-Up Archaeology!
Stop by the Art Museums for a special pop-up exhibition of recent finds from Custis Square, along with artifacts from some of Colonial Williamsburg’s most iconic sites.
Art Museums Admission
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Museum Discoveries: The Public Hospital of 1773
Explore the Public Hospital of 1773 for a discussion about 18th-century mental health and the history of the reconstructed mental hospital.
Art Museums Admission
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Music: A Charles Dickens Christmas
Gabe Stone, Mark Nixon, and David Gardner present a holiday show featuring readings from various Charles Dickens writings paired with Victorian Christmas carols.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: A Christmas Peaceable Kingdom
Doves, donkeys, cattle, sheep and more. Join Kelly Kennedy for the joyous songs, tunes and stories of the animal kingdom from all over the world that mark the season.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: A Fiddler's 75th Christmas
Part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, join master fiddler John Turner for an hour of holiday-related melodies gleaned from a lifetime of listening, performing, and composing.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: A Very Virginia Christmas
A concert of songs through the centuries interwoven with stories about Virginia from Wilford Kale’s book “A Very Virginia Christmas."
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: All Hail to the Days
Join Lynn, Barry, and Lee to enjoy music for the winter season from the late 16th through the 17th centuries on lute, cittern, viols, hurdy gurdy, violin, percussion, and voice.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: Breaking Up Christmas
Dance tunes and songs that create a musical portrait of Virginia from the days of English country dances to the rise of country music in the Appalachian hills and hollows.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: Christmastide with Governor's Musick
Join members of the Governor’s Musick for musical entertainments enjoyed during Christmastide in the 18th century.
Art Museums Admission
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Music: Domestic Diversions
Celebrate the holidays with seasonal tunes enjoyed by Nancy Geddy and other 18th-century citizens of Williamsburg at home.
Art Museums Admission
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Music: Eastern Virginia Brass
Celebrate the holidays with the festive music of the Eastern Virginia Brass. Enjoy familiar music, new pieces and always great music.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: Fife & Drum
Watch and listen to the Fifes and Drums as they demonstrate the music and drill of various military ceremonies from an 18th-century soldier's working day.
Open to the Public
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Music: Fife & Drum March
The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums, representing military field musicians, march down Duke of Gloucester Street.
Open to the Public
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Music: Five Centuries of Holiday Music in Virginia
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, join Henley Fork for a celebration of music of the Christmas season from the time of Jamestown through the twentieth century.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: Folk Hymns for Thanksgiving
Join John and Turner and Kelly Kennedy as they play Harvest Home anthems, American hymns of Gratitude, and other lively tunes and songs to observe the Thanksgiving holiday.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: Governor's Musick in the Geddy House
Join members of the Governor’s Musick in the Geddy House as they illustrate domestic music on period instruments.
CW Admission
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Music: Governor's Musick in the Palace Ballroom
Join members of the Governor’s Musick in the Palace Ballroom as they illustrate domestic gentry music using period-style instruments and performance practices.
CW Admission
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Music: Governor's Musick in the Wythe Parlor
Join members of the Governor’s Musick in the gentry setting of the Wythe House parlor as they illustrate domestic music on period instruments.
CW Admission
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Music: Holiday Celebration of Dulcimers
With musicality and seasonal joy, join Timothy Seaman for distinctive American melodies and festive holiday music showcased on a magnificent array of dulcimers.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: How to Play the (18th-Century) Violin
The violin was played by all classes and in all settings in 18th-century Virginia. Come hear how this instrument was played; it is easier said than done.
Art Museums Admission
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Music: Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Celebrate that jolly old elf and discover worldwide traditions with Gabe Stone and David Gardner through tunes and stories about the star of the Christmas gift-giving season.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: Keeping the Home Fires Burning
Singer, actor, and folklorist Kelly Kennedy shares the music, recipes, tales, and lore from women through the centuries as they continue to keep the home fires burning.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: Mind the Music and the Step
Join members of the Governor’s Musick for an exploration of the political lyrics set to popular tunes at the time of the American Revolution.
