Historic Triangle gears up for America’s 250th birthday bash

Inside Richmond’s historic St. John’s Church in November 2024, a film crew and actors recreated the Second Virginia Revolutionary Convention and the enduring speech of Patrick Henry that still evoke chills nearly 250 years later: “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

This year, events recognizing the nation’s 2026 semiquincentennial — or 250th birthday — are ramping up, and Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown are ready for their close-up.

In the film depicting Virginia’s major role in the birth of the United States, there are other scenes filmed at the Raleigh Tavern and a print shop in Colonial Williamsburg, and it will be screened as part of an exhibit titled “Give Me Liberty,” opening in March at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond. It will move to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown during the anniversary month of July 2026.

The exhibition will also feature a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence, a reproduction of Thomas Jefferson’s writing desk, a manuscript certification of an enslaved man’s enlistment into the Continental Army to do a tour of duty for his enslaver, and a rare copy of Virginia’s 1776 Declaration of Rights, among other artifacts.

For planners of the 250th birthday extravaganza, this is way more than just a single day of history. It’s a decade’s worth of work toward dozens of events, many of which are taking place or being planned in Williamsburg.

“The nation thinks of the 250th as July 4, 2026, but we know that so much happened, particularly in Virginia, that led up to the signing of the Declaration, and then a full war happened after that, with the surrender at Yorktown that secured that independence,” says Cheryl Wilson, executive director of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, which is planning the commonwealth’s commemoration amid the nationwide observance of the July 4, 1776, signing of the Declaration of Independence. While the signing occurred in Philadelphia, Virginia was a pivotal player in the events leading up to the Declaration and the eight-year war that followed.

“That’s why for us it’s an arc that began in 2023 and goes on through 2032,” Wilson explains. The Virginia General Assembly created the VA250 Commission in 2020 to plan the commonwealth’s marking of the occasion, allocating $7 million in state seed money plus a $1 million donation from Dominion Energy.

A grand tapestry Knitting together a statewide commemoration plan requires a broad partnership of localities and restaurants, hotels and tourism associations, says Wilson, who previously led the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission and the state’s World War I and World War II Commemoration Commission, which developed statewide programs to mark the 100th and 75th anniversaries of the two world wars.

Those anniversaries boosted tourism throughout the state, attracting about 9 million participants, Wilson says, and VA250 is expected to do the same.

“What I love about the [American Revolution] commemoration is it’s that very special spotlight that shines for a while on the many gems we have here in Virginia,” she adds. “It’s a chance to broaden the stories that some of us grew up hearing. It’s a chance to bring new audiences in. It’s a chance to be inclusive and inviting.”

Even though early planning for the anniversary started several years ago, there’s still work to be done. In late March, semiquincentennial event planners from across the U.S. will gather in Williamsburg for a third and final “A Common Cause to All” national planning session.

Named for words spoken by Thomas Jefferson at the 1773 Virginia Committee on Correspondence held in Williamsburg, the previous two Common Cause sessions in March 2023 and 2024 attracted planners, educators and researchers from three dozen states and included panel discussions and speeches by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and NBC correspondent Harry Smith. Retired Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas urged attendees to move from the simplistic “melting pot” narrative of American history to a more complex tapestry that reflects the struggles and triumphs of all communities.

As host, “Virginia really stepped into a national leadership role, bringing people together,” Wilson says.
The first Common Cause meeting in 2023 examined how Americans with diverse cultural and ideological values see the founders’ era, separating participants into a “traditional” cluster, focusing on the framers and their sacrifices, and a “modern” cluster, embracing differences and inclusivity. At the 2023 session’s conclusion, the attendees met on the steps of Raleigh Tavern, a meeting place for Jefferson, Henry and other founders, and pledged their mutual support by reading aloud a resolution.

“We gathered here, resolve to commemorate our shared American story, recognizing its fullness and complexity, its achievements and shortcomings, and by honoring the many voices that together forge one nation.” the resolution reads in part.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and Chair Carly Fiorina, who chairs the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, serves as national honorary chair of VA250 and spoke at the first Common Cause session about the importance of telling the story of many Americans during the 2026 anniversary events.

“Let us acknowledge all our complexities and contradictions. Let us recognize our setbacks as well as our steps forward,” she said in March 2023. “Let us work to discover and share our complete history throughout all our communities and every state. Our 2026 commemoration must be about far more than fireworks and tall ships. It cannot be celebrated by some, resented by others and ignored by most. It must not be about red states and blue states. It must reflect our diversity while reinforcing our union.”

An expansive approach

Wilson says the VA250 planners took Fiorino’s words to heart as localities across the commonwealth expect to host dozens of lectures, reenactments and other events over the next two years.

“Virginia’s history is America’s story,” Wilson says. “We have hundreds and hundreds of sites that are tied directly to the Revolutionary War, the founding of our nation, the Colonial period. But even more than that, when we broaden Virginia’s history, it is America’s story — civil rights, the Civil War. It’s not just the founding of our nation, but it’s that ongoing journey to create a more perfect union. We can find that everywhere in Virginia, and we call that a power of place.”

