The 301-acre campus of Colonial Williamsburg officially opened up for the season on June 14, yet the typical tourist hot spot is going to look a little different to visitors this summer due to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus.
Since the global pandemic began, the historic area has followed guidelines set by the CDC and Virginia to ensure it was ready to open to the public. Now, as people search for new ways to stay entertained yet still feel safe, Colonial Williamsburg staff has reduced capacity, opened several sites and expanded programming for the coming months.
The following locations are now open for visitors: The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg; Governor’s Palace; the Capitol; Courthouse; the Weaver Trade Shop; Carpenter’s Yard; Peyton Randolph Yard; Colonial Garden; Magazine Yard; Armoury Yard; Brickyard; George Wythe Yard; and Custis Square, with tours included. The two sites that remain closed are the Rockefeller Library and the Merchants Square Ticket Office.
While programming is back on the calendar—with things like a behind-the-scenes tour of the Wythe House, a garden walk through the Griffin Campus and an interactive exploration of the mythed witches of Virginia—the guest experience will be a bit different, as most events will be moved outdoors, and for those that are inside foundation-owned buildings, face coverings are required.
Plus, most doors, faucets and other high-traffic touch points (including buses from one site to another) are now touchless. Within the on-site lodging accommodations, there are updated protocols to reflect the best health practices for all staff and overnight guests too. The precautions include disinfecting public places with electro-static cleaning, placing disinfecting wipes in guest rooms and installing partitions at the front desk stations.
In addition to Colonial Williamsburg specifically, as of June 25, the region of Greater Williamsburg is in its reopening phase too with a new marketing campaign titled “Life. At Your Pace,” as a nod to the times we are living in right now. // 101 Visitor Center Drive, Williamsburg; $10.99-$74.99
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