THE MUSEUMS OF COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG OFFER A BROAD
VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES FOR MUSEUM GUESTS
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation operates three world-class museums whose
collections enhance and enrich the guest experience beyond the living history of the Historic Area.
In 2008, a yearlong exhibition of extraordinarily rare and prized Revolutionary War battle flags is a
highlight of the guest experience in the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
The award-winning DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum houses the Foundation's
renowned collection of British and American decorative arts dating from 1600 through 1830. These
include the world's largest collection of Virginia furniture; one of the largest collections of
Southern, British and American furniture; and the largest collection of English pottery outside
England. Masterworks and period pieces acquired for Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area
exhibition buildings bolster the museum's holdings in furniture, metals, ceramics, glass, paintings,
prints, maps and textiles.
The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, opened in 1985, features 15 galleries in
27,500 square feet of exhibition space as well as an auditorium and a café. Entrance is through the
Public Hospital of 1773 on Francis Street between Nassau and South Henry streets. The museum is
open daily; hours vary seasonally. Call (757) 220-7724 for information.
The award-winning Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum-the oldest institution in
the United States dedicated solely to the collection and preservation of American folk art-reopened
in February 2007 in new quarters adjacent to the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.
Exhibits feature paintings, whirligigs, weather vanes, carvings, toys, embroideries and other folk
works representing many diverse cultural traditions and geographic regions. John D. Rockefeller Jr.
established the museum in 1957 in honor of his wife, Abby, and her love of folk art. Mrs.
Rockefeller gave the core collection of 424 objects to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in
1939. Today the collection of thousands of objects includes items dating from the 1720s to the
present shown in 11 galleries constituting 10,400 square feet of exhibition space. The museum is
open daily and hours of operation vary seasonally. Call (757) 220-7724 for program information.
Bassett Hall, a two-story, 18th-century frame house on 585 acres (including woodlands) near
the colonial Capitol building, was the Williamsburg home of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr.
In addition to the main house, the property includes a teahouse and three original outbuildings-a
smokehouse, kitchen and dairy-all of which were bequeathed to The Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation in 1979 by the Rockefeller family. The house reopened to the public in December 2002
following an extensive renovation that was funded by a generous gift of $2.7 million from Abby
O'Neill, granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller Jr., and her husband George.
As a result of the renovation, both the interiors and the grounds are much as they were when
the Rockefellers lived there during the mid 1930s and 1940s to oversee the restoration of the
Historic Area. Of particular note is Abby Aldrich Rockefeller's eclectic collection of 125 pieces of
folk art, including weather vanes, chalkware and American pottery-pieces that Mrs. Rockefeller
was among the first in the nation to collect.
Bassett Hall is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Wednesdays. Call toll-free
1 (800) HISTORY (1-800-447-8679) for information.
Admission to The Museums of Colonial Williamsburg is by any Colonial Williamsburg
admission ticket, single museum ticket or annual museum ticket.
For further information about real estate , homes, communities or building lots in Williamsburg, James City, New Kent or York County Virginia contact:
John Womeldorf/ REALTOR
Liz Moore & Associates 757 254 8136
John@MrWilliamsburg.com email
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