Art Museums Admission
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Music: Nowell Sing We Clear
Join Lynn and Barry Trott in this concert to sing along with favorite English and American carols from the 17th to the 19th centuries.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: One Street Over
Join One Street Over, a four-piece traditional Irish band that combines the sounds of flute, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, cello, banjo, and bodhran into foot-tapping melodies.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Music: Profound Joy
In this concert, Timothy Seaman celebrates the wonder of the holiday season with early American and worldwide melodies and new compositions.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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New Year's Eve Dinner at King's Arms Tavern
Celebrate New Year's Eve in the Historic King's Arms Tavern with a 4-course menu and wine pairing.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Organ Recital - Agnes French
Experience a candlelit recital by Agnes French, organist from Williamsburg, Virginia, in this 18th-century worship space.
Open to the Public
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Organ Recital - Dr. JanEl Will
Enjoy a candlelit recital by Dr. JanEl Will, organist at Bruton Parish Church.
Open to the Public
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Performance: A Christmas Remembered
Join a Nation Builder as they share memories of Christmastide and hopes for the coming year.
CW Admission
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Performance: A Holiday Medley
A Holiday Medley brings the warmth and joy of holiday traditions, telling the tale of winter in Williamsburg over 250 years.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Performance: A Posture of Defense at Christmas
Christmas 1774, George Washington is caught in the middle of growing fears of civil war with England. Where does he stand?
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: A Soldier's Christmas
Colonel James Innes returns home from the war filled with the haunting voices of his fallen comrades. Will he be able to recover from the war and find peace this Christmas?
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: All Things Are Possible
On September 5, 1791, Robert Carter III recorded an extraordinary document. Why did the largest slaveholder in Virginia do what most of his peers consider impossible?
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Beyond The Walls
The scholars of the Bray school have a lot that they can learn from the tiny creatures within its walls.
CW Admission
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Performance: Christmas Entertainments
Join the musicians and storytellers of the Play House Players for some 18th-century holiday fun!
CW Admission
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Performance: Coffee Cantata
Mrs. Charlton’s daughter is in love with the delicious juice of the coffee bean! A comedic ballad opera based on Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Coffee Cantata.”
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Designing Virginia's Seal
Join George Mason and George Wythe as committee members to design the new seal of a free and independent Virginia.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Finding Jane Vobe
A sneak peek behind the scenes into the research behind Colonial Williamsburg's newest Nation Builder Jane Vobe.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: From Freedom to Slavery
After making a free life for herself as an adopted Shawnee Indian, Methotaskee is brought back into slavery.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: God is My Rock
Gowan Pamphlet, an enslaved man and popular local preacher, offers his perspective on slavery, religion, and freedom.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Good Progress
Meet Mrs. Wager, teacher of the Williamsburg Bray School, as she debates the nature of her school with Elizabeth DeRosario, a free Black woman.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Gulliver's Travels
Join us in a humorous retelling of Jonathan Swift's 18th-century novel Gulliver's Travels, which has been read all over the world since 1726.
CW Admission
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Performance: Harvest's In, Fiddle's Out
Join some of the members of the Play House Players as they play 18th-century songs and dance tunes from the Williamsburg harvest season.
CW Admission
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Performance: Is Our Love Enough
Join Sarah and Lewis Hallam as they step through the trials of marriage, family, and the theatre in the 1770s
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Judith and Daniel
Judith and Daniel, an enslaved couple, anxiously await their reunion after a year apart. Learn the tragic story resulting in their separation.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Lucinda and the Lottery
Based on a story from The Christmas Frolick (1775), Lucinda, a charming young heiress, devises a stratagem to test whose love is true.
CW Admission
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Performance: Measure of a Man's Worth
While conversing with Major James Innes, Benjamin, an enslaved carriage driver, gradually learns what the revolution has in store for enslaved men and women in Williamsburg.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Merriment and Measles
Join the Washingtons on the eve of Twelfth Night in 1760 as they reflect on the past year and their hopes for the future in the midst of a measles outbreak at Mount Vernon.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Nation Builders Discuss Slavery
Join two Nation Builders to discuss how they viewed the complicated tragedy that was the institution of slavery.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Of Christmas Past
A British servant, newly arrived in the colony, reflects on the holiday traditions he has left behind in the mother country.
CW Admission
Event Ticket
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Performance: Play House of Horror
Horror-as-entertainment was as popular in the 18th century as it is today, and in both centuries, it was fodder for fun as much as fear!
CW Admission
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Performance: Pursuing Happiness
Witness imagined conversations between Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and King George III to discover the ghosts behind Jefferson’s drafts of the Declaration of Independence.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Sing and Merry Be!
Come celebrate the holidays as the families of 18th century Virginia did, with merriment and the music of the season!
