Berkeley Plantation
Ancestral home of two US presidents, Berkeley is where English settlers held what is considered one of the earliest Thanksgiving celebrations in North America in 1619, and where the bugle call “Taps” was composed.
Built in 1726, the brick mansion at Berkeley Plantation was the home of Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It was also the birthplace of William Henry Harrison, the ninth US president, and his grandson Benjamin Harrison became the 23rd. In December 1619, English settlers came ashore and held a day of thanksgiving here, regarded as one of the earliest Thanksgiving observances in the United States. During the Civil War, Union troops were stationed here, and the bugle call “Taps” was composed on the grounds. Tickets cost about $30 and include a guided tour of the mansion and gardens. The plantation is on Plantation Road off Route 4, about 45 km from Williamsburg.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:30–16:30
Nearby sights
- Shirley Plantation
- Jamestown–Scotland Ferry
- Jamestown Settlement
- Historic Jamestowne
- Williamsburg Winery
- Wren Building, College of William & Mary
- Colonial Parkway
- Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg