VA, Colonial Williamsburg

ZeSpectre · June 8, 2009, 12:27 PM

The wife and I are planning a vacation trip (finally) to see Colonial Williamsburg. So far what I've found is that it's private property and there doesn't seem to be any restrictions on CCW.

Does anyone know more about any CCW restrictions at Colonial Williamsburg?

Thanks

Ze

ilbob · June 8, 2009, 12:36 PM

My understanding is that there are some national park areas that are not well labeled inside what most people think of as CW where CC is not legal, at least for the present.

ZeSpectre · June 8, 2009, 12:44 PM

Yet ANOTHER reason I wish we'd get this carry-in-parks thing resolved once and for all. I've been fighting this issue for 4+ years and I'm plenty sick of NP restrictions and complications! Grrrrrrrrrr

ammoeater · June 8, 2009, 01:46 PM

Everything I can find indicates it is allowed. I found this interesting too:
http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...tml#post801741
From the above link...
CW is BEYOND cool with you open carrying.
I was recently visiting Colonial Williamsburg with the Girlfriend as I’m a bit of a history geek, and haven’t ever been to CW. I searched all over their website for any indication of allowing or forbidding the carry of firearms, but could find nothing. We arrived, and not wanting to get kicked out of a place I really really wanted to go, I approached the blacksmith shop (or was it shoppe) and asked the blacksmith who was working away upon something. I asked him for a moment and quietly asked if CW allowed the carry of firearms as I didn’t want to break any rules. His response was SOOOO cool. I’ll try to quote him as accurately as possible.

With about TWICE the volume I had used to ask him the question, he responded...

“That good sir is the question we are now faced with. His Majesty’s soldiers even now have decreed that the possessions of any firearms are not only forbade and forbidden, but that it is a crime upon king and country to posses the simple means to protect oneself. The town elders, along with good stalwart men of the Continental Congress have urged all colonial citizens to protest the actions of England’s king and to keep their arms ready and prepared to defend this, which they feel is the most sacred of liberties. Stay your weapons upon your person and walk the streets here proudly.“

Needless to say, I was smiling ear to ear and openly carried, and didn’t really get any undue attention, well. . .except for the SECONDEST coolest thing that happened.

After being there for about an hour, we were walking down the street when we saw performers who were dressed to the nines in Period British military uniforms and walking in formation. One of the conscripts saw I was armed and announced “Sir, that colonial is armed, do we detain?” The officer (I think he was a Major, but my English military knowledge is sadly lacking) stopped his squad and took a deep breath. Again, I will try to quote as accurately as I can.

The (Major?) slowly walked over to me, addressing his halted troops the whole time.

“No Mister Norley. Although his Majesty has decreed that ANY position of musket or pistol is a crime against the throne, these rabble can pose no serious threat against the might and resolve of King and Crown. We shall permit this one to have his personal armaments . . .”

And at this he leaned in very closely so only I could hear.

“. . .for now!”

He walked back to take his place at the head of the formation and marched them onward.

It was the coolest day I could remember in a long time. Open carry your gun, you’ll love it.

TheNatureBoy · June 8, 2009, 02:06 PM

I work about 5 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg. Here are a few phone numbers you might try:

Colonial Williamsburg-757-229-1000

Yorktown Battlefield - 757-898-2410

Got them out of the phone book. If I can scrounge up some other info I'll pass it on to ya.

Also, check out www.vcdl.org. I'm sure you can find the answer to your question there.

ZeSpectre · June 8, 2009, 10:30 PM

Thanks everyone for the information.

On the other hand I have to say, I've been getting some "interesting" PM's and emails from asking this question. Many of which are along the lines of....

Quote:

"Good God, don't ask Colonial Williamsburg that question, they'll be forced to make a decision and that will most likely be "NO". Don't ruin it for the rest of us".

I find this "hide in the closet" attitude simply astounding when aimed towards someone (me) who is simply trying to find out legal status so I can enjoy a (rare) vacation with my wife!

alloy · June 9, 2009, 05:30 AM

Non-profit organization, definately not part of the park system state or federal.

http://www.gowilliamsburg.com/visito...lliamsburg.pdf

BlueTrain · June 9, 2009, 11:33 AM

Most of the employees of Colonial Williamsburg seem to take a decidedly conservative view of these things and completely within the context of Revolutionary War America and at the same time, relate those feelings and attitudes to contemporary history. You should hear what the guide at the jail has to say about pirates.