Christy Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, remembered being a child living in Williamsburg in 1976, and the impact millions of Bicentennial visitors had on the city.

This time, she wants to be sure the celebration will also spotlight ordinary people and how the American Revolution affected all layers of society.

“We really want to explore the deeper character of these people and these places and these events so that contemporary Americans and global citizens alike can have a deeper understanding of our national origin story and why we continue to get some things right, and why we continue to fail miserably at other things,” she adds.

That goal has influenced anniversary events that have taken place already, as well as those scheduled this year and the next.

Last fall, several cities and counties in Virginia commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s 1824 U.S. farewell tour, and York County and Yorktown celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Yorktown Tea Party, during which patriots tossed English tea into the York River in November 1774.

Even more significantly, Colonial Williamsburg last fall reopened the Bray School, the oldest extent school for the education of Black children, in its new and more prominent location. The school, which educated enslaved and free Black children beginning in 1760, had been hidden in plain sight on the edge of the William & Mary campus, but was moved to Colonial Williamsburg and restored to become a focal point for research, scholarship and dialogue about race, religion and education in Colonial America, as well as a significant site for local 250th anniversary events.

Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of Colonial Williamsburg, says VA250 planners and other stakeholders have very different perspectives on presenting history leaders even 50 years ago. People are more willing to examine what he calls the paradox inherent in the nation’s creation and offer a richer story about the entire community involved in the American Revolution — including the nation’s history of slavery and its treatment of Native Americans.

“As we approached this event, we went with a couple of principles that I think are critically important,” Fleet says. “First, we wanted to make sure we were telling a full and complete story, both of the triumphs and also the challenges that were inherent in the formation of our country. We wanted to make sure that all Americans — no matter your background, race, ethnicity [or] gender — could see themselves in our nation’s history. And to do that work, we felt we needed to do it in a fact-based, heavily researched way that continues to expand our story about what it means to be an American.” Fleet and others expect that expanded story to boost tourism in the Historic Triangle over the next few years.

At the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, the “Fresh Views of the American Revolution” exhibit will open Oct. 18 and continue through May 2026, displaying folk art created by Oscar de Mejo for the 1976 Bicentennial as well as a call for new Revolution-inspired works by students and professional artists. In July 2026, the museum will feature the “Give Me Liberty” exhibit, and in June 2026, 66 tall ships from 20 countries will dock in Yorktown and Norfolk as part of the Sail250 program.

In 2026, Colonial Williamsburg will host a July Fourth celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday, followed by the 100th anniversary of Colonial Williamsburg in November 2026, marking John D. Rockefeller’s funding of the city’s restoration in 1926.

This confluence of historic events is already impacting tourism, says Visit Williamsburg CEO Ed Harris.
Tourism to the city hit about 1.825 million visitors in 2024, and Harris projects local tourism will grow to 1.9 million visitors in 2025 and possibly 2.1 million in 2026. Many tourists will come for the Virginia 250 celebration events, he says, but some will also be traveling to the Williamsburg Sports and Events Center launching in 2026.

Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are key cities for the 250th anniversary, Harris acknowledges, but “we feel like we’re a big part of the conversation and why visitors should plan a trip to Williamsburg as well. Reminding people of the significance of Williamsburg is going to be really important in the buildup to 2026.”

Historic Triangle at a glance

James City County, York County and the city of Williamsburg make up the Historic Triangle. Located between Hampton Roads and Richmond, the area includes historical attractions, the Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park and William & Mary, the nation’s second oldest institution of higher learning, chartered in 1693. Joint Base Langley-Eustis is a U.S. military installation formed by the 2010 merger of Langley Air Force Base and the U.S. Army’s Fort Eustis. In use since 1917, Langley is the world’s oldest continuously active Air Force base.

Population

James City County: 78,818

Williamsburg: 15,486

York County: 70,238

Top employers

William & Mary

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Sentara Health

York County

Walmart

Williamsburg-James City County

School Board

SeaWorld Entertainment

Major attractions

The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown tells the story of the nation’s fight for independence. Yorktown Battlefield, the site of the Revolutionary War’s final major clash, offers a visitor’s center and guided tours. Colonial Williamsburg, a popular living history attraction showcasing Colonial American life, features museums, lodging, restaurants and shops. Historic Jamestowne is the site of America’s first permanent English settlement and features an archaeological museum with 17th-century artifacts unearthed on site. Jamestown Settlement features a rebuilt interpretation of America’s first permanent settlement. The nearby Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA theme parks are the region’s biggest tourism draws.

Top convention hotels 

Williamsburg Lodge,  Autograph Collection

323 rooms, 45,000 square feet of event space

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Williamsburg
295 rooms, 42,089 square feet of event space

Fort Magruder Hotel–Trademark Collection by Wyndham
303 rooms, 26,000 square feet  of event space

Boutique/luxury hotels

Kingsmill Resort

Williamsburg Inn

Wedmore Place

Notable restaurants

Fat Canary

American, fatcanarywilliamsburg.com

Food for Thought

American, foodforthoughtrestaurant.com

King’s Arms Tavern Colonial chophouse

Riverwalk Restaurant Seafood, steaks and pasta

Yorktown Pub Seafood