CW to Offer Civil War Walking Tours

CW to Offer Civil War Walking Tours

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg expect to travel back to the 18th century, but a new walking tour will transport them to the Civil War era.

Colonial Williamsburg is now offering a walking tour that explores Williamsburg’s role in the Civil War. The tour will be offered at 7, 7:20, 7:40, 8:20, 8:40 and 9 p.m. on Fridays from April 1-Aug. 26 (except May 13) and Oct. 7-Nov. 18. It leaves from the Courthouse.

During the one-hour walking tour, guests will meet interpreters portraying a Union soldier, a Confederate soldier and one of the women living in town during the war. The program is being offered in conjunction with the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

Williamsburg was the site of the first pitched battle in the Peninsula campaign in May 1862. Union soldiers encountered Confederates at Fort Magruder, who eventually retreated to Richmond. At one point, Confederate soldiers even stayed on the grounds of the College of William and Mary. Today, two redoubts that were part of the Williamsburg defense line south of Fort Magruder can be seen at Redoubt Park on Quarterpath Road. Read more about the battle here.

Tickets are $12 for adults and youth ages six to 17 and $6 for children under six.

Comments

+5 #5 Guest 2011-03-23 08:31

CW has had tours that relate to the Civil War in the past as well. They were able to successfully keep them from interfering with the Colonial history interpretation so I'm confident that this will continue to be the case.

With the emphasis on this key anniversary of the Civil War, it's great to see programming that helps promote even more tourism in the area. (Nope, I don't work for CW)

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+7 #4 Guest 2011-03-22 20:08

Agree with Gunner Joe. Williamsburg has a rich Civil War history as well as a Colonial history. One Civil War walking tour will not detract from the Colonial environment. Tourists are more savvy than you give them credit for. They can understand the different time periods. Old Salem in North Carolina opens their 18th and 19th century houses on alternating days and it isn’t confusing at all.

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+6 #3 Guest 2011-03-22 16:49

I'm not at all worried about these tours confusing the public. The people interested in the tours will already be knowledgeable on the Civil War and the different time frame from the Revolution. They will be seeking out more detailed information about Williamsburg's role in the Civil War.

This is a great event to CW to put on!

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-4 #2 Guest 2011-03-22 10:08

I have mixed feelings about bringing Civil War history to the Revolutionary War Capitol.
Colonial Williamsburg has always been the place to go if you wanted to learn about the Revolution. It is so well done that one can imagine themselves back in 1776.
I'm afraid it may lose some of it's charm if a 100 year gap in history is included. There are other places to go to learn about the Civil War. Won't the general public be confused with two time periods portrayed in the same place?

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+8 #1 Guest 2011-03-22 07:19

Well finally CW has decided to enter the 19th century! This is long overdue and was actually done years ago and then stopped when CW's current 'leadership' decided the War Between the States was not part of their mission - how foolish! An exclusive spa and a 19th-century folk art museum were ok, but not the defining conflict of our nation's history. So good to see this change. I'm sure money was a big part of the decision, but that's fine.

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