U.S. Destinations : Virginia : Tidewater / Hampton Roads : Historic Homes & Sites
Virginia
Tidewater / Hampton Roads
Historic Homes & Sites

Experience Colonial Williamsburg
PO Box 1776
Williamsburg,  Virginia  23187
Toll-Free: 800-HISTORY
Official Site

What would your life have been like had you lived 250 years ago? Are you a patriot or a loyalist? Native or foreign-born? Farmer or tradesperson? A commoner or royalty? These questions and more are raised as America's past comes alive in Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area. In the 1770s, Williamsburg was the political, cultural, and educational center of the largest, most populous, and most influential of the American colonies. Today, Colonial Williamsburg offers guests a unique opportunity to step back in time to experience the ideas and dreams of people-both famous and everyday-in the days leading up to the American Revolution. Log onto www.ColonialWilliamsburg.com to plan your journey today.


Bacon's Castle
P.O. Box 364
Surry,  Virginia  23883
Phone: (757) 357-5976

Bacon's Castle was built in 1665 by Arthur Allen. The "castle" is one of the oldest brick homes still standing in English North America. The castle was named for Nathaniel Bacon, the leader of the rebels who revolted against Royal Governor Berkeley in 1676. The house was taken over by some of his men during the revolt.

Bassett Hall
522 E. Francis St.
Williamsburg,  Virginia  23187
Phone: (804) 229-1000
Toll-Free: (800) HIS-TORY

Bassett Hall, one of the restored historic properties at Colonial Williamsburg and the Williamsburg home of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr., re-opened to the public in December 2002. Visitors to Bassett Hall can tour the mansion and outbuildings, which include a teahouse, smokehouse, kitchen and dairy, in addition to 14 acres of gardens and extensive woodlands. Bassett Hall is located on Francis Street and is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is included in any Colonial Williamsburg admission ticket.

Belle Air Plantation
11800 John Tyler Memorial Highway
Charles City,  Virginia  23030
Phone: (804) 829-2431

One of America's oldest frame dwellings (circa 1670), Belle Air is a unique and important architectural monument. Massive pine timbers still serve as sturdy structure and interior decorative trim. The mansion includes "the finest Jacobean staircase in America" and is furnished with antiques. The five-acre grounds with flowering borders and herb garden overlook farmland. The plantation is on the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places. The first and second floors and outbuilding are open during Historic Garden Week.

Berkeley Plantation
12602 Harrison Landing Road
Charles City,  Virginia  23030
Phone: (804) 829-6018
Toll-Free: (888) 466-6018

Berkeley is Virginia's most historic plantation. Visit the site of the first official Thanksgiving (1619). See the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and President William Henry Harrison, our nation's ninth president, whose grandson Benjamin became the 23rd president. Envision Lincoln reviewing 140,000 Union troops. Hear "Taps" (composed here in 1862). We invite you to experience Berkeley's famous hospitality, as did the first ten presidents. An architectual gem, the elegant 1726 Georgian mansion is furnished with rare period antiques. Five terraces of restored boxwood and flower gardens overlook farmlands and offer breathtaking vistas of the James River.

Boykin's Tavern
17130 Monument Circle
Isle of Wight,  Virginia  23397
Phone: (757) 357-5182
Toll-Free: (800) 365-9339

Named after Francis Boykin, who served as a lieutenant with Patrick Henry and later camped with George Washington at Valley Forge. He inherited this land in 1780, as well as the house that had stood there since 1762. A smart businessman, he donated land for the Isle of Wight Courthouse of 1800 and even helped pay for the original courthouse, which is still standing and being used today, as well as the new jail. This way his tavern was conveniently located right next door for meals and refreshments needed by court officers and personnel, curious observers and travelers.

Boykins Museum
31584 Main St.
Boykins,  Virginia  23827
Phone: (757) 654-9550

The Boykins Museum preserves the rich, rural railroad history of Southampton County. The 1840 train station serves as a country store with antique automobiles & other antiquities on display. Donations are welcome. Hours are variable...call 757-654-9550 to confirm.

Charles City County Courthouse
Virginia Route 5
Charles City,  Virginia  23030
Phone: (804) 829-9201

One of Virginia's important colonial courthouses built in the mid 1750s. The brickwork is very similar to old Westover Church nearby. This courthouse was the scene of considerable fighting during the Civil War and many of its colonial records were lost.

Civil War Trail
401 East Freemason Street
Norfolk,  Virginia  23510
Phone: (757) 441-1852

Norfolk is a participant in the Virginia Civil War Trails program that links over 250 sites located throughout the Commonwealth. Visitors can trace Norfolk's Civil War heritage by visiting sites including Fort Norfolk, the historic Freemason District and the West Point Monument at Elmwood Cemetary that honors African Americans who served during the Civil War.

Colonial Williamsburg
1 Visitor Center Drive
Williamsburg,  Virginia  23185
Toll-Free: (800) HIS-TORY

Colonial Williamsburg, the nation's largest living history museum, consists of 301 acres encompassing 88 original buildings and hundreds of other homes, shops and public buildings. Colonial Williamsburg operates the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and Bassett Hall. Visitors can enjoy 18th-century style dining Colonial Williamsburg's four dining taverns -- Chowning's, Christiana Campbell's, Shields and King's Arms Tavern. Guest accommodations are available in Colonial Williamsburg's Hotels -- the world-class Williamsburg Inn, the Colonial Houses, the Williamsburg Lodge and Woodlands Hotel & Suites and the Governor's Inn. Call for a copy of our Vacation Planner.