CW Admission
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Performance: The Offering
Colonel William Byrd III, one of the most powerful loyalists in Virginia, has suddenly abandoned his allegiance to the king by seeking a commission in the Continental Army.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Two Steps Forward…
Hear different stories of the people and events that shaped America’s early history through their own actions and choices.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit a Nation Builder
Step into the past with a Nation Builder. Through stories, discussion, and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges they faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Ann Wager
Step into the past with Ann Wager, Educator of free and enslaved children. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges she faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Colonel George Washington
Step into the past with George Washington, Colonel of the Virginia Regiment. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges he faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with General George Washington
Step into the past with George Washington, father of the country. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges he faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with George Wythe
Step into the past with George Wythe, teacher, lawyer, judge, and revolutionary. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges he faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with James Armistead Lafayette
Step into the past with James Armistead Lafayette, Enslaved Revolutionary Spy.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with James Madison
Step into the past with James Madison, Scholar Statesman.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Jane Vobe
Step into the past with Jane Vobe, keeper of the tavern "where all the best people resorted". Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges she faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Marquis de Lafayette
Step into the past with the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of two worlds. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges he faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Martha Washington
Step into the past with Martha Washington, our Nation’s first First Lady. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges she faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Patrick Henry
Step into the past with Patrick Henry, the Revolution’s son of thunder. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges he faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Reverend Gowan Pamphlet
Step into the past with Gowan Pamphlet, revolutionary Black Baptist preacher. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges he faced.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Thomas Jefferson
Step into the past with Thomas Jefferson, The Rebellious Philosophe.
CW Admission
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Performance: Visit with Young Gowan Pamphlet
Step into the past with young Gowan Pamphlet. Learn more about his contribution to the founding of our nation.
CW Admission
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Performance: Washington and the Shawnee War
Washington had a long history with the Shawnee as allies and enemies. Come hear his perspectives on the war against the Shawnee in the frontiers of Virginia in 1774.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Washington’s Road to Revolution
Join George Washington before he leaves for Congress in 1774 to learn about how the year’s events affected life both publicly and privately on the Road to Revolution.
Art Museums Admission
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Performance: Winter Revels at Pemberley
The halls of Pemberley have witnessed years of winter revelry and today, preparations for yet another ball are underway!
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Presentation: Deed Without a Name
Discover the tale of this musical theater playwright, who lost his career due to public exposure of his homosexuality. Mature subject matter, audience discretion advised.
Art Museums Admission
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Presentation: Firing of the Noon Gun
The noon gun signaled a cessation of morning drills and work parties and a start to preparing the midday meal.
Open to the Public
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Presentation: Good Stories about Great Stuff
Join a curator, conservator, educator, archaeologist, or historian to discover who created an object, who owned it, and how it ended up in the Colonial Williamsburg Collection.
Art Museums Admission
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Presentation: History of the Holidays Series
In this presentation series, learn about a variety of topics highlighting the history of the holidays in Virginia.
Art Museums Admission
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Presentation: Midwinter Stories
Celebrate American Indian life and culture through stories and traditions.
CW Admission
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Presentation: Musket Demonstration
Military Programs staff will demonstrate the loading and firing of the musket. Experience the sounds and smells a soldier experienced during the Revolution.
Open to the Public
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Presentation: Order in the Court
After a short exploration of the Courthouse and its surroundings, participate in a local court session where lives, liberties, and property are contested.
CW Admission
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Presentation: Researching Indigenous History
Join the American Indian Initiative team as they share their research, programming, and outreach efforts as the initiative turns twenty years old.
Art Museums Admission
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Presentation: The Necessity of Order in Battle
Witness a demonstration of tactics that are crucial to success in combat.
CW Admission
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Presentation: The Shawnee and Dunmore at War, 1774
Discover how Indigenous alliances, the Proclamation of 1763, and settlers’ quest for land contributed to the 1774 Shawnee-Dunmore War and why choosing a winner isn't always clear.
Art Museums Admission
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Presentation: To Decorate a Christmas Tree
Discover the history of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Christmas Tree with Christina Westenberger, co-author of The Art-Full Tree.
Art Museums Admission
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Presentation: To Paint for War
Discover the warfare of the Eastern Woodlands tribes and nations and its lasting legacy in the United States.
CW Admission
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Presentation: Two-Spirits in American Indian Life
Join a member of our American Indian Initiative as they explore the lives of two-spirit indigenous people who embody both female and male spirits.
