William & Mary

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William & Mary

Virginia attraction guide

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VIRGINIA ATTRACTION

William & Mary

A historic university campus in Williamsburg, where colonial-era buildings, student life and the complicated story of the institution’s past meet.

Location
Williamsburg, Virginia

Founded
1693

Historic landmark
Sir Christopher Wren Building

Campus visits
Public grounds and selected historic-building spaces

In the heart of Williamsburg, Virginia, William & Mary offers a campus visit with a distinctly layered sense of place. The university’s Historic Campus centers on the Wren Building, Brafferton and President’s House, while later academic buildings and the Sunken Garden show how the campus grew beyond its colonial beginnings. Visitors are welcome to explore the grounds and, when open, the first two floors of the Wren Building; it remains an active academic and ceremonial space, so access and quiet are important.

The university was chartered in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II. Its history is also inseparable from the labor of enslaved people: William & Mary’s Historic Campus includes Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved, which recognizes people enslaved by the university and invites visitors to reckon with that history alongside the campus’s better-known architectural landmarks.

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Why visit William & Mary?

William & Mary is a worthwhile stop for visitors interested in Virginia’s colonial history, American higher education and the changing life of a historic campus. The Wren Building is still used for classes and university events, giving the Historic Campus a lived-in character rather than the feel of a preserved museum alone.

The visit also offers a chance to consider how the university’s story has been presented and remembered. The old campus buildings and their setting are part of that story, as is the university’s documented history of enslaving people. Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved stands on the Historic Campus as a place of remembrance and reflection.

Start here

Begin on the Historic Campus and orient yourself around the Wren Building. The university welcomes visitors to view its first two floors and the surrounding grounds, subject to posted signs, class activity and event-related closures. The President’s House and Brafferton are not open for public visitation.

From there, take time to walk toward the Sunken Garden and explore the campus’s different architectural periods. Use the university’s current campus map to plan your route, and check the official visitor information before setting out: building access, parking arrangements and event schedules can change.

What to see and do

Explore the Historic Campus

Walk the grounds around the Wren Building, Brafferton and President’s House. The university’s oldest buildings frame a campus landscape that developed alongside colonial Williamsburg; the historic buildings remain part of university life.

Visit the Wren Building

See the public exhibition rooms on the first two floors when they are open. The building has been rebuilt after fires and continues to host classes and university activities, so follow posted directions and avoid disrupting campus life.

Pause at the Sunken Garden

This central campus green was completed in 1935 and is bordered by academic buildings. It is a gathering place for students and university events; activities or conditions may affect how it can be enjoyed during your visit.

Reflect at Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved

Located south of the Wren Building, Hearth commemorates people enslaved by the university. Its setting brings an essential part of William & Mary’s history into view.

Continue to the colonial Capitol

The campus sits near the west end of Duke of Gloucester Street. Pair a university walk with a visit to Williamsburg’s historic Capitol to explore the close relationship between the college and the colonial capital.

History and significance

King William III and Queen Mary II granted William & Mary’s charter in 1693. The college was established at Middle Plantation, the settlement that became Williamsburg. Construction of the main college building began in 1695; the building later became known as the Sir Christopher Wren Building. The university describes it as the oldest college building still standing in the United States.

The Historic Campus took shape around the college building, Brafferton and President’s House. The university’s historical account describes the open green formed by these buildings as an early American campus arrangement. The Wren Building also served as a temporary headquarters for Virginia’s government after the capital moved to Williamsburg and before the Capitol was completed.

The campus’s history includes the university’s reliance on enslaved labor. The university’s account of the Historic Campus describes enslaved people as having built and worked in its buildings and supported the institution’s daily operations. Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved brings this history into the visitor experience through a permanent campus memorial.

The institution changed over time: it became a public, state-supported school in 1906 and began enrolling women in 1918. In the twentieth century, the campus expanded around the Sunken Garden, while the Wren Building’s colonial appearance was restored as part of Williamsburg’s wider restoration. These layers make the university a place to consider both its architectural history and the changing institution behind it.

Planning a visit

The Historic Campus is in Williamsburg. The university’s visitor site provides directions, a campus map and visit-planning information. Amtrak serves Williamsburg, and local transit options connect the university with the surrounding area; check current routes and schedules before traveling.

The university publishes public visiting hours for the Wren Building, but notes that hours may change during academic breaks and holidays and that exhibition rooms can close without notice for special events. Confirm the current schedule before visiting. The first floor is wheelchair accessible by a ramp at the north entrance; the second floor is accessible only by stairs.

Visitor parking is available in designated locations, with some spaces managed through a pay-by-phone system. Availability and parking rules vary by location and time, so check the university’s current visitor parking information and map before arrival. During busy weekday periods, the university recommends considering nearby Colonial Williamsburg parking.

Nearby attractions

Colonial Williamsburg
Explore the restored colonial capital and its historic streets, a natural companion to a campus visit.

Capitol
Visit the reconstructed colonial Capitol near the eastern end of Duke of Gloucester Street.

Historic Jamestowne
Explore the archaeological site of the first permanent English settlement in Virginia.

Jamestown Settlement
See living-history exhibits about Virginia’s early English, Powhatan and African histories.

Yorktown Battlefield
Explore the Revolutionary War battlefield at the other end of the Historic Triangle.

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References

External links

• Visit Campus — William & Mary
• Visiting the Historic Campus — William & Mary
• History — William & Mary
• Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved — William & Mary