A gloomy winter’s day is the perfect time for a virtual trip to Williamsburg. We have lots of ways to learn more about the history, architecture, and trades, including some you may not know about. Let these suggestions help inspire you to plan your next visit.

This Colonial Life

We’ve produced dozens of podcasts over the past several years, featuring interviews with many tradespeople, Nation Builders, and experts in history and conservation. Kick back and enjoy a conversation about your favorite topic.

You can listen to dozens of podcasts with the press of a button, download your favorites to listen to later, or even just read the transcripts. There are also links to find them on iTunes or for Android.

Here are just a few examples. Learn how our wheelwrights “reinvented” a wheel—for an 18th-century French cannon. Listen to Col. James Innes look back on his career as a soldier and statesman.

There are interviews that explain why the paint colors in the Historic Area occasionally change; what we can learn from George Washington’s watch seal (on display in the Art Museums); and even how the funeral business emerged from the practices of early Americans.

And it being January, don’t miss our apothecary’s 18th-century remedies for the common cold!

Walk around Town and Never Get Tired

We were surprised at just how popular our blog post about Virtual Williamsburg several months ago proved to be. Virtual Williamsburg is our project to faithfully represent (as best as we can) how the town really looked on May 15, 1776—the day the Grand Union flag was raised over the Capitol to signal the Fifth Virginia Convention’s vote for independence.

With just a mouse, you can “walk” down the street, go inside some of the buildings, and thank the heavens you can only see it, and can’t smell it. Do take a look at the blog post for suggestions about how to explore and detailed instructions for getting started.

Greetings from Colonial Williamsburg

Take a trip through Colonial Williamsburg’s institutional past with our story about classic Williamsburg postcards. You’ll find that while it seems that there’s been an awful lot of change lately, we’ve never really stood in place too long. As the Foundation hits 90 years, it’s been a long evolution as we try to find new ways to bring the 18th century to life.

Movie Night

Another popular 2016 blog post covered our announcement that our online history library, previously only available by subscription to schools, would be available to the public free of charge. A highlight of the collection is our video library, which includes all the segments from most of our award-winning television series.

They’re not just for kids. These are deeply researched stories the whole family can watch and enjoy together. Learn about archaeology (Discovering the Past), surveying (Degree of Latitude), treaty making between European and Native Americans (Emissaries of Peace), and much more.

There are also other amazing written resources that parents and teachers will love, especially when they’re looking to explain some history.

Check out the blog post for details and guidance on the free registration process.

Let the Kids Have Some Fun

Every day we feature a “Daily Jigsaw,” which turns a classic Williamsburg scene into a simple digital jigsaw puzzle. Kids just learning their way online will have fun putting the pictures together. Ask them which one is their favorite. Do they want to see the sheep or take a ride in the carriage? What’s their fastest time?

A feast of great historical information is there to be found. When you feel like some surfing, give it a try.