CW Admission
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Public Auction
Take part in an exciting auction! Bid on selected items from Colonial Williamsburg stores as well as exclusive items not available elsewhere.
Open to the Public
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Regency Room Christmas Grand Buffet
Visit the Regency Room for a traditional Williamsburg Inn feast featuring culinary delights that will please all your senses!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Regency Room Thanksgiving Grand Buffet
Visit the Regency Room for a traditional Williamsburg Inn feast featuring culinary delights that will please all your senses!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Rockefeller Room New Year's Eve Early Dinner
If you are searching for an early evening dinner to celebrate the New Year, the Rockefeller Room at the Williamsburg Inn has just what you want.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Rockefeller and W&M Libraries Joint Open House
Celebrate American Archives Month with a look inside Colonial Williamsburg’s Rockefeller Library and William & Mary Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center!
Open to the Public
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Social Terrace Fall Bash
Bring your fall scarves, boots, and warm-up around the fire pits on the Social Terrace. We will have fall inspired food and cocktails and live music.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Special Event: "Celebrity in Print" on the Stage
Meet some famous faces of the 18th century and explore how the market for portrait prints played a role in the genesis of our modern concept of "celebrity."
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Special Event: A Celebration of the Yule Log
Follow the Yule Log, hauled by wagon, from Capitol Circle to Market Square, accompanied by music, festivity, and the community of 18th-century and present-day Williamsburg.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: A Veterans Day Salute & Procession
Join us this Veterans Day weekend for a march and ceremony honoring America's veterans.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Artful Winter Evenings
Celebrate the holidays in this magical after-hours event at the Art Museums.
Art Museums Admission
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Special Event: Celebrating Lafayette
A celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s 1824 Return Visit to Williamsburg with music, pomp, and military salutes.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Cherokee History and Culture
Join John Tooni for an evening of history and storytelling from the Cherokee culture.
Art Museums Admission
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Special Event: Community Christmas Tree Lighting
Join us for our annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, co-sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. in front of the Courthouse.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Decorated Wreath Sales
Visitors can buy Williamsburg-style decorations made by the designers that decorate the Historic Area at the Christmas Market the first weekend in December. Weather permitting.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Dye Day at the Weaver
Join us as we recreate natural dyes and dye recipes of the 18th century to achieve a spectrum of dazzling colors.
CW Admission
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Special Event: Firing of the Brick Kiln
Fall is time to fire the bricks! Come see the kiln fires rage as the bricks reach a temperature of over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
CW Admission
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Special Event: Firing of the Christmas Guns
In the 18th century, guns were customarily fired in salute to the Christmas season. Join us on Duke of Gloucester Street for a re-creation of this event.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Ghouls, Ghosts, and Gleeful Gloom
Sing along, shiver, and quake during this delightful family-friendly program of spooky tunes and songs from these veteran performers.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Special Event: Grand Illumination
Enjoy musical performances, Lighting of the Cressets, storytelling on Palace Green, and fireworks displays from the Capitol and Palace. Fireworks begin at 7 p.m.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Holiday Handbell Concert
Enjoy the ethereal sounds of holiday music played by combined Handbell ensembles from Bruton Parish and First Baptist Church.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Special Event: Il Était Une Fois-Once Upon a Time
In this dramatic presentation, the Marquis de Lafayette returns to Williamsburg on October 20, 1824, and reflects upon the people and events that he experienced in his life.
CW Admission
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Special Event: Indigenous Gown in a Day
The Mantua-makers are making a gown in a day! See what prominent northern Indigenous nations would have considered the height of fashion made with European trade goods.
CW Admission
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Special Event: Lafayette's "Homecoming"
Commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Honorary Degree of Laws from William & Mary.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Lighting of the Cressets
Join us on the historic Duke of Gloucester Street as we bring our 18th-century streets to life at night.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Millinery for the Holiday Bride
Discover the world of 18th-century bridal wear as our mantua-makers and milliners make a gown and other fineries worn for that happiest "day of days" and beyond.
CW Admission
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Special Event: Public Archaeology Day
Join us at Custis Square for a day of archaeology, featuring exhibits and hands-on activities with archaeologists from across Virginia! Open to the public from 10am-4pm.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Regency Music of Barraud & Beyond
Step into the Making Music in Early America exhibit with Kyle Collins for a Classical concert on the organized piano, one of the few playable keyboards of its kind in the world.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Special Event: Salute to the Heroes
A lone bagpiper plays from the Governor's Palace in a heartfelt tribute to honor those men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Salute to the Presidents
The pageantry of fifes, drums, cannon, and remarks from Colonial Williamsburg Nation Builders salute our nation’s Presidents on Market Square.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Secrets of the Chocolate Maker
Enjoy a demonstration of 18th-century chocolate-making methods.
