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September 4, 2012

Venture Beyond the Garden Gates to Learn about Colonial Williamsburg’s Landscapes

This fall, Colonial Williamsburg offers guests a glimpse into 18th- and 20th-century gardens.

Tours include:

“Meet the Gardener” features garden volunteers who answer questions about growing flowers and vegetables in the Revolutionary City. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, Sept. 6-Oct. 25, Prentis Store. Weather permitting. Admission is included in all Colonial Williamsburg or museum admission passes.

“Gardens of Gentility” explores how gardens reflected status and wealth in the 18th century. This escorted walking tour includes the Governor’s Palace and other gardens along Palace Green. 9:30 a. m. on Fridays, Sept. 7-Oct. 5. Weather permitting. “Gardens of Gentility” is open to all Annual, Good Neighbor and Hotel Guest Pass holders.

“Through the Garden Gate” focuses on the historic documents and archaeological evidence used in creating the Revolutionary City gardens. 9:30 a.m. Saturdays, Sept. 8 - Oct. 6, Printing Office. Weather permitting. “Through the Garden Gate” is open to all Annual, Good Neighbor, and Hotel Guest Pass holders.

“Tall Treasures” explores and identifies trees of interest as well as the tree’s characteristics and colonial uses. Weather permitting. 9:30 a.m. Mondays, Sept. 10-Nov. 12. “Tall Treasures” is open to all Annual, Good Neighbor, and Hotel Guest Pass holders.

“The Garden Tour at Bassett Hall” features a Bassett Hall interpreter who leads guests on a walk in the Rockefeller gardens, sharing stories about the family’s visits to Williamsburg in the spring and fall in the 1930s and ‘40s, and about the flora and fauna they loved to see there. Guests also learn about the creative landscape architect who designed the gardens at Bassett Hall and about the events that unfolded under the “Great Oak.” 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 3-31 and Thursdays, Oct. 4-25, Bassett Hall. Weather permitting. Admission is included in all Colonial Williamsburg admission passes.

A Colonial Williamsburg ticket, museum pass or Good Neighbor Card provides access to these programs. For more information, please call 1-800-HISTORY or (757) 220-7724.

Gifts from donors ensure that Colonial Williamsburg’s gardens continue to grow for future generations. Donors include: Ann Lee Saunders Brown and the late Charles Brown for the Governor’s Palace Ballroom, North and Boxwood Gardens; Mr. and Mrs. John L. Asher for the David Morton Garden; Sylvia J. Boecker and Michael J. Jackson for the Alexander Craig Garden; John Cazier in memory of his wife, Carol Jones Cazier, for the Orlando Jones Garden; Charles Gibson in memory of his wife, Carole Sue Gibson, for the John Blair Garden; Ron and the late Joanne Luich and Family for the Custis Tenement Garden; the Rethore Family for the Palmer House Garden; Donald de Laski in memory of Nancy L. de Laski for the Thomas Everard Garden; and the Anne P. Ernest Garden Endowment Fund for the long-term care of Colonial Williamsburg’s gardens.

In 2001, Senior Trustees and Colonial Williamsburg Churchill Bell recipients Abby and George O’Neill made a gift to restore and endow Bassett Hall. Abby O’Neill is the granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller Jr.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is the not-for-profit educational and cultural organization dedicated to the preservation, interpretation and presentation of the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia. This town-sized living history museum tells the inspirational stories of our journey to become Americans through the award-winning Revolutionary City® program. Explore The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg and discover the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum featuring the best in British and American decorative arts from 1670 – 1830 and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum home to the nation’s premier collection of American folk art, comprising more than 5,000 folk art objects made during the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Colonial Williamsburg Hotels feature conference spaces and recreation activities from spa and fine dining to world-class golf. Colonial Williamsburg is committed to expanding its thought-provoking programming through education outreach on-site and online. Purchase of Colonial Williamsburg products and services supports the preservation, research and educational programs of the Foundation. Philanthropic support by individuals, corporations, and foundations benefits the educational mission of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Revolutionary City® is a registered trademark of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Williamsburg is located in Virginia’s Tidewater region, 20 minutes from Newport News, within an hour’s drive of Richmond and Norfolk, and 150 miles south of Washington, D.C. For more information about Colonial Williamsburg, call 1-800-HISTORY or visit Colonial Williamsburg’s website at www.history.org.

Media Contact:
Penna Rogers
(757) 220-7121

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