Bruton Parish Episcopal Church

Built in 1715 and in continuous use as a place of worship ever since — a claim few American churches can make. It is one of the genuinely original buildings in the historic area rather than a reconstruction, and the congregation is still active, which gives the interior a working, lived-in quality the museum buildings cannot.

Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Tyler all worshipped in these high box pews at one point or another. The Flemish bond brickwork, the 1769 tower and the churchyard with its 17th- and 18th-century stones are the draw outside; inside it is the Dobson pipe organ, installed in 2019 and played at frequent free recitals.

Practical: free to enter, no Colonial Williamsburg ticket needed, but opening hours are short and vary by day. Candlelight organ recitals in the evening are one of the better things to do in Williamsburg after dark.