On a side note, there are some excellent displays of period firearms and edged weapons, including a remarkable number of breechloaders.

Take note, however, that C.W. adjoins Williams and Mary, which may not share those feeling and which is a state school.

johnbt · June 9, 2009, 01:07 PM

The only problem with carrying at Colonial Williamsburg is that there are some nice places to eat that serve alcohol and you can't carry concealed where alcohol is served by the drink. Check out the taverns along Duke of Gloucester Street.

And take your walking shoes, it's over 300 acres.

I've always been attracted to the tradesmen's shops. http://www.history.org/Almanack/life...s/tradehdr.cfm

I saw the gunsmith's shop for the first time not long after it opened in 1963. I still haven't ordered my rifle.

http://www.history.org/foundation/jo...0/gunsmith.cfm

"Because of the long rifle's handsome appearance and its reputation as an especially American tool, modern day Williamsburg gunsmiths regularly make them for enthusiasts. The waiting list is long, about four years, and the price for a weapon is high, averaging $20,000."

johnwilliamson062 · June 9, 2009, 07:06 PM

loved that article about the gunsmiths.
Been a while since i went to CW. Was on the way back from the coast with some friends and passed right by. "College interns in corsets," proved to be insufficient to convince them to stop.

B. Lahey · June 9, 2009, 07:43 PM

Quote:

With about TWICE the volume I had used to ask him the question, he responded...

“That good sir is the question we are now faced with. His Majesty’s soldiers even now have decreed that the possessions of any firearms are not only forbade and forbidden, but that it is a crime upon king and country to posses the simple means to protect oneself. The town elders, along with good stalwart men of the Continental Congress have urged all colonial citizens to protest the actions of England’s king and to keep their arms ready and prepared to defend this, which they feel is the most sacred of liberties. Stay your weapons upon your person and walk the streets here proudly.“

Needless to say, I was smiling ear to ear and openly carried, and didn’t really get any undue attention, well. . .except for the SECONDEST coolest thing that happened.

After being there for about an hour, we were walking down the street when we saw performers who were dressed to the nines in Period British military uniforms and walking in formation. One of the conscripts saw I was armed and announced “Sir, that colonial is armed, do we detain?” The officer (I think he was a Major, but my English military knowledge is sadly lacking) stopped his squad and took a deep breath. Again, I will try to quote as accurately as I can.

The (Major?) slowly walked over to me, addressing his halted troops the whole time.

“No Mister Norley. Although his Majesty has decreed that ANY position of musket or pistol is a crime against the throne, these rabble can pose no serious threat against the might and resolve of King and Crown. We shall permit this one to have his personal armaments . . .”

And at this he leaned in very closely so only I could hear.

“. . .for now!”

That's the best thing I've read in a while. Now I have an interest to revisit the place, I was too young to carry arms the last time I was there and didn't find it particularly interesting. Now my history nerdism has reached new heights and I bet it would be cooler the second time around.

**Mal H** · June 9, 2009, 10:28 PM

We went to Colonial Williamsburg for a three day stay over Christmas time - it is a fabulous place to visit especially at that time. I don't recall any restrictions on firearms, either open carry or concealed.

The restaurant problem does exist in Virginia (and if we can get rid of that ... of a governor we might finally get that resolved), and Williamsburg has some truly fine restaurants on the grounds. Do not bypass the King's Arms Tavern, everything is excellent. If you carry concealed throughout the grounds, you'll have to switch to open carry in the restaurants.

johnbt · June 10, 2009, 01:44 PM

This guy has some great Williamsburg pics.

http://troyewelch.com/ColonialWilliamsburg.htm

Doesn't your governor keep his rifles on the ceiling?

ZeSpectre · June 17, 2009, 07:08 PM

Well, I'm back from the trip (Sunday to today) so now I can report with some authority for those who might also want the question answered.

