William & Mary Wren Building
VA - Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
Wren Bldg, 111 Jamestown Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
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MUSEUM
VISITOR INFORMATION
Open Monday to Friday, 10am-5pm, Saturday 9:30am-5pm, and Sunday 12-5pm, subject to change during academic breaks and holidays.
Self-guided visits are free. Parking information is covered on a separate directions page, and there is a separate option for guided tours.
SITE FEATURES
Surviving Structures
University ceremonies, classes and advertised visitor programmes may concentrate activity. Wren sightseeing annual peak months unconfirmed.
April-May or October for a confirmed Wren public-visiting period and generally milder campus walks. Check academic-event exclusions and respect classes and closed rooms.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
6
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
John Tyler
James Monroe
George Wythe
James Blair
About William & Mary Wren Building
The college was founded on February 8, 1693, under a royal charter. Named in honor of the reigning monarchs King William III and Queen Mary II, the college is the second-oldest college in the United States. In 1695, before the town of Williamsburg existed, construction began on the College Building, now known as the Sir Christopher Wren Building. The charter named James Blair as the college's first president (a lifetime appointment which he held until his death in 1743).
The repeatedly restored Wren Building remains an active part of William & Mary’s campus and the oldest surviving American academic building. Its historic classrooms, chapel, Great Hall, crypt, architectural fabric, and surrounding Ancient Campus grounds are cared for by the university and open under campus policies.
History happened here at William & Mary Wren Building
The building is constructed out of red brick in the style of Flemish and English Bond, as was typical for official buildings in 17th- and 18th-century Williamsburg, including several walls remaining from previous structures, and it contains classrooms, offices, a refectory, known as the Great Hall, kitchen, and a chapel, which was added as a south wing in 1732. The crypt beneath the chapel is the resting place of several notable Virginians, including royal governor Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt, Speaker of the House of Burgesses Sir John Randolph, and his son Peyton Randolph, the first President of the Continental Congress.
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt
Sir John Randolph
John Randolph
Peyton Randolph
EXTERNAL LINKS
wm.edu: https://www.wm.edu/sites/historiccampus/wrenbuilding/
wm.edu: https://www.wm.edu/sites/historiccampus/visiting/
Date and access note: 1693 is the university’s charter year; the Wren Building was constructed in 1695–1700 and its interior rebuilt after several fires. Public exhibition rooms have scheduled access and may close for academic or special events.
Accessed 2026-09-30