Where: Williamsburg, Virginia
When: year-round
If you like: history
Why you should go: How many surprises lurk beneath the ground in Colonial Williamsburg, the three-hundred-acre living history museum located in the former capital of the colony of Virginia? A lot, it turns out. Last spring, for example, workers uncovered the remnants of a seventeenth-century building during construction of the forthcoming Colin G. and Nancy N. Campbell Archaeology Center. “Finding this structure in the footprint of the new archaeology center felt like a gift that underscores the need for this center, so that we can continue to make these discoveries and share them with the public,” says Jack Gary, Colonial Williamsburg’s executive director of archaeology.
In fact, despite nearly a century of excavations yielding over sixty million artifacts, almost three-quarters of Colonial Williamsburg’s “historic area” remains unexamined, at least by modern archaeological techniques. Several active digs are ongoing, including an excavation of the house and shop of noted eighteenth-century cabinet maker Peter Scott. The public is welcome to visit the dig sites, which often host tours and opportunities to interact with archaeologists.
G&G tip: This April, Colonial Williamsburg will mark the 250th anniversary of the Gunpowder Incident, a notorious confrontation between residents and the royal governor, with an outdoor theater program. The event kicks off a series of celebrations leading up to the country’s sestercentennial in 2026.
