Chowning’s Tavern
- Accessible
- Family Friendly
Cheers to Tradition
Gather ‘round, at Chowning’s Tavern for hearty, Colonial-inspired pub fare, all served up in an authentic alehouse atmosphere.
Chowning’s Garden|Snack Bar is weather dependent and will close when local weather is not conducive for outside services.
JOSIAH CHOWNING
Little is known about Josiah Chowning. When the tavern was reconstructed, Colonial Williamsburg believed it was located on this site, but we now know that a store and dwelling were here and that the tavern was somewhere nearby. Chowning’s business lasted less than two years, but its twentieth-century counterpart has accommodated travelers and locals for over fifty years. Chairs, benches, and tables represent the sturdy furniture found in colonial taverns catering to the middling sort. Excavated fragments show that the blue and yellow peacock on the dinnerware was one of several colorful bird motifs used by early Williamsburg residents. Utilitarian stoneware tableware, plain tin sconces, and simply framed maps and prints accentuate the informality of Chowning’s Tavern.
*ADA Accessible wheelchair lift is available. Please check in at the front, and our host will escort guests to the lift at the rear of the building. Note this cannot be seen from the street. All profits from Chowning’s Tavern are used for the purposes of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which operates the Historic Area and educational programs.
