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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Williamsburg

8 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Williamsburg, Virginia

Updated August 10, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Williamsburg

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Museums 4
Colonial America 3
Restaurants 2
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2
History 2
Food 2
Statues 2

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A tiny, whiskered archaeologist (aka a common black rat) emerges from its nest.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Thieving Rats Save History

Historians owe a debt of gratitude to these furry pilferers.
by Amy Crawford
Culinary historian Michael Twitty (left) and interpreter Robert Watson pick case-knife beans by torch light at the Sankofa Heritage Garden.

At Colonial Williamsburg, a 'Landscape of Resistance' Is Thriving Once Again

The gardens of enslaved people left a lasting legacy across the American South.
by Omnia Saed

Podcast: President Heads

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
New menu items made for a tasting—held at a different venue due to renovations—before the reopening.

The Colonial Tavern Dishing Up 18th-Century Vittles

A new menu at Williamsburg's living-history museum offers carrot puffs and hunters game pye.
by Kayla Stewart
“Desire is nothing new,” says Michael Bronski, a historian at Harvard University.

Excavating a Queer History of Colonial Williamsburg

Historians are digging into the lives of 18th-century colonists who may have lived outside the norm.
by Sabrina Imbler
The Governor’s Palace dining room in Colonial Williamsburg filled with fake jellies, candied ginger, chocolate almonds, pies, and marzipan fruits and animals.

How Museums Make Their Fake Foods Using Real Recipes

At Colonial Williamsburg, creating historic food scenes is a team sport.
by Stephanie Burt

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