Historic Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia will be opening an educational musket range on Saturday, March 19. As a history junkie and a gun junkie, this is so exciting to me. This musket range will be the first of its kind and will offer both a fun and educational experience.

Visitors will arrive at the Williamsburg Lodge where they will be taken via shuttle bus to the range, which is mandatory -- no visitors are permitted to drive there themselves. They will be educated about colonial weapons, particularly those used in Virginia, by skilled marksmen-historians in colonial garb, of course. These flintlock weapons were used by colonists for everything from hunting to fighting for their independence from England. These ranges will feature two of the most important guns of the time -- a "Brown Bess," the musket used by both British and American soldiers in the Revolution, and a fouling piece, an early form of the modern shotgun.

Peter Seibert, Colonial Williamsburg's Director of Historic Trades and Skills, said, "We provide guests an engaging, educational experience that immerses them in the period of our nation’s founding. The educational musket range embodies that, but on an entirely new level. For decades, our guests could learn about these pieces and watch them being operated. Now they can really experience them -- the weight, the smell, and the sound -- not to mention how challenging their operation was for people whose lives often depended on it.”

Tickets, which must be reserved in advance and cost $119 per person, are available for anyone over the age of 14, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The price includes instruction, ammunition, targets, safety equipment, and the transportation there and back. It will provide a great educational experience that will also allow guests to have fun shooting old guns. Guests will be provided with lessons on loading and firing these guns while also being educated on the history surrounding them and learning about how they were used in colonial times.

While this is quite a costly activity, I believe it is worth the $119, especially if you are fascinated by colonial history, firearms, or both. This is a one of a kind experience that you cannot find anywhere else. This goes beyond just a history lesson -- this is a first-hand experience of something that played a major role in our American history, the foundation of our freedom.

If you live in the area like I do or you find yourself visiting Hampton Roads, be sure to visit Colonial Williamsburg's website and check out this incredible experience!