Courthouse Galleries, The
420 High Street
Portsmouth,  Virginia  23704
Phone: (757) 393-8543

Rotating exhibitions in the gallery of the beautifully restored 1846 Courthouse. Offers a complete spectrum of visual representation to delight one's senses. Features international and regional artists.

Downtown Hampton
756 Settlers Landing Rd
Hampton,  Virginia  23669
Toll-Free: (800) 800-2202

In the 17th and 18th centuries, cargo ships sailing to Virginia from England stopped first in Hampton, site of the colony's Royal Customs House. Here the vessels unloaded tea, spices, dressmaking material, tools, furnishings and other items. Colonists from the surrounding areas flocked to Hampton to purchase the latest imports and to hear news of their homeland from the ships' crews. Today, nearly 300 years later, Hampton is still a great place to shop, dine and gather with friends. The city's renovated downtown waterfront district, which encompasses the site of the original 17th century seaport, is dotted with restaurants, pubs, art galleries, attractions, shops, marinas and a waterfront park. Lending a colonial flavor to much of this restored district are cobblestone streets lined with red brick sidewalks and crepe myrtle trees.

Fort Monroe
CM 20 Bernard Road
Fort Monroe,  Virginia  23651
Phone: (757) 727-3391

Completed in 1834 and named in honor of President James Monroe, Fort Monroe is recognized as the largest stone fort ever built in the United States. Nicknamed "Freedom's Fortress," this Union-held fortification provided a safe haven for hundreds of runaway slaves during the Civil War. It was also the site where the Army of the Potomac landed before beginning the march toward Richmond during the Peninsula Campaign. Today, the installation is the headquarters of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Fort Monroe's history is interpreted for visitors in its Casemate Museum. Walking tours of the fort are available during the summer months. (See Fort Monroe-Casemate Museum and Chamberlin Hotel listings.)

Gardner Store - Historic Building, The
341 North Main Street
Suffolk,  Virginia  23434
Phone: (757) 923-0929

(circa 1800) Used both as a store and a residence, the restored historic building now features an antique and gift shop. Ballast stones from Constant's Wharf were used in the construction of the foundation, and it served as a prison during Civil War. Open Wednesday through Saturday.

Greensville County Courthouse
337 S. Main Street
Emporia,  Virginia  23847
Phone: (804) 348-4205

This courthouse was built in 1831 by Daniel Lynch. The elaborate portico was added in the early 20th century. An 1894 clerk's office stands on the courthouse green. The courthouse square was the scene of military action during the Civil War.

Hampton History Museum
120 Old Hampton Lane
Hampton,  Virginia  23669
Phone: (757) 727-1610

Experience the historical excitement of "four centuries on the bay - from the seas to the starts." From Native Americans and the early colonists, a bustling port, the infamous Blackbeard, "contrabands" and the Civil War, the rise of "Crabtown USA", to modern Hampton. Guided tours provided through ten galleries of permanent and changing exhibits.

Heirloom Botanica Garden Boutique - Historic Building
5664 Shoulders Hill Road
Suffolk,  Virginia  23434
Phone: (757) 638-0705

Historic 1850s farmhouse and kitchen garden located in the Bennetts Creek Village. Fine home and garden furnishings, organic gardening supplies, unique collectables, topiaries, and personalized service.

Historic Jamestowne
Western end of Colonial Parkway
Jamestown,  Virginia  23081
Phone: (757) 229-1733

Historic Jamestowne offers a wealth of activities for exploring the first permanent English settlement in North America. Visitors can share the moment of discovery with archeologists at the 1607 James Fort excavation; tour the original 17th-century church tower and reconstructed Jamestown Memorial Church; take a walking tour with a Park Ranger through the original settlement along the James River; watch glassblowing at the Glasshouse; and see an exhibit of artifacts in the Dale House. Museum stores are available at the Visitor Contact Station & at the Dale House. Driving tours explore the natural setting where exhibits explain how the settlers harnessed the wilderness & visitors regularly see bald eagles, heron, deer & other wildlife. Historic Jamestowne is jointly administered by APVA Preservation Virginia & the National Park Service.

Historic Smithfield, Virginia
335 Main Street
Smithfield,  Virginia  23430
Phone: (757) 357-5182
Toll-Free: (800) 365-9339

Nestled along the Pagan River, Smithfield, Virginia is a quaint river-port town rich in Hams, History and Hospitality. Stepping on to Main Street in their Historic District is like stepping into a time long ago and sorely missed. A time when people acknowledged each other by name, when the ice cream parlor or candy store was the center of every child's universe, and a time when people felt safe in leaving their doors unlocked.

Located just across the James River from Virginia's Historic Triangle, Smithfield offers its visitors a variety of antiques and specialty shops, historic attractions and galleries with no admission fees, and a diverse list of dining and lodging opportunities.

Smithfield, Virginia - A quiet place to go hog wild!

HAMS, HISTORY & HOSPITALITY await you in Smithfield!

Historic St Luke's Church
14477 Benn's Church Blvd.
Smithfield,  Virginia  23430
Phone: (757) 357-3367

Historic St Luke's Church, c.1632, is the oldest surviving church of English foundation in the USA. It is also the only surviving original Gothic church in the USA. The "Old Brick Church", as it was called until the early 19th century, was one of the early "crossroads churches".
Historic St Luke's today is an National Landmark and Historic Shrine. It is open for tours Tuesday - Saturday from 9:30 to 4 pm and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm. The church is closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and January. Admission is free, donations are appreciated.We are available for Weddings and have a Gift Shop.

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