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City and former capital in Virginia, US
Photo: Uploaded to en: by Agriculture on February 20, 2005 and licensed under GFDL, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Williamsburg is a city in southeast Virginia. Settled in 1632, it was the capital of Virginia from 1699 to 1779 and in 1926, John D. Rockefeller Jr commissioned a restoration project to bring Williamsburg back to its former colonial glory. During this period, 700 modern homes were demolished, colonial buildings were renovated, and more than 400 buildings were reconstructed on their original foundations. Today, the Colonial Williamsburg district in the center of town is a popular tourist center and people visit in droves to immerse themselves in the nation's colonial history.
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The campus is just at the end of Colonial Williamsburg's Duke of Gloucester Street. The Christopher Wren building, where Thomas Jefferson attended classes, is one of the college's original academic buildings and is open to the public, with tours provided by a group of student volunteers. If you're approaching campus from Colonial Williamsburg you will find the College's Sunken Garden just on the other side of the Wren building. The Sunken Garden is a gorgeous place to walk, sunbathe, and play frisbee. It's an impressive sight and a favorite haunt of students and local residents, as well as being a prime example of 20th-century Colonial Revival architecture.
America's largest outdoor living history museum. A fully operational 18th-century city with tradesmen and tradeswomen working in their shops. The ticket prices vary depending on the length of your stay and begin at $50 for a one-day pass for adults. Enjoy a step back in time and see how 18th-century people of all social classes would have lived. Participate in a court proceeding, tour the Governor's Palace, and see how the American Revolution affected the people of this historic town.
A collection of historic sites located in and around the Williamsburg area. Some such as Berkeley, Chippokes, Lee Hall, and Shirley are open for guided house tours on a daily basis. Others, such as Bacon's Castle and Smith's Fort are open for guided tours for certain months throughout the year. Edgewood, North Bend, Piney Grove, Sherwood Forest and Westover are open for self-guided grounds tours and for guided group house tours by appointment.
signposted as Historic Jamestowne
The original site of the first permanent English settlement in America, from 1607. The National Park Service runs the Visitors Center and the ruins of the "New Towne". For an additional $15 ticket, Preservation Virginia runs the restored 17th century church, restored fort walls, and an archeological museum. During summer, Jamestown is an active archeological dig site, with visitors allowed within feet of the edge of the excavations, and the opportunity to talk with workers and ask questions about the dig.
The original site of the 1781 Battle of Yorktown, the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War.
The Williamsburg Winery offers tastings in their cellar and they have a charming restaurant with dishes that complement the wine. With wines that are reasonably priced, the Williamsburg Winery is a great place for wine fans to go and is Virginia's largest winery. Be sure to stop at "The Gabriel Archer Tavern." With courses under $10, the tavern serves a French Country Platter with assorted patés, meats, cheeses and freshly baked bread or sandwiches served with a baby green salad with dried cherries, sugared pecans and topped with raspberry merlot vinaigrette. This is all served for lunch daily between 11AM and 4PM.
Chain amusement park. At Busch Gardens, experience thrilling rides such as "The Griffon" which brings riders up in the air and drops them at a 90-degree angle. This roller coaster is worth making the trip alone and is one of the main attractions in Busch Gardens. This is in the French village of the park. Another amazing roller coaster that is a big attraction to Busch Gardens is the "Alpengeist". This is a coaster that rises as high as and had a drop of . For those who would rather stay on land, Busch Gardens offers a wide variety of animal exhibits and shows. For example, "Wolf Valley" is an area that allows visitors to view trained gray wolves in an environment much like their natural habitat, and also perform tricks with trainers. Enjoy the "Emerald Beat," a powerful production from Dublin-based O'Shea's School of Irish Dance which celebrates Irish heritage. For those with children, go see "The Secrets of Castle O'Sullivan" and "Pirates," a globe theatre 3D show.
Water Country USA entertains visitors with eleven water rides and a dive show. One of the biggest attractions at Water Country USA is the "Big Daddy Falls" water slide. This is a water slide that takes you and three other people for a twisty wet ride.
Sports teams of the College of William & Mary, competing in 23 NCAA Division I sports (11 for men, 12 for women) mostly in the Coastal Athletic Association. While the Tribe are more of a so-called "mid-major" program, with the football team playing in the second-tier Division I FCS, they still compete as hard as any other Division I school out there. And, tickets tend to be less expensive than those for more prominent programs (in-state, this would be Virginia and Virginia Tech).
Coffee shop in the college. It is only open when class is on. The Grind also has a variety of cheap and tasty sandwiches and baked goods. Tends to be vegan/vegetarian friendly and to use organic ingredients.
Their seafood is excellent, and the crabcakes in particular are outstanding. Large wine list, beer on tap and they are open late. Run by the same folks who operate Nick's Riverwalk Restaurant in nearby Yorktown. If seafood takes your fancy, visit either or both of these restaurants.
Specializing in "serious comfort food", the Blue Talon has a wide selection of homey favorites.
Voted #1 "Best of Williamsburg" for 16 years in a row, Peking is famous for their buffet, which includes a made-to-order Mongolian grill, Chinese and Japanese hibachi bars, and a full appetizer bar, vegetarian bar, salad and dessert bar.
Food and wine are uniformly excellent, be sure to try the lamb. The staff are friendly and attentive.
Fine dining restaurant that has received mixed reviews of late regarding the quality of food. The service and ambiance are still up to par, so try for yourself.
Serves an impressive variety of beers (and tasty food) and it is significantly more expensive than the other two.
Has outdoor seating.
Serves good stromboli, which is even better when shared with friends and washed down with a pitcher or two of beer. The delis are right next to campus and they are very popular with William and Mary students.
The best place to play pool while you drink.
One-, two-, three- and four-bedroom accommodations.
Non-smoking, free hot breakfast buffet, and an indoor swimming pool.
A family resort with one and two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens and full baths.
Enjoy friendly service by the gracious host Ike, who ensures that every need is catered to and makes the visitor feel right at home. The inn has an exercise room plus a sauna and a billiards room. The rooms as spacious and cozy, with a very comfortable bed and TV.
Historic landmark with three rooms and two suites, complete with comfortable antiques. The James River Plantation Progressive tour and Candlelight Dinner are offered on many Saturday evenings.
Craft gallery featuring a fine selection of jewellery, pottery and crafts.
Great bargains to be had at this furniture store, carrying lines from Ralph Lauren, Hickory Chair, Henredon Century and Baker.
One of the top 10 outlet malls in America, Prime Outlets features 120 stores offering 25-65% off brand-name merchandise.
By train
By car
Williamsburg is easily accessed by car with Interstate-64 running northeast to Richmond and southwest to Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
By bus
Public transportation is limited to Oleta Coach Lines and the Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) buses.
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