Colonial Beach, Virginia: Playground of the Potomac

The steamboat St. Johns has just brought you down the Potomac from Washington. The boardwalk is only steps away. Fun awaits! Enjoy your stay! Colonial Beach, Virginia, was the premier summer resort on the Potomac River, attracting visitors from Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland by the thousands. Discover how Colonial Beach got its start and learn its exciting and colorful history, from bathing belles to slot machines. Over 280 vintage postcard views, from 1905 to the 1960s, guide you back to an earlier time at the beach and around town. Included are arriving steamboats, the boardwalk, the dancing pavilion, bath houses, Eleanore Park, historic homes and hotels, and the Monte Carlo gambling pier. For the curious and collectors, values for the postcards are provided in the captions.