1) The College of William and Mary has a "policy" (not law) regarding weapons on campus. Like many other Virginia institutions this "policy" only has force with regards to students and employees. Should a non-student/non-employee be found to have a weapon they will be "asked" to leave. If they refuse then Virginia's trespassing laws come into effect. (Note, at this point in time "asked to leave" probably means you would be detained at gunpoint, have a trip to the police station, and be asked a lot of questions before you were released. Not kosher with Va law, but that's the reality of the situation.

2) The visitors center and a few other buildings are run by the National Parks Service. They are all clearly marked with the NPS logo. Until the law changes go into effect remember....

3) Colonial Williamsburg itself is a privately run, non-profit organization. The majority of the historic district falls under the rules of either the non-profit organization, or the city of Williamsburg. Regular Va CCW (and open carry) rules apply.

I saw TWO persons open carrying up and down "Duke of Gloucester" street during the various performances while I was there. Nobody seemed to care and it didn't seem like anyone even noticed.

I had no interest in OC and was concealed the entire time. As long as one pays attention to the NPS signs then one will avoid trouble.

June 8, 2009, 12:27 PM	#1
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 3,276	VA, Colonial Williamsburg The wife and I are planning a vacation trip (finally) to see Colonial Williamsburg. So far what I've found is that it's private property and there doesn't seem to be any restrictions on CCW. Does anyone know more about any CCW restrictions at Colonial Williamsburg? Thanks Ze __________________ "The dogs may bark but the caravan moves on"

June 8, 2009, 12:36 PM	#2
ilbob Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2006 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 515	My understanding is that there are some national park areas that are not well labeled inside what most people think of as CW where CC is not legal, at least for the present. __________________ bob Disclaimers: I am not a lawyer, cop, soldier, gunsmith, politician, plumber, electrician, or a professional practitioner of many of the other things I comment on in this forum.

June 8, 2009, 12:44 PM	#3
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 3,276	Yet ANOTHER reason I wish we'd get this carry-in-parks thing resolved once and for all. I've been fighting this issue for 4+ years and I'm plenty sick of NP restrictions and complications! Grrrrrrrrrr __________________ "The dogs may bark but the caravan moves on"

June 8, 2009, 01:46 PM	#4
ammoeater Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2000 Location: NJ Posts: 169	Everything I can find indicates it is allowed. I found this interesting too: http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...tml#post801741 From the above link... CW is BEYOND cool with you open carrying. I was recently visiting Colonial Williamsburg with the Girlfriend as I’m a bit of a history geek, and haven’t ever been to CW. I searched all over their website for any indication of allowing or forbidding the carry of firearms, but could find nothing. We arrived, and not wanting to get kicked out of a place I really really wanted to go, I approached the blacksmith shop (or was it shoppe) and asked the blacksmith who was working away upon something. I asked him for a moment and quietly asked if CW allowed the carry of firearms as I didn’t want to break any rules. His response was SOOOO cool. I’ll try to quote him as accurately as possible. With about TWICE the volume I had used to ask him the question, he responded... “That good sir is the question we are now faced with. His Majesty’s soldiers even now have decreed that the possessions of any firearms are not only forbade and forbidden, but that it is a crime upon king and country to posses the simple means to protect oneself. The town elders, along with good stalwart men of the Continental Congress have urged all colonial citizens to protest the actions of England’s king and to keep their arms ready and prepared to defend this, which they feel is the most sacred of liberties. Stay your weapons upon your person and walk the streets here proudly.“ Needless to say, I was smiling ear to ear and openly carried, and didn’t really get any undue attention, well. . .except for the SECONDEST coolest thing that happened. After being there for about an hour, we were walking down the street when we saw performers who were dressed to the nines in Period British military uniforms and walking in formation. One of the conscripts saw I was armed and announced “Sir, that colonial is armed, do we detain?” The officer (I think he was a Major, but my English military knowledge is sadly lacking) stopped his squad and took a deep breath. Again, I will try to quote as accurately as I can. The (Major?) slowly walked over to me, addressing his halted troops the whole time. “No Mister Norley. Although his Majesty has decreed that ANY position of musket or pistol is a crime against the throne, these rabble can pose no serious threat against the might and resolve of King and Crown. We shall permit this one to have his personal armaments . . .” And at this he leaned in very closely so only I could hear. “. . .for now!” He walked back to take his place at the head of the formation and marched them onward. It was the coolest day I could remember in a long time. Open carry your gun, you’ll love it. __________________ If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, - go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen! Samuel Adams Philadelphia Statehouse 1 August 1776

