{"id":14097,"date":"2021-12-28T08:36:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T16:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=14097"},"modified":"2022-02-15T09:19:04","modified_gmt":"2022-02-15T17:19:04","slug":"why-visit-williamsburg-virginia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"a
\u00a9 Greater Williamsburg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you thought America\u2019s cradle of history<\/a> was just for kids, you\u2019re only partially right. Junior citizens are mostly absent from the site during certain months \u2014 May, September after Labor Day, October, the first half of November, January, and February \u2014 leaving its attractions for adults to explore in peace. So hoist up your britches and grab your tri-corner hat: here\u2019s how grown-ups who want to explore Greater Williamsburg beyond its colorful history can enjoy a visit.<\/p>\n

It Can Be Intoxicating<\/h3>\n
\"alcoholic
\u00a9 Michael Ventura Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Booze flows through Williamsburg as freely as the James River. If you enjoy alcoholic beverages, there’s plenty to sample along the Williamsburg Tasting Trail<\/a>. Compare craft beers from a half dozen breweries; visit the Williamsburg Winery<\/a>, largest in the state and site of the tasty Caf\u00e9 Proven\u00e7al; or experience honey-based vintages at the Silver Hand Meadery<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It Can Be a Learning Experience<\/h3>\n
\"inside
\u00a9 Susan Breslow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While it’s fun to stroll Duke of Gloucester Street or ride along it in a period horse and carriage, you can also master an 18th<\/sup>-century skill during a visit. The Weaving Workshop<\/a> teaches attendees to use a loom and complete a cotton tea towel in two hours’ time that they can take home to show their handiwork. There’s also an Ax Throwing<\/a> program and instruction to Fire a Flintlock Musket<\/a>. Colonial Williamsburg aims to offer more hands-on programs teaching 18th<\/sup>-century skills in the future.<\/p>\n

It Can Be A Madhouse<\/h3>\n
\"straitjacket
\u00a9 Susan Breslow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most unusual, and unsettling, preface to the excellent Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg<\/a> is the reconstruction of the Public Hospital of 1773, the first institution in America exclusively devoted to treating the mentally ill. The small but chilling exhibition includes a former cell, a straitjacket, and devices used at the time to treat “idiots, lunatics, and other persons of unsound mind.” After viewing, “escape” to view the nearby fine folk art collections.<\/p>\n

It Can Tempt Shoppers<\/h3>\n
\"Merchants
\u00a9 Michael Ventura Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Along Gloucester Street you’ll see painted shingles outside buildings that announce the blacksmith shop, the apothecary, the milliner, and other tradespeople. Costumed interpreters explain what they made and how they operated. The Prentis store sells souvenirs, many made locally. Goods range from soft lavender powder and yarn to hard iron tools to recreations of important documents that articulate the early days of America’s freedom.<\/p>\n

