Colonial Williamsburg, Postmodern Brain-Melter

Colonial Williamsburg has a lot in common with the Dow Chemical house of the future or EPCOT: it’s designed to be enjoyed in the way that an actual colonial town was not, but it nevertheless takes the position of that town. It has the equivalent of Mickey Mouse or Elsa from Frozen walking around, but their fantasy role is “some dude”. You can go see a simulated artisan doing simulated stuff but that artisan is also making an entirely real article of clothing or taking care of a completely real sheep. I unironically endorse all of this and think you should go there on vacation. Done right, Colonial Williamsburg feels like a vaguely educational hit of nitrous oxide.

I grew up in Williamsburg, which is to some degree a life spent backstage and has its own mindbenders, but unfortunately those are not available to visitors.