Presidents, Plantations & the James-Private Virginia History Tour

Berkeley's history begins in 1619 when settlers observed the first Thanksgiving in the American colonies. Berkeley’s 1726 Georgian mansion is the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Virginia. The estate is also the birthplace of William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States, and ancestral home of his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third president. We will explore the Native American, Colonial, and Civil War artifacts, along with historical paintings and exhibits in the 18th century basement museum.

William Byrd II is noted as having the best garden in Colonial Virginia.

President John Tyler and his fascinating second wife, Julia Gardiner Tyler, who was 30 years his junior and became one of Washington’s most celebrated First Ladies. See America’s longest frame house and beautiful plantation grounds. Tyler’s remarkable story stretches from the White House to the Civil War—he sided with Virginia and was elected to the Confederate Congress. With advance booking, we can request a tour of the historic interior and discover more about the Tyler family and life at Sherwood Forest.