You don’t have to go home….but you can’t stay here.

All the leaves have fallen, classrooms are emptying, dinning halls are being evacuated for home cooked meals, and the campus of W&M is becoming vacant for the winter shut down.  You are probably thinking that this vacant expanse of land is surely no place for a prospective student looking for the perfect campus visit.  There is where you would be wrong.  With fewer people and empty buildings, this could be the perfect time for a visitor to have a private and unique glance at what makes W&M so special….and here’s why:

Colonial Williamsburg is beautiful during the Holidays. While visiting the campus, take time to stroll down DOG Street (Duke of Gloucester Street.) Here you can peruse the colorfully decorated shops, hear the music drifting from Bruton Parish Church, or witness one of CW’s famous holiday events (such as New Year Eve’s First Night Celebration).

The campus bookstore is open! You might not be able to see a W&M student running late to class….but you sure can buy a sweatshirt during the winter break and dress like one!

You can have the Sunken Gardens all to yourself! It is rare to be able to experience the heart of campus without any other person distracting your view of the ancient buildings or getting hit in the head by a flying Frisbee as the Ultimate Team practices. Enjoy it while it lasts!

A self-guided tour can be a personal tour. While we do not offer tours during the break, we do however always provide self-guided tours, (created by student tour guides) in the breeze way of our Admission’s Office. Stop by, pick one up, and take your time stopping in front of the buildings that interest you the most.

Lunch is always better when it’s fast!     Have lunch in one of our three college delis directly across from our Zable Stadium. Students spend much of their four years on campus in one of the many wooden tables at these fine restaurants. Take this time to enjoy some traditional college food, without the long lines of students!

While our campus tours are great, our tour guides cannot take prospective students to all areas of campus. Venture off the beaten path by visiting New Campus to see our sport fields, brand new recreation center, and some of our more modern buildings.

Enjoy the holiday season and hopefully, the campus will be seeing you!

– Amanda Norris