Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Wmsburg is a living history museum of the original capitol city of Virginia. It covers a large area and includes a wide variety of colonial government buildings, homes, and shops Actors portray townspeople of the era. The craftsmen are all masters of their trades. We watched a number of the  them at work, including a carpenter, a blacksmith, a wheelwright (see picture), and a silversmith. At this season, not all of the shops are open. 

The Governor's Palace is an authentic reproduction. Compared to the daily lives of the colonists, the Palace was sinfully opulent. For example, there were 600 weapons including muskets, pistols, swords, etc. displayed in the Palace.  The original Palace was burned down by an arsonist during the War of Independence. Before the fire, however, the colonists had taken over the Governor's Palace and auctioned off anything removable to finance the Revolution. That is why they were able to buy back some of the original artifacts--because some family had bought them and knew their provenance. Consequently, a large number of artifacts were recovered and are now displayed in the current Governors' Palace. Notice in the picture the carefully shaped trees and bushes in the formal gardens.

A variety of live performances are available each day which portray aspects of history and life of the time.  For example, we listened to "Patrick Henry" hold forth for about a half hour on freedom and, in response to audience questions, talk about his family and daily life and professional practice as a lawyer.

We also witnessed a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence from the Capitol balcony. A variety of actors participated portraying a variety of colonists including a black slave and two women. 

If you're a history buff at all, this is a must-see.