Exterior sign for the Art Museums at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

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Art Museums

Top choice in Virginia


Entered through Colonial Williamsburg's former public hospital, this complex is home to two equally splendid museums: the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. The decorative arts museum is home to the world's largest collection of Southern furniture and one of the largest collections of British ceramics outside England. The folk art museum has one of the largest collections of American folk art in the world – portraits, quilts, toys, musical instruments and much more.

Most of the exhibits are on the 1st floor; the lower level is home to a cafe and gift shop. Guided tours of the museums depart at 11am and 1pm (decorative arts museum) and at noon and 2pm (folk art museum).