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    Colonial Williamsburg

    3.9 (647 reviews)
    Closed 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    Rebecca W.

    Colonial Williamsburg is a treasure! Take yourself back to the 18th century, where the revolution is ready to take place. Listen to knowledgeable interpreters who will transport you back to that time period and show you how life would have been. You will encounter the armory, where there is a blacksmith and a gunsmith sharing. Check out the apothecary that will give you insight on pharmaceuticals and medical practices performed in that time period. Visit the Capitol building and hear about what happened in the highest court in the land and how the laws were passed (similar to Parliament). Step into the opulence of the Governor's Palace where the Governor (appointed by the King of England) lived. Step into the Coopersmith and the Wheelright trades shops to learn about how "containers" and wagons (and coaches) were made. Learn about enslaved and indigenous peoples and how they helped shape what America is today. So grateful to have this experience that gives me a glimpse into American history in the 1700s. Be sure to visit Jamestown before this and the American Revolution Museum after. They are all pretty amazing in their own right!

    Shelb L.

    Even after living here for years, Colonial Williamsburg never loses its charm. As a longtime local, one of my favorite ways to spend the day is simply strolling through the historic streets, taking in the beauty and rich history that surrounds you. No matter the season, this town has a peaceful, almost magical atmosphere. From blooming gardens in the spring to candlelit evenings during the holidays, there's always something special to see and experience. Whether you're visiting for the first time or have been coming for years, Colonial Williamsburg has a way of making you slow down, breathe a little deeper, and appreciate the past in a very real and beautiful way.

    Jefferson walks Gilbert
    Jennifer H.

    There are very few things in this area that you can do for free. One of them happens to be walking along the Duke of Gloucester street. It is a great place to walk your dog if you live in the area. Your dog can revel in the glory of all the attention dogs get, have the fun of barking at the carriages as they go by, snuffling at the sheep and other animals, and did I mention the love? I am here about once a week with my mom's dog. Most of the actors recognize Gilbert and come to say hello. The guy that plays Washington rides by and chuckles as this tiny dog barking at his enormous horse. Sometimes he dismounts to chastise Gilbert and remind him that his horse could crush him. It's a hoot. Then there are the obligatory statues. It's fun to capture your pooch in silly pics(see attached). If it's a beautiful day and you are in the area, it's free and it's a lovely walk.

    March thru town
    PJ M.

    This was an awesome stop. We were pushed back into the time of the continental congress. As the crowd moved thru the town there were little historical skits for us to watch an in some cases take part in. We moved down the street to where the congress was meeting to have speakers from the window balcony. We followed along down to what I would call a little amphitheater where the folks took center stage to compete the show. You can do as much as you want or as little. We had the opportunity to check out some of the establishments to see how things were done. There was also places to eat plus lodging at the different inns. We even got a haunted walk in later in the evening. Was a great stop.

    Post office/Printer
    J David H.

    One of my favorite things to do in Virginia is tour Colonial Williamsburg. Time stands still as you walk down Duke of Gloucester and see the many actors portraying life in the 1700's. This is a family fun adventure that you will return to. I have been coming to CW for over 30 years. Cannot recommend enough.

    Colonial Williamsburg, VA
    Olga M.

    Colonial Williamsburg, VA is a must visit. It's a beautiful old Historic town with buildings from the 1700's. Many of the buildings were turned into museums. You can spend all day walking around the historic town and checking out the re-enactment's, museums and shops. You can also tour the town in a horse carriage. I definitely recommend starting your tour as soon as the Visitor Center opens. There's all day parking for $10 and also a charge for pass to go inside the mansions and museums for $49 they offer military discounts. Free admission to walk around historic town. The town has colonial style restaurants. Colonial Williamsburg is a must visit when in the area! Happy Yelping :)

    Ayesha A.

    This was a really good experience coming here. It was pretty hot that day so I didn't stay very long but I need to take another trip here for sure. There is so much to see and discover. I found Colonial Williamsburg to be very interesting. You probably need a whole day here.

    Brian L.

    Overall a good experience, only had a few hours to visit. Bus ride down to the historic spot, walk around the town, see how everything was done by period correct costume characters. Would recommend a full day here

    Fife and drum corps. April, 2024.
    Laura S.

