Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg

Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg Home to the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum

The DeWitt Wallace Museum is home to an extensive collection of American and British antiques. See furniture, metals, ceramics, glass, paintings, prints, firearms, and textiles from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum offers changing exhibitions of American folk paintings, textiles, ceramics, metals, furniture, and related materials.

Now open: Declarations of Independence at the Art Museums of Colonial WilliamsburgThe Declaration of Independence today ...
08/07/2026

Now open: Declarations of Independence at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg

The Declaration of Independence today is as much a symbol of America as the Statue of Liberty, bald eagle and American flag. But once adopted on July 4, 1776, how were the colonies and the world to know about it? Newspapers picked up the story. In Williamsburg, Virginians could read the entire text in the July 20 issue.

As the United States approached its 50th anniversary, there was a resurgence of interest in the document. The task of creating a version of the original document to market to the public was delegated to William J. Stone. It took three years to engrave the copperplate, which the State Department purchased and had 200 parchment versions printed. It is this document that most people are familiar with today.

The exhibition will feature one of the original Stone parchment printings, one of only about 50 in existence. Also on view will be the original July 20, 1776, issue of the Virginia Gazette printed in Williamsburg as well as the 19th-century printings by Tyler, Binns, and Huntington.

Have you ever checked the tag on your shirt to see where it was made? Today, our clothing comes from all over the world,...
07/30/2026

Have you ever checked the tag on your shirt to see where it was made? Today, our clothing comes from all over the world, and that was true in the 18th century too!

Long before clothing labels existed, the textiles used in Colonial America came from India and China (cotton), Europe, the Middle East, Asia (silk), Ireland, Russia, Northern Europe (flax), and wool came from sheep raised around the world. These materials traveled thousands of miles before becoming the fabrics people wore and embroidered.

Open August 22, the upcoming exhibition at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, Fiber, Fabric, and Fortune: The Global Textile Trade 1740-1840, invites you to consider the variety of raw materials processed into clothing and textiles in the 18th and early 19th centuries and the many places from which these materials were sourced.

🤴: Needlework Cushion, England, 1660-1680, silk, linen, and metal-wrapped silk embroidery threads with glass beads, pearls, and spangles. Museum Purchase, 1960-369.
🖼️: Needlework Picture, England, ca. 1750, silk thread on a satin silk ground. Museum Purchase, 1955-86.

Papercutting is a centuries-old art form. It gave birth to silhouette portraiture, which became popular in the 18th cent...
07/13/2026

Papercutting is a centuries-old art form. It gave birth to silhouette portraiture, which became popular in the 18th century.

The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum has a circa 1860 patriotic scene that features squirrels, five types of small birds, hens with chicks, carnations and a variety of flowers. The project here focuses on the Capitol and celebrates the 250th anniversary of Virginia declaring its independence from Britain!

Learn how to make your own in this Trend & Tradition article: www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/discover/resource-hub/trend-tradition-magazine/trend-tradition-spring-2026/cut-above

07/04/2026

UPDATE: The storm has cleared the area and Historic Area programming has resumed.

Lightning has been detected near the Williamsburg area. Historic Area programming will be postponed. Please stay tuned for updates.

If you're onsite joining us for July 4 festivities today, please remember that the Williamsburg area is under an Extreme...
07/04/2026

If you're onsite joining us for July 4 festivities today, please remember that the Williamsburg area is under an Extreme Heat Warning. Please, STAY HYDRATED. Drink more water than usual – don't wait until you're thirsty.

If you are in the Historic Area, find respite at the cooling tents located on the Courthouse Green, behind the Lumber House, and next to the Capitol.

Water bottle refilling stations are available at the Courthouse Green and Capitol cooling tents, and there are plenty of food and beverage options throughout the Historic Area.

06/23/2026

Tickets are still available for "Bloody Ban" Speaks: Tarleton's Southern Campaign! Step into history as Tarleton shares his account of the Southern Campaign, then hear from curator Katie McKinney about remarkable objects from our collection that bring this story to life.

June 25 at 6:00PM. $10 Adult and Youth tickets and $5 Child tickets.
Plan ahead for parking as it's limited near the Art Museums.
If you take the bus, follow the signs to the front door!

Less than 3 weeks to apply for a scholarship! Apply today so you don't miss out on this great opportunity!
03/27/2026

Less than 3 weeks to apply for a scholarship! Apply today so you don't miss out on this great opportunity!

Address

301 South Nassau Street
Williamsburg, VA
23185

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

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