31. Vernon Wooten Studio & Gallery
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 253-1953
Address: 1315 Jamestown Rd., Suite 204
Description: This small studio features Wooten’s original paintings of foxhunts in oil, watercolor, and acrylic. Framed and unframed limited editions are available. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon through Sat, noon to 5 p.m. Sun.
32. Barnes & Noble
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 253-4900
Address: 345 Duke of Gloucester St.
Description: Located less than a block from the western entrance to the Historic Area, the monthly schedule at this B&N is chockablock with events, including Open Mic night, Irish music sessions, knitting circles, and scholarly readings by heavy hitters from the college faculty. This store also doubles as William and Mary’s official bookstore, so in addition to The Campus Shop on Prince George Street, this is a good place to pick up an official green and gold hoodie. Open Mon through Sat 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
33. Barnes & Noble
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 564-0687
Address: 5101 Main St.
Description: Located in the New Town development just west of Monticello Avenue, this store anchors the central shopping district. The store has regular story hours for kids, frequent book signings, and school book fairs. Open Mon through Sat 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun until 9 p.m.
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Address: 1459 Richmond Rd.
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Address: 1303 Jamestown Rd.
36. The Bookpress Ltd.
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 229-1260
Address: 1304 Jamestown Rd.
Description: Specializing in antiquarian books, old prints, and maps, the staff here can help locate and obtain rare books. They also issue regularly printed catalogues featuring books on architecture, fine and applied arts, gardening, the book arts (including the history of printing), colonial Americana and Virginiana, wine, and horticulture, as well as rare books in other subject areas. (Visit their Web site to request a catalogue by mail or be added to their e-newsletter.) Leave ample time to browse and enjoy. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon through Fri, and at other times by appointment.
37. Books-A-Million
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 259-9193
Address: 1252 Richmond Rd.
Description: Close to campus housing, the tables at the Joe Muggs coffee shop here are always crammed with students and covered with laptops and textbooks. Local newspapers, including the Virginia Gazette, are on sale, as well as periodicals and books. Open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon through Thurs, until 11 p.m. Fri and Sat and until 9 p.m. Sun.
38. Comic Cubicle
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 229-5299
Description: A Williamsburg fixture since 1992, owner Mark Welch moved his store from the Williamsburg Crossing Shopping Center to New Town in 2006. The big day of the week here is Wednesday when Welch receives the latest issues in popular serials—Green Lantern, Ironman, Spider-Man. Welch also carries collectible comics, graphic novels for kids and adults, collector cards, and related merchandise. Kids, if you’re in town, the first Saturday in May is always free comic book day. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon through Sat, except Wed when he opens at 12 in order to get the latest issues on sale; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sun.
39. Mermaid Books
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 229-2603
Description: To find this hidden gem, look on the side of the Smithfield Ham Shoppe—an arrow painted on the building points you down the stairs to this basement bookstore, a good choice for browsers looking for new and used books, antiques, collectibles, ephemera, and gifts. On a rainy day, you could let a cloud pass while reading all the old New Yorker cartoons thumb-tacked the bookshelves. Hatley Mason is just the third owner in 30 years, having bought the shop in part to “preserve this wonderful space,” and to showcase his collection of Williamsburg memorabilia that dates to the beginning of the Rockefeller restoration. He has some of the earliest maps and original guidebooks from the 1930s. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun noon to 5 p.m.
40. Bassett’S Christmas Shop
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 229-7648
Address: 207 Bypass Rd.
Description: Fans of the holiday season find Bassett’s an excellent store to hunt for ornaments, trees, Madame Alexander dolls, and other fine gift items. They carry many well-known designer brands—Jim Shore ornaments and figurines, Christopher Radko ornaments, snow globes and garland, Department 56 lighted houses, and exclusive items from Cat’s Meow. Open daily 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mar through Dec; in winter months, they close at 5 p.m. weekdays, regular hours on the weekend.
41. Christmas Mouse
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 221-0357
Address: 1991 Richmond Rd.
Description: Through the windows you’ll see dozens of trees lighted and decorated with unique items. Inside you’ll find more things associated with the holidays than you ever imagined possible. A second store is located west on US 60 in Norge. Open year-round.
42. The Christmas Shop
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Address: 1820 Jamestown Rd.
44. The Candy Store
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 565-1151
Address: 6623 Richmond Rd.
Description: You might be able to drive past this barn-shaped building, but if there are any kids in your car, they likely won’t let you. The Wythe-Will Distributing Company has stocked the shelves of this specialty shop with many of the fine chocolates that it sells at the Wythe Candy and Gourmet Shop in Merchants Square. There’s everything from saltwater taffy to Ghirardelli chocolates. (It will be hard to leave without a sample of the homemade fudge.) The Candy Store also carries a line of Virginia-made products, including wines, peanuts, hams, jellies, and apple butter. Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
45. Edwards’ Virginia Ham Shoppe Of Williamsburg
City: Williamsburg, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 220-6618
Address: 1814 Richmond Rd.
Description: This mouthwatering shop sells Surry hickory-smoked hams and bacon direct from the family smokehouse, plus a variety of Virginian specialty foods, including jellies, jams, flours, cake and pie mixes, and more. They’ll ship, too. Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. May through Dec, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the rest of the year.