Tips for Visiting Colonial Williamsburg
(Always check destination web sites for changes and updates).
- start your visit by watching the 30-minute movie at the Visitors' Center. (You can also buy your tickets here, and a bus will take you to the Historic District.)*
- Wandering the streets of the historic district is free, and with small kids, simply exploring the area on foot may be enough of a good thing on some days of your trip
- to enter the historic buildings you'll need a ticket. Check the Colonial Williamsburg site for Kids Are Free promotions and other Specials. Also, there are discounts for AAA members, teachers, guests in wheelchairs...
- timing your touring can be tricky: different buildings are open different days, and hours; also, if you join a tour of a particular building, you may be committed for 45 minutes or so. Allow plenty of time if there are specific buildings you want to enter
- don't miss the Patrick Henry speech (- that ends in "Give me Liberty, or give me Death"). The actor fields questions afterward.
- Williamsburg receives some 4M visitors a year: plan in advance for visits during busy periods. At the Williamsburg Area Visitors' Bureau site, you can find visitors info for Colonial Williamsburg.
- eating at a Tavern is a highlight for many
- check for free candlelight concerts at the Bruton Parish Church
The book, "The Family Travel Guide", by Carole Terwilliger Williams has tips from her family's Christmas visit to Williamsburg Virginia:
- on arrival, watch the movie Williamsburg-- The Story of a Patriot on your room's TV, about the American Revolution in Virginia.
- get the weekly newspaper Visitor's Companion, which has a map and daily calendar of events.
- check the daily schedule for when and where the People Of The Past will appear: actors playing people of the period converse in the King's English with visitors. look for programs about family life and children's activities
- take night tours: finding the historic sites very busy in daytime, her family bought tickets for night activities. A favorite was a candlelight tour of historic homes, in which actors portrayed scenes from family life.
- dine at the Baron's Feast at the Williamsburg Lodge: an old-style meal with country dancing, juggling, and a Baron and Baroness
Photo courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg site.
*Always check destination web sites for updates!
