Muscarelle Museum of Art
Aside from the living-history area, the most notable landmark in downtown Williamsburg is the College of William and Mary, which was chartered in 1693 and is the second-oldest college in the country. There, groups can visit the Muscarelle Museum of Art, an encyclopedic art museum housed inside one of the campus buildings. The museum’s collection began in 1732 and now includes more than 5,000 works of art. Highlights include numerous European and American portraits from the 17th through the 19th centuries, as well as photography, African art, Asian ceramics, Japanese prints and paintings dating as far back as the medieval period of the 1300s.
Williamsburg Winery
If you have food- and drink-lovers in your group — or travelers who would enjoy a break from the crowds of the area’s biggest attractions — consider taking an afternoon to visit the Williamsburg Winery. Located on a historic 300-acre farm outside the city, the winery produces more than 25 wines and offers a number of culinary experiences for travelers. Groups can get tours of the winery and barrel cellars every day, and in-depth tours and reserve tastings are available with advance reservations. Lunch is available daily in the beautiful Gabriel Archer Tavern. The farm also boasts Wedmore Place, a 28-room country hotel with an on-site fine-dining restaurant.
www.williamsburgwinery.com
Historic Triangle
Colonial Williamsburg might be the most famous living-history site in Virginia, but it isn’t the only one. Williamsburg is one point of the area’s Historic Triangle, which also includes Jamestown, site of the first English settlement in North America, and Yorktown, where British soldiers surrendered to George Washington’s troops at the end of the Revolutionary War. Each of these towns is about 10 miles from Williamsburg and is accessible by the beautiful Colonial Parkway, which connects all three destinations. Jamestown visitors can see the site of the British landing, then explore Jamestown Settlement, and Yorktown visitors can see both the actual battlefield and the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum and interpretive site.