CW Admission
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Special Event: Thanksgiving Proclamation
Hear from President Washington on the 235th anniversary of this day of Thanksgiving.
CW Admission
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Special Event: The Arts and Mysteries of Brewing
Enjoy this enlightening demonstration of the brewing process as it was practiced in the 18th century.
CW Admission
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Special Event: The Bray School Opening
Join us in commemorating the reconstruction and opening of the historic Williamsburg Bray School site.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: The Crisis of 1798
How must a democracy work if it is to survive? How should citizens disagree? Join author John Ragosta, to learn about America's constitutional crisis in 1798.
Art Museums Admission
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Special Event: The Gonzales Sisters
Usher in the holiday season with the musical stylings of the Gonzales Sisters, classical cellist and violinist.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Special Event: The Three Tenors
Enjoy the celebration of the Christmas holidays with the sounds of traditional, spirituals, gospel, and contemporary music.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Special Event: The Williamsburg Symphony
The Williamsburg Symphony's brass quintet heralds the spirit of the season.
Art Museums Admission
Event Ticket
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Special Event: Veterans Day Proclamation
Our Veterans Day begins at 10:00 a.m. with a ceremony on Palace Green honoring the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: We are Everywhere
Join Professor Greg Smithers to open new insights into histories of gender diversity and sexual fluidity in Native America.
Art Museums Admission
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Street Theater: A Joyful Heart
Join the community of Williamsburg and witness how the free and enslaved pursue freedom and find joy in the Christmastide season.
Open to the Public
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Street Theater: A Right to Freedom and Education
Join our 18th-century community and engage with the residents of Williamsburg as we explore multiple different perspectives about freedom, community, and education.
Open to the Public
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Street Theater: The Alternative of Williamsburg
Join the residents of Williamsburg as they consider the cost of pursuing a new government. What sacrifices would you make in support of your government?
Open to the Public
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Terrace Room Christmas Eve
Start your Christmas celebrations with an early dinner in the Terrace Room.
Open to the Public
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Terrace Room Fall Tea
Enjoy a delightful afternoon with your family and friends while indulging in the fine Afternoon Tea at the Williamsburg Inn with a Fall inspired menu.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Terrace Room New Year's Eve Dinner
Start your New Year's Eve celebrations with an early dinner in the Terrace Room.
Open to the Public
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Thanksgiving Dinner Shields Tavern
Mr. Shields invites you to Thanksgiving in 18th-century style and enjoy three courses of traditional favorites.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Thanksgiving Holiday Golden Smoke To-Go Pick-Up Menu
A Thanksgiving Day meal prepared by the Golden Horseshoe Clubhouse. Available for pick up November 25, 26, and 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Tour: An Art-FULL Winter Evening
Discover objects and stories of wintertime past and present on a guided tour.
Art Museums Admission
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Tour: Arboretum Central Historic Area
Learn about some of Colonial Williamsburg's most asked-about trees, how the colonists used them, and how they continue to be important today.
CW Admission
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Tour: Art Museums Overview
Join us on a 20-minute guided tour and enjoy some Museum favorites.
Art Museums Admission
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Tour: Art Museums Overview Tour-Holiday Edition
Celebrate the holiday season at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg on a 30-minute guided tour.
Art Museums Admission
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Tour: Backstory
During this guided tour, explore the stories behind the objects on display.
Art Museums Admission
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Tour: Bassett Trace Nature Trail Walk
Take a leisurely stroll on Bassett Trace Nature Trail and learn about Virginia’s wildlife and native habitats. If you like nature and enjoy being outdoors, this walk is for you!
Open to the Public
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Tour: Black Artists and Artisans
Enjoy a guided tour of the exhibit “'I made this': Works by Black Artists and Artisans."
Art Museums Admission
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Tour: Bray School Community
Join our interpreters to explore and discover the communities connected to the Williamsburg Bray School on this one-hour walking tour.
