While your student group is visiting Williamsburg you should stop by the Berkeley Plantation for a tour of the mansion and grounds. In 1619, the plantation was the location where the settlers observed the first official Thanksgiving. It is also the birthplace of William Henry Harrison who was the ninth President of the United States. The mansion was constructed in 1726. The mansion is furnished with a magnificent collection of 18th century artifacts. The Berkeley Plantation offers student group tours that focus on a variety of topics. You can choose topics such as Colonial Times: life of a child during the 18th century, Wm. Henry Harrison: our nations ninth U.S. President, and Civil War: McClellan’s Army at Harrison’s Landing in 1862. The tour will include an audio visual program for the student group to enjoy. There will be guides who are dressed in period costumes. The tour will last about an hour and a half. After the group has finished the guided tour of the mansion, you can take a self-guided tour of the gardens and surrounding area of the plantation. Berkeley Plantation also has a museum for your students to explore. It contains a collection of Civil War Artifacts and a Collection of paintings which were done by an artist named Sidney King. There are five terraces of restored boxwood and flower gardens which offer breathtaking vistas of the James River. The mansion is three stories and has beautiful archways for visitors to examine. There are benches on the grounds throughout the gardens where you can sit and enjoy the delightful setting.