The starrrrr of the show was the national park ranger that ran the building. I seriously wish I…read morecould remember his name. We absolutely enjoyed this museum. It was small but very informative! Thousands of Confederate wounded were treated in a range of makeshift hospitals hastily established in hotels, factories and private homes, but it became clear a war of this magnitude required a modernized medical response. Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, Virginia Samuel P. Moore, the Confederate surgeon general, secured the facilities and personnel at Chimborazo (the site got its name from Mount Chimborazo, an inactive volcano in Ecuador). Occupying 150 buildings, it typically served around 4,000 soldiers at a time. It treated 75,000 soldiers. It would prove to be among the world's most efficient, modern, and sanitary hospitals of the period. Dr. James B. McCaw was in charge of running the facility. McCaw organized Chimborazo into 5 divisions, each with its own surgeon-in-chief. The complex also included bathhouses, ice houses, carpentry and blacksmith shops, a soap manufactory, a stable, a chapel, an apothecary shop, a bakery that produced 10,000 loaves daily, a brewery that produced 400 kegs of beer at a time, and 5 dead houses, 1 for each division. Chimborazo maintained a vegetable garden on a nearby farm, along with goats and cows. McCaw even secured a canal boat to travel the James River, bringing provisions from as far away as Lexington. McCaw relied heavily on slaves, free blacks and women to keep the hospital running. They helped feed soldiers, wrote letters for them, administered medicine, organized the kitchens, enforced discipline, and generally tried to be a constant friend to the sick soldiers. The facility was converted after the war into a freedmen's school. Opened in June 1865, it served hundreds of African-American students. Today Richmond National Battlefield Park uses one portion of the hill for its "Chimborazo Medical Museum," which is housed in a 20th century building atop the site of the historic hospital.

This historic visitor center has a short film that tells some interesting medical history about the…read morehospital that was once here and about the overall environment of trying to practice medicine before modern science had really entered the fray. The handful of artifacts on exhibit won't take a ton of time afterwards. It's interesting content but more of a diversion for the interested than a destination for the undecided.

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.

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

Williamsburg Botanical Garden is a smaller botanical garden in comparison to Norfolk's, but do not…read moreunderestimate it for its size! It's completely free admission and is open until sunset. It is densely packed with all sorts of plants for all seasons, from small ground covers to thick-trunked loblolly trees. It showcases plenty of plants native to Virginia and plants that can be planted in zone 8, hence, it teems with life. It's a great sanctuary for pollinators and you do see plenty of them from bees, wasps, beetles, to caterpillars, butterflies, and hummingbirds that fly around you as you explore. :) From a distance it looks like the same looking green stuff, but when you look closely each patch is a variety of plants serving different purposes. We visited the garden late summer and saw plenty of Monarch caterpillars feeding on common milkweeds. If you didn't pay attention to the foliage you would have missed the hundreds of them fattening up. The place teaches you to really look at things to appreciate the ecosystem that thrives there. It doesn't seem too big from the outside, but it's easy to get lost with everything to be seen from the inside. My husband and I jokingly dubbed it "the gift that keeps on giving." Corny, yeah, but we genuinely felt like we kept seeing more new plants and new areas right when we felt like we've seen it all. They also have little benches scattered around for sitting just to enjoy the atmosphere. Such a great place for plant lovers and people who enjoy the peace of the outdoors minus the strenuous hike that is required to explore an overwhelmingly large botanical garden. The surrounding areas also have plenty of trails for a long walk, an outdoor obstacle course that is a good challenge for adults and kids alike, a small museum with a dipping dots, and an open field great for a peaceful picnic, a frisbee game, or for just running around. If you wanna go outside and touch grass, this is place!

Visiting from Washington, D.C., I thought the Williamsburg Botanical Garden would be like D.C.'s…read more To save you the worry, it's not. There's no greenhouse or indoor space, but it's still worth a visit. Inside Freedom Park, the botanical garden is free for anyone to go in. Park by the visitor's center and follow the signs to a gate. Open it and follow the trails to many different gardens of native plants, flowers, and more. There are benches along the way and fun surprises for all ages.

A great place to visit and learn about Colonial America metalsmithing and forging…read more Colonial Williamsburg is a wonderful place to visit that really brings American history to life. It offers visitors a unique glimpse into 18th-century America with real shops, people dressed in period costumes and buildings maintained as they would be in Colonial times. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this living history museum spans over 300 acres and includes restored buildings, interactive exhibits, and costumed interpreters. The site is an immersive experience where you can walk along cobblestone streets, interact with blacksmiths, shopkeepers, and even participate in colonial-era activities. I would recommend starting your experience at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center but you can go directly to the city where there is plenty of parking in parking garages along the outer streets. You can see lots of different working places in the city like the blacksmith shop. It is excellent. It is well marked off the south side of E Duke of Gloucester Street. A ticket that can be purchased at the visitor's center is required for entry. You walk through a courtyard and around the side where a forge is operating and 2 people are working the shop. One spent the entire time we were there answering questions asked by visitors. There were samples of the various items that they have made on the counter as you enter. It was wonderful and both staff did a wonderful job of explaining how they are worked during the colonial era at the shop. They explained what they would and would not be making for the community during that period. It was fascinating and impressive. I would definitely recommend this stop for all the makers out there as well as people interested in the history of the area during colonial times. Enjoy!

A fantastic location. They host many events. They are tucked back in the country of Williamsburg…read more It was so nice to be up close and personal with the animals. Everyone was extremely helpful and kind. I went with a friend of mine to a painting event. The barn was stunning. The church pews were such an amazing seating idea. The snacks were great as well. Nothing over the top. It had a great aesthetic. Follow them on FB for updates

We love going to Second Sundays in downtown Williamsburg! It opens at 11 am and runs until 4 pm the…read moresecond Sunday of each month, March through December, along Boundary Street and assorted cross streets. They offer live music in different areas and at different times. As well as some good trucks. You'll find crafts, specialty foods, jewelry, soaps and lotions, bonsai trees, stickers, artwork, items for pets, wood carvers, some clothes, books, and more. This isn't a farmers market. You won't find fresh produce. But that's ok because the vendors are all varied and interesting. Parking is available on the surrounding streets, in the garage, and parking lots. Bring a tote bag to carry your finds.

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