CW Admission
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Tour: Christmas Decorations
Enjoy a one-hour walking tour for a closer look at the Colonial Williamsburg decorations and a discussion of holiday traditions, past and present.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Tour: Custis Square Archaeology
Take a guided tour and talk with archaeologists in the field about the current archaeological investigations at John Custis IV’s four-acre home and early 18th-century gardens.
CW Admission
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Tour: Good Stories about Great Stuff
Explore the galleries with a curator, conservator, educator, archaeologist, or a historian on this guided tour.
Art Museums Admission
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Tour: Nassau Street, Past, Present, and Future
Join us for a walking tour and learn how a century of archaeology is contributing to a dynamic past, present, and future on Nassau Street.
CW Admission
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Tour: Stables Behind-The-Scenes
Get a behind-the-scenes look at our modern stables and learn more about our carriages.
CW Admission
Event Ticket
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Tour: Talk of the Town Christmastide
With an 18th-century resident as your guide, walk about Williamsburg and experience the Christmastide season through their eyes.
CW Admission
Event Ticket
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Tour: Williamsburg Lost & Found
Explore the history of Williamsburg through objects on exhibit during this guided tour.
Art Museums Admission
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Traditions Christmas Dinner
Celebrate Christmas Day at Traditions in the Williamsburg Lodge with a specialty-themed dinner buffet.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Traditions Christmas Eve Dinner
Join us at Traditions in the Williamsburg Lodge for our annual Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet and indulge in a festive feast from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Traditions Grand Illumination Dinner
Savor a buffet dinner at Traditions in the Williamsburg Lodge before experiencing the Grand Illumination Fireworks.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Traditions Nutcracker Buffet
Join us for an enchanting Nutcracker Buffet at Traditions, located in the Williamsburg Lodge.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Traditions Seafood Buffet
Join us on select dates in November and December for our Seafood Buffet at Traditions in the Williamsburg Lodge.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Traditions Taste of the Holidays Sunday Brunch
Join us on select Sundays during the holidays to celebrate the tastes of the season with culinary delights from the chefs in Traditions at the Williamsburg Lodge.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Traditions Thanksgiving Dinner
Join us for our Thanksgiving Day buffet in Traditions, located at the Williamsburg Lodge.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Valentine's Day at Sweet Tea & Barley
Sweet Tea & Barley at the Williamsburg Lodge offers a delightful couple’s dinner for Valentine's Day.
Open to the Public
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Valentine's Whiskey and Chocolate Experience
Join us at Traditions in the Williamsburg Lodge for an elegant dining experience featuring live jazz and coursed chef created culinary delights.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Virginia Ballroom Christmas Day Brunch
Join us for a Christmas Morning Brunch featuring Atlantic seafood treasures, shrimp cocktail, house-smoked salmon, artisan cheeses, and an array of antipasto and marinated salads.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Virginia Ballroom Thanksgiving Day Feast
Join us for a traditional Thanksgiving feast at The Williamsburg Lodge Virginia Room.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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W&M Homecoming Weekend Tailgate Party
Join us at the Sweet Tea & Barley Patio on Saturday, October 19, 2024, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the ultimate W&M Homecoming Tailgate Party!
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Williamsburg Inn Brunch with Santa
Join us for brunch with Santa and enjoy our fabulous Christmas-themed buffet featuring your favorite breakfast and lunch items.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Williamsburg Inn Christmas Day Dinner
Savor your Christmas with a long-standing tradition of well-crafted offerings from the kitchen of the Williamsburg Inn.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Williamsburg Inn Holiday Tea
Begin your holiday season with the newly reimagined Williamsburg Inn Holiday Tea featuring the beautiful patterns of Churchill Tea China.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Williamsburg Inn New Year's Eve Gala "Studio 54"
Bring in the New Year with the incredible staff of the Williamsburg Inn's Culinary team as we go back in time into the Disco Era.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Williamsburg Inn Thanksgiving Day Meal
Savor your Thanksgiving with a long-standing tradition of well-crafted offerings from the kitchen of the Williamsburg Inn.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Winston Churchill: Defending Liberty
This stirring, inspirational “Theatrical Keynote” brings Winston Churchill’s keen, incisive message of hope to the 21st Century.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Winston Churchill: Man of the Century
Journey with Winston from his 18th Century upbringing through his various careers and ultimately exploring his lasting legacy of leadership and its meaning in the 21st Century.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Winston Churchill: The Blitz
London 1940. Never have so many been so inspired by one man heroically leading the British people to Victory from a Rooftop. The audience lives through one night with Winston.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket