Campbell Archaeology Center Grand Opening Weekend

Colonial Williamsburg opened the Colin G. and Nancy N. Campbell Archaeology Center to the public on Saturday, April 25, with a 9 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. (colonialwilliamsburg.org) The new building has 40,000 square feet for collections, research, and education, and Colonial Williamsburg said admission for the opening events was free. (cwf20siteprodstg.blob.core.windows.net) (williamsburgfamilies.com) Opening weekend programming on April 25 and 26 included self-guided access, archaeology talks at Hennage Auditorium, and behind-the-scenes tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. (williamsburgfamilies.com 1) (williamsburgfamilies.com 2) Those tours were capped at 15 guests, with visitors directed to arrive early to secure a spot inside the new labs and collection spaces. (williamsburgfamilies.com) The center is built to show archaeology as it happens, not just the objects after they reach a display case. Colonial Williamsburg said visitors will be able to watch the daily work that follows an excavation, from lab examination to interpretation. (cwf20siteprodstg.blob.core.windows.net) One of the building’s signature features is an early-18th-century brick foundation that archaeologists found on the site and preserved under a glass floor. (cwf20siteprodstg.blob.core.windows.net) Jack Gary, Colonial Williamsburg’s associate vice president of Historic Resources and Kahler family director of Archaeology, said the new center lets the public see work that usually stays out of view. Ron Hurst, the foundation’s chief mission officer, said archaeology has shaped the institution’s first 100 years. (cwf20siteprodstg.blob.core.windows.net) Colonial Williamsburg and local event listings both tied the opening to the foundation’s 100th anniversary programming in 2026. The archaeology center weekend appears on the organization’s April 25-26 special-events calendar. (colonialwilliamsburg.org) (williamsburgfamilies.com) The opening gives Colonial Williamsburg a new public-facing research space just as the foundation packages its centennial year around live interpretation, exhibitions, and sites linked to the run-up to America’s 250th anniversary. (williamsburgfamilies.com 1) (williamsburgfamilies.com 2) For visitors, the pitch was simple: walk in, meet the archaeology team, and see how Colonial Williamsburg turns excavated fragments into evidence about 18th-century life. (colonialwilliamsburg.org)