The Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg was the home of seven royal governors as well as Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson during the eighty years that Williamsburg served as the capital of the Virginia Colony.

Construction of the Governor's Palace began in 1706 and took sixteen years to complete. The three-story Georgian-style home was one of the finest buildings in the colonies, and during the eighteenth century wealthy Virginia planters copied its architecture for their own homes. During the Revolutionary War, the palace occasionally served as headquarters and a hospital for the Continental Army.

In 1779, the Virginian capital moved to Richmond, and Williamsburg's population decreased as political leaders and their families left the city. On December 22, 1781, the palace caught fire and burned to the ground. The College of William and Mary took possession of the land after the Civil War and constructed school buildings on the site.

In 1926, the Reverend W.A.R. Goodwin persuaded millionaire John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to purchase and restore the town of Williamsburg, Virginia. Rockefeller created the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which focused on the Governor's Palace, the College of William and Mary, and the Capitol building as the town's centerpieces. The foundation reconstructed the Governor's Palace based on archival information, archaeology, and a drawing from the Bodleian Library at Oxford. In 1934, the reconstructed Governor's Palace opened its doors to visitors.

Today, first-person costumed interpreters give tours of the palace to visitors. Visitors also have the option to explore the palace gardens, kitchen, and cellars at their own pace.

Narrative written and researched by University of West Florida graduate student Stephanie Powell.