June 9, 2009, 11:33 AM	#8
BlueTrain Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 6,141	Most of the employees of Colonial Williamsburg seem to take a decidedly conservative view of these things and completely within the context of Revolutionary War America and at the same time, relate those feelings and attitudes to contemporary history. You should hear what the guide at the jail has to say about pirates. On a side note, there are some excellent displays of period firearms and edged weapons, including a remarkable number of breechloaders. Take note, however, that C.W. adjoins Williams and Mary, which may not share those feeling and which is a state school. __________________ Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands! Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag, and return us to our own beloved homes! Buy War Bonds.

June 8, 2009, 02:06 PM	#5
TheNatureBoy Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2007 Posts: 1,204	I work about 5 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg. Here are a few phone numbers you might try: Colonial Williamsburg-757-229-1000 Yorktown Battlefield - 757-898-2410 Got them out of the phone book. If I can scrounge up some other info I'll pass it on to ya. Also, check out www.vcdl.org. I'm sure you can find the answer to your question there.

June 9, 2009, 01:07 PM	#9
johnbt Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Posts: 6,004	The only problem with carrying at Colonial Williamsburg is that there are some nice places to eat that serve alcohol and you can't carry concealed where alcohol is served by the drink. Check out the taverns along Duke of Gloucester Street. And take your walking shoes, it's over 300 acres. I've always been attracted to the tradesmen's shops. http://www.history.org/Almanack/life...s/tradehdr.cfm I saw the gunsmith's shop for the first time not long after it opened in 1963. I still haven't ordered my rifle. http://www.history.org/foundation/jo...0/gunsmith.cfm "Because of the long rifle's handsome appearance and its reputation as an especially American tool, modern day Williamsburg gunsmiths regularly make them for enthusiasts. The waiting list is long, about four years, and the price for a weapon is high, averaging $20,000."

June 9, 2009, 07:06 PM	#10
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	loved that article about the gunsmiths. Been a while since i went to CW. Was on the way back from the coast with some friends and passed right by. "College interns in corsets," proved to be insufficient to convince them to stop.

June 9, 2009, 10:28 PM	#12
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	We went to Colonial Williamsburg for a three day stay over Christmas time - it is a fabulous place to visit especially at that time. I don't recall any restrictions on firearms, either open carry or concealed. The restaurant problem does exist in Virginia (and if we can get rid of that ... of a governor we might finally get that resolved), and Williamsburg has some truly fine restaurants on the grounds. Do not bypass the King's Arms Tavern, everything is excellent. If you carry concealed throughout the grounds, you'll have to switch to open carry in the restaurants.

June 10, 2009, 01:44 PM	#13
johnbt Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Posts: 6,004	This guy has some great Williamsburg pics. http://troyewelch.com/ColonialWilliamsburg.htm Doesn't your governor keep his rifles on the ceiling?

June 17, 2009, 07:08 PM	#14
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 3,276	Update Well, I'm back from the trip (Sunday to today) so now I can report with some authority for those who might also want the question answered. 1) The College of William and Mary has a "policy" (not law) regarding weapons on campus. Like many other Virginia institutions this "policy" only has force with regards to students and employees. Should a non-student/non-employee be found to have a weapon they will be "asked" to leave. If they refuse then Virginia's trespassing laws come into effect. (Note, at this point in time "asked to leave" probably means you would be detained at gunpoint, have a trip to the police station, and be asked a lot of questions before you were released. Not kosher with Va law, but that's the reality of the situation. 2) The visitors center and a few other buildings are run by the National Parks Service. They are all clearly marked with the NPS logo. Until the law changes go into effect remember.... 3) Colonial Williamsburg itself is a privately run, non-profit organization. The majority of the historic district falls under the rules of either the non-profit organization, or the city of Williamsburg. Regular Va CCW (and open carry) rules apply. I saw TWO persons open carrying up and down "Duke of Gloucester" street during the various performances while I was there. Nobody seemed to care and it didn't seem like anyone even noticed. I had no interest in OC and was concealed the entire time. As long as one pays attention to the NPS signs then one will avoid trouble. __________________ "The dogs may bark but the caravan moves on"

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