President’s Day Weekend 2023 -Things to Do in Williamsburg
Got kids who are out of school this President’s Day. Here are a bunch of fun things to do including a family roadtrip for those adventurous families!
1. Presidents Weekend events at Colonial Williamsburg!
This year, take advantage of the long weekend to visit the place where it all began. Before they were presidents, Virginians George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison were shaped by their experiences in Williamsburg. Meet them and discover the roles that each played in Virginia’s colonial capital and how that prepared them to be Commanders in Chief. Also meet Martha Washington the first First Lady of our Nation. You can see all these special programs with your Good Neighbor Pass, day tickets or annual pass! See special Presidents’ Weekend programs here.
2. Colonial NHP – Yorktown Battlefield
Begin your visit at the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center, where an orientation film, museum exhibits, and bookstore are available. Explore the fields, earthworks, and historic buildings where American independence was won. Driving tours of the battlefield include siege lines and encampment areas. Ranger-led tours of the battlefield and historic town leave from the visitor center daily, and Junior Ranger Programs are available for younger visitors. Administered by the National Park Service as part of Colonial National Historical Park. There is an admission fee to enter the Yorktown Battlefield.
Other points of interest are included with a National Park Service Admission ticket. Please note these sites are open seasonally as volunteers are available.
- Cornwallis’ Cave – While legend places Cornwallis’ headquarters here, he was actually located in a bunker near Tobacco Road.
- Moore House – Site of negotiations that led to the British surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781
- Nelson House – Restored mansion of Thomas Nelson Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Virginia, and commander of the Virginia Militia during the Siege of Yorktown.
- Poor Potter Archaeological Site – Described as a “poor potter” by Royal Governor William Gooch in 1732, William Rogers actually operated a large-scale pottery in Yorktown from 1720 to 1745 in violation of English trade laws.
- Yorktown Victory Monument – Commissioned by the Continental Congress in 1781 to commemorate the great victory at Yorktown, this monument was constructed between 1881 and 1884.
3. President’s Homes Tour for the Family: It is the perfect weekend for a road trip and this one includes spots right here in the Burg as well as ones just a short drive away. Visit President’s Homes in our area (there are quite a few). Check out this great trip guide by local writer Brandy Centolanza: All the President’s Tours
4. Civil War Yorktown – Sunday, February 19, 2023
Join J. Michael Moore, Curator of Lee Hall Mansion and Historic Endview, for a lively discussion of Civil War Yorktown. Although better remembered for the American Revolution victory in 1781, Yorktown was again the center of military activity during the Civil War. Mr. Moore’s wide-ranging talk covers the 1862 Siege of the Warwick-Yorktown Line, the occupation of Yorktown by Union forces, the arrival of United States Colored Troops and the settlement of former enslaved persons at Slabtown.