Adjacent to the Historic Area, Merchants Square<\/a> contains a variety of shops and restaurants. Favorites include The Precious Gem<\/a>, a fine jewelry store with an impressive selection of colored stones, and the William & Mary Bookstore & Cafe<\/a>. In addition selling rah-rah merchandise, it has a concentration of American History books, a small Apple section, and a Starbucks. Bargain shoppers can head to Williamsburg Premium Outlets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It Can Be Relaxing<\/h3>\n
\"Spa
\u00a9 Greater Williamsburg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although some couples eschew spas<\/a>, others adore them. If you desire a facial or gentle pummeling, the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg<\/a> can supply practitioners and emollients. Elsewhere, the Williamsburg Salt Cave<\/a> offers an unusual and more passive experience; guests are seated in a recliner inside walls of imported salt alleged to foster wellness. A session lasts for 45 minutes. Just don’t lick the walls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you thought America\u2019s cradle of history was just for kids, you\u2019re only partially right. Hoist up your britches and grab your tri-corner hat: here\u2019s how grown-ups who want to explore Greater Williamsburg beyond its colorful history can enjoy a visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":14093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2997,2575,3000,2998,242,2118,2999,216,1779,2996,1681],"class_list":["post-14097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-usa","tag-art-museum","tag-colonial-america","tag-colonial-williamsburg","tag-gloucester-street","tag-history","tag-home_page","tag-merchants-square","tag-spa","tag-virginia","tag-weaving","tag-williamsburg"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Visit Williamsburg, Virginia? - Traveling Archive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Williamsburg, Virginia, America\u2019s cradle of history, isn't just for kids; here\u2019s how grown-ups can enjoy a visit beyond the town's history.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia? - Traveling Archive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Williamsburg, Virginia, America\u2019s cradle of history, isn't just for kids; here\u2019s how grown-ups can enjoy a visit beyond the town's history.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Traveling Archive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-28T16:36:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-02-15T17:19:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"850\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"565\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Susan Breslow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Susan Breslow\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Susan Breslow\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#\/schema\/person\/7c8250466643714c397d2b5c79d43360\"},\"headline\":\"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia?\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-28T16:36:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-02-15T17:19:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/\"},\"wordCount\":574,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"art museum\",\"colonial America\",\"Colonial Williamsburg\",\"Gloucester Street\",\"history\",\"home_page\",\"Merchants Square\",\"spa\",\"Virginia\",\"weaving\",\"Williamsburg\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Travel USA\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/\",\"name\":\"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia? - Traveling Archive\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-28T16:36:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-02-15T17:19:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#\/schema\/person\/7c8250466643714c397d2b5c79d43360\"},\"description\":\"Williamsburg, Virginia, America\u2019s cradle of history, isn't just for kids; here\u2019s how grown-ups can enjoy a visit beyond the town's history.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg\",\"width\":850,\"height\":565,\"caption\":\"\u00a9 Michael Ventura Photography\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/\",\"name\":\"Traveling Archive\",\"description\":\"Traveling Adventures\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#\/schema\/person\/7c8250466643714c397d2b5c79d43360\",\"name\":\"Susan Breslow\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e8b2d6e50859a7847e5d6e2f7510e9095b29333c1214084ff62402d3822363d0?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e8b2d6e50859a7847e5d6e2f7510e9095b29333c1214084ff62402d3822363d0?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Susan Breslow\"},\"description\":\"Susan Breslow is the Web\u2019s foremost expert on romantic travel. In fact, she breaks out in hives when the words \u201cfamily travel\u201d are mentioned. A widely published travel journalist, Susan\u2019s assignments have led her from Alaska to Zimbabwe. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler, Departures, National Geographic, and other major magazines and she is the author of Destination Weddings For Dummies and I Really Want a Dog. She served as president of the New York Travel Writers Association and is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers Editors\u2019 Council. As the former marketing director of New York Magazine, she originated the highly successful \u201cCity Weddings and Honeymoons\u201d section, which was spun off into the freestanding New York Weddings magazine. Susan holds a Master\u2019s Degree in Journalism and a B.A. in English and studied Multimedia Technology at New York University.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/author\/susan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia? - Traveling Archive","description":"Williamsburg, Virginia, America\u2019s cradle of history, isn't just for kids; here\u2019s how grown-ups can enjoy a visit beyond the town's history.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia? - Traveling Archive","og_description":"Williamsburg, Virginia, America\u2019s cradle of history, isn't just for kids; here\u2019s how grown-ups can enjoy a visit beyond the town's history.","og_url":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/","og_site_name":"Traveling Archive","article_published_time":"2021-12-28T16:36:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-02-15T17:19:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":850,"height":565,"url":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Susan Breslow","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Susan Breslow","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/"},"author":{"name":"Susan Breslow","@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#\/schema\/person\/7c8250466643714c397d2b5c79d43360"},"headline":"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia?","datePublished":"2021-12-28T16:36:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-02-15T17:19:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/"},"wordCount":574,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg","keywords":["art museum","colonial America","Colonial Williamsburg","Gloucester Street","history","home_page","Merchants Square","spa","Virginia","weaving","Williamsburg"],"articleSection":["Travel USA"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/","url":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/","name":"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia? - Traveling Archive","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg","datePublished":"2021-12-28T16:36:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-02-15T17:19:04+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#\/schema\/person\/7c8250466643714c397d2b5c79d43360"},"description":"Williamsburg, Virginia, America\u2019s cradle of history, isn't just for kids; here\u2019s how grown-ups can enjoy a visit beyond the town's history.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Gloucester-Street.jpg","width":850,"height":565,"caption":"\u00a9 Michael Ventura Photography"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/why-visit-williamsburg-virginia\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#website","url":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/","name":"Traveling Archive","description":"Traveling Adventures","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#\/schema\/person\/7c8250466643714c397d2b5c79d43360","name":"Susan Breslow","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e8b2d6e50859a7847e5d6e2f7510e9095b29333c1214084ff62402d3822363d0?s=96&d=retro&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e8b2d6e50859a7847e5d6e2f7510e9095b29333c1214084ff62402d3822363d0?s=96&d=retro&r=g","caption":"Susan Breslow"},"description":"Susan Breslow is the Web\u2019s foremost expert on romantic travel. In fact, she breaks out in hives when the words \u201cfamily travel\u201d are mentioned. A widely published travel journalist, Susan\u2019s assignments have led her from Alaska to Zimbabwe. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler, Departures, National Geographic, and other major magazines and she is the author of Destination Weddings For Dummies and I Really Want a Dog. She served as president of the New York Travel Writers Association and is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers Editors\u2019 Council. As the former marketing director of New York Magazine, she originated the highly successful \u201cCity Weddings and Honeymoons\u201d section, which was spun off into the freestanding New York Weddings magazine. Susan holds a Master\u2019s Degree in Journalism and a B.A. in English and studied Multimedia Technology at New York University.","url":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/author\/susan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14097"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29263,"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14097\/revisions\/29263"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}