The Williamsburg Magazine, April 2012

HERE IS WHAT WE RECOMMEND YOU SEE! Is this your first Colonial Williamsburg visit or your first visit in a long time? Here are sites we recommend you see: The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg (Allow at least an hour) The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum features worldclass English and American silver, ceramics, paintings, prints and textiles dating from 1600 to 1830. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum is the first museum dedicated solely to American folk art in the United States.

Peyton Randolph House (Allow 45 minutes) Home to one of Virginia’s leading politicians, this was the site of important social and political gatherings. The backyard shows the range of work undertaken by enslaved men and women and their interaction with the white household.

R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse (Allow 30 minutes) Guests at R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse experience an interpretive tour that reveals the pre-Revolutionary significance of the establishment — a gathering place for the politically connected as well as for the socially ambitious — before concluding with an opportunity to enjoy a sample tasting of period coffeehouse beverages – coffee, tea or chocolate.

Courthouse (Allow 20 minutes) County and city courts provided local justice both in civil and criminal cases. Participate in a wide variety of court trials in which lives, liberties and property come into contest.

Magazine (Allow 30 minutes) The Magazine, Williamsburg’s arsenal, was the warehouse for gunpowder and firearms belonging to the colony and Commonwealth of Virginia.

Printing Office and Bookbindery (Allow 20 minutes) Printed items such as newspapers, political notices and manuals played a key role in the spread of information before and during the Revolution.

Silversmith (Allow 30 minutes) Skilled workers at the Golden Ball make jewelry, bowls, coffeepots and other items of precious metals.

Wigmaker (Allow 20 minutes) At this shop, guests can watch as accomplished hands style hair and weave wigs from a wide variety of materials.

April is the Month for Garden Tours. “Through the Garden Gate” gives guests the opportunity to venture through the gates to learn about the restored gardens, focusing on the historic documents and archaeological evidence used in creating the Historic Area gardens.

This walking tour begins at 9:30 a.m. on Mondays, March 26-May 21 and June 4-11 and at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays, March 31-May-19 and June 2-16. The starting location of the garden tour is listed on the ticket. Tickets are available to Annual Pass and Good Neighbor members as well as Colonial Williamsburg Hotel Guest ticket holders.

Guests discover how gardens reflected status and wealth in the 18th century through the program, “Gardens of Gentility.” This walking tour visits the Governor’s Palace and other gardens along Colonial Williamsburg’s Palace Green. The one-hour program takes place at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays, March 27 -June 12 and Fridays, March 30-June 15 at the Governor’s Palace. Tickets are available to Annual Pass and Good Neighbor members as well as Colonial Williamsburg Hotel Guest ticket holders.

“Meet the Gardener” offers guests an opportunity to meet Historic Area garden volunteers who can answer questions about growing flowers and vegetables in the Historic Area. This discussion will take place at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, March 29-June 14 at Colonial Williamsburg’s Prentis Store. The tour is included in Historic Area or museum admission.

For more information, call 1-800-HISTORY or visit the Colonial Williamsburg Regional Visitor Center, Greenhow Lumber House Ticket Office or Merchants Square Ticket Office.