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 download a
Visitors
Guide, or request that a copy be mailed.
eating at a Tavern is a highlight
for many
check for free candlelight concerts at the Bruton Parish Church
More Tips for Colonial Williamsburg
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
Tips for visiting Colonial Williamsburg
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