Art isn't something I thought of when visiting Colonial Williamsburg, but I ended up spending more…read moretime here than at the actual living museum. Here's why. 1) Admission: It's free to anyone regardless whether or not you have a ticket. Park in the nearby lot (don't forget to pay via the app or QR code) and walk right in. Staff are more than willing to guide you to where to start. 2) Art: The building itself houses this museum and another one. It's hard to tell which is which, but I recommend visiting every gallery. Each gallery comes with helpful signs that bring the art to life and explain about preservation. 3) Space: It's very big so you can easily spend 2-3 hours visiting. There are restrooms and places to rest throughout.

Last year, Colonial Williamsburg changed entry to this museum from requiring a paid ticket to free…read moreaccess. The free access now makes this museum a terrific value for locals and visitors. The museum has excellent exhibits in furniture, textiles,18th- and 19th- century clothing, folk art, clocks, and so much more. In addition, the museum houses a comfortable theatre for lectures, music, and plays. Sometimes the shows have a fee, but many are free. There also is a counter service museum cafe that provides soups, chili, salads, sandwiches, desserts, and beverages with a large open seating area. In addition, the gift shop sells upscale Colonial Williamsburg merchandise and jewelry. Free parking can be found on the side street or in a small lot across the street. Paid parking is available in nearby lots, many of which provide the first hour or two free.

A great place to buy local art.read more

Cute little building that does, on a smaller scale, what the Visual Arts Center does in Richmond…read more They have supplies and classes. I know a lot of ladies who live in Mathews and have a great time taking one or two classes here. It's a great way to meet folks in Mathews. It's led to my mom's year or so long obsession with making "toothbrush rugs" which are not made OF toothbrushes, but with a needle-thing that looks kinda like a toothbrush. Great little place, I would totally recommend it. How awesomely fun would it be to come to Mathews for a summer and take a class here in between visiting the shops/restaurants and going to the beach?!

The Virginia Musical Museum is an outstanding semi-hidden gem of a half-day attraction in…read moreWilliamsburg and well-worth a stop if you are an audiophile of any sort. Came here recently with my parents since it had been on our list of spots to try ever since they moved to the area. You might think you're in the wrong place when you walk in and see a ton of pianos for sale, but nope: the manager comes right over, escorts you to where the museum itself starts, and sets you on the path. He was very personable and was a veritable museum of musical knowledge himself, great intro to a great experience. This place is nothing short of a mesmerizing medley of some of the strangest musical instruments you have ever seen, along with an incredibly cool collection of memorabilia from esteemed Virginia musicians, some recent and many from days long departed. I thought the automatic banjo machine was particularly cool, never seen one before and probably never will again. The entire thing took us about three hours to work our way through and it was quite an education. It is mostly reading though they have a few interactive exhibits on the top floor, and they seem to be actively planning even more which is always nice to see. If you have a passion for music both old and new, I definitely recommend stopping by! Overall: 5.0 stars ---- Pros: - Very cool museum with some one-of-a-kind pieces and truly fascinating historical tidbits. - Extremely nice manager with a clear passion for maintaining and expanding this collection. - Good value for the admission price. Cons: - While I can't imagine this place being overly busy, parking is limited so I can imagine this could be an issue, albeit a small hypothetical one.

What a terrific place. Music lovers, and lovers of cool machines should definitely see this place.read more

Not knowing exactly what an "archaearium" is, I walked into this museum with no expectations and…read moreleft impressed. Within historic Jamestowne, this small museum not only displays the artifacts found in the first settlement in the U.S., but it shows how archaeologists go about thier jobs and how we learn from the artifacts found. To that end, the museum is filled with artifacts from the 17th century, including remains seen through glass on the ground. There are coins, pottery, weapons, and more. There are also a little gift shop and clean restrooms inside.

This is an incredible museum, comprehensive and informative without being boring or dry. It is part…read moreof Jamestown Rediscovery Archeology. We visited it after looking at all of their archeological sites. We should have visited it first, to be more informed about what we saw. My favorite part was about Pocahontas. She married John Rolfe to bring peace to colonists and her tribe. My second favorite part concerned the wells. Without water one cannot survive. We did not expect to spend a lot of time here, but we wandered the museum for over an hour. It wasn't enough time. If you need more information, a friendly and knowledgeable volunteer is on hand.

I cannot say enough great things about this place. We did this as a girls weekend trip activity and…read moreit was so much fun. These were all super easy to make and the finished products turned out beautiful. No artistic ability needed. Jen and the rest of the family were so sweet and accommodating. If you are looking for a craft party type event I highly recommend checking them out.

Great local-owned small business. We had a work event in which we painted stenciled wall-hangings…read more Owners helpful with colors & designs. Awesome!!!

Gallery is not handicap accessible at all - it's located on the 2nd floor and has no elevator. I…read moresuggested they note this on their website. The director contacted me afterwards and did offer a solution.

If you visit Colonial Williamsburg make sure you visit the museum, they have a great assortment of…read morehistoric artifacts , the museum if big enough that you can be entertained, but not too big that will take much time

Those with a love of all things vintage will love this place. Instead of a stuffy, "don't touch"…read moreantique store feel, this place is a lovely hodge-podge of just about everything under the sun. Numerous outbuildings house everything from farm implements to yard ornaments. Chances are good that if you want it, this place has it. Prices can be a bit high, but not terribly unreasonable. And the selection just really can't be beat, even if you're only there to browse. The farm is located on the outskirts of Gloucester. Just when you think you've definitely missed it, you'll see it on the left. Make a quick u-turn & you've arrived. Enjoy!

I have visited Holly Hill several times over the years and have found it to be a fastinating place…read moreevery time - a literal snapshot in time, with 7-8 out buildings full of the most unique items I have ever seen anywhere - inside a museum or out. Several of the buildings have a theme which adds to the feeling that you have been transported to another century. HOWEVER... the only time I have tried to buy something there led to a pretty unpleasant outcome. I found a stack of old newspapers in the main house, and made an offer to the owner. He counter-offered. I looked around a bit more, and then told him I would pay the price he quoted me. Unfortunately, he then informed me that he had changed his mind; that the price he had given me was too low, and he would not sell them. I don't do business with people who don't stand by their word, and so I left. The bottom line is that Holly Hill is an incredible place to visit. However, if my experience is typical, it might explain the reason that the owner has accumulated so much stuff, and still has it.