    This is at least our third visit to Colonial Williamsburg and, in our opinion, it is one of the premiere historical sites on the east coast. It's a "must see" for visitors. Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia from 1699 to 1780, and the city housed persons who lived and worked there by choice or were enslaved. The Historical Area includes 89 original 18th-century buildings, as well as hundreds more reconstructed based on historical records and archaeological research. (Not all are open to the public). One can wander the outside streets without a ticket, but to participate in the tours & programs, snd to see demonstrations of historical trades, you'll need a ticket. Tickets were $49.99 each (April. 2024) but we were able to get them for $42.50 each with a AAA discount. There are discounts for military, but not for senior citizens. On this particular visit, there were four of us -- two adult visitors from Asia and my husband/me who live in central Virginia. We particularly enjoyed watching the fife and drum corp that performed/marched in the late afternoon, and demonstrations and conversations with various artisans of colonial trades and crafts. Suggestions for improvements: 1. Offer an overview film in the auditorium to set the historical context of Williamsburg. 2. Offer more discounts - for instance, for senior citizens and/or locals. Many years ago, we lived in Hawaii, and many local attractions such as the Polynesian Cultural Center offered discounts to those with a Hawaii drivers license. This encouraged us to take guests from out of town to these attractions. Also, offer a discount if patrons won't be there for a full day. 3. Some of the programming was far too long. For instance, one program was conducted in court where at least three cases were heard. One or maybe two would've been sufficient. It took time away from our ability to see other attractions. 4. More benches are needed, especially to allow rest between sites on hot days.

    I guess nothing changes
    Dana G.

    I loved our trip here! I didn't quite understand how Colonial Williamsburg worked, because I thought it was a theme park with designated entrances. It's not -- you don't have to buy a ticket, you can just walk around the area. The reason for the ticket is to go into the historic buildings and take the tours. Quite a few hotels offer admission with your hotel reservation as well. We stayed walking distance from the Colonial Williamsburg town, and took a nice stroll "back in time." We went mid-May, which I think was the perfect time. The weather was amazing and it wasn't very crowded. Our hotel gave us a map and programming for the week, so we had some activities mapped out. We took the archeology tour and the horticulture tour, which were both pretty good. Then we went into areas like the palace, Capitol, court house, black smith, and Raleigh tavern. Our tour guide at the Raleigh tavern was amazing, so I think I liked that the best. It definitely gets you thinking about how wild people were back then.

    A colonial Christmas wreath

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    2 years ago

    It's a really fun experience, any history buff would enjoy it. Make sure you plan several days or you're going to miss a lot.

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    6 years ago

    Great place to walk around and see the architecture and creative Christmas wreaths. Very well maintained.

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    Page 3 of 17

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    Ask the Community - Colonial Williamsburg

    Is there a park for a picnic lunch?

    The Palace Green is a wonderful place for a picnic. Just bring a blanket, no tables.

    What are the names of the taverns and what are their hours?

    There is the Kings Arms Tavern, Christiana Campbell's Tavern, Chownings Tavern, and Shields Tavern. The hours should be the same as the other buildings (9-5) and I would recommend Shields Tavern.

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    Review Highlights - Colonial Williamsburg

    They include the Governor's Palace, the Capitol, the Powder Magazine, the Wythe House, and the Raleigh Tavern.

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    Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum

    Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum

    4.4(10 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    The museum itself is lovely, many unique pieces; from the quilts to the folk art to the toys, it…read morewas a wonderful collection. We highly enjoyed the string performance, which made the experience extra special. The security guards also were helpful and kind. However, the woman running the Goode area doing crafts offered no apology after sending us downstairs when our family arrived at 1:25 for the 1:30 event. She told us to go to the story performance. My 80 year old mother had to trudge to the lower level only for everyone to be leaving the performance to head back to where we were to do the craft. We missed all the instructions due to this and were not caught up or as stated offered an apology by the woman who sent us away. The security guard who had helped us find our way down there did apologize and that was appreciated however the experience with the woman was incredibly off putting. It soured the whole experience as her attitude was so ugly as well. The museum itself is fine but some employees shouldn't be interacting with the public.

    This is one of the best museums I had been to. Being from DC area, I am very spoilt with all the…read morefree museums that Smithsonian foundation offers. So, it is rare for me to go and pay hjgh entry prices for a museum when I am travelling. The entry to this museum came as part of a single day ticket to Colonial Williamsburg. So, we included it in our itinerary. I was so glad I went there. There were so many really nice artifacts that brought back history in a beautiful way. I learnt so much. It was a really nice experience. My only regret was not having spent more time here. If you have very limited time and still want to cover this place, make sure to atleast check : the household accessories room, the clock room and the ceramics room. They are all on the upper floor.

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    Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
    Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
    Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum

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    Virginia Musical Museum

    Virginia Musical Museum

    4.9(16 reviews)
    5.0 mi

    The Virginia Musical Museum is an outstanding semi-hidden gem of a half-day attraction in…read moreWilliamsburg and well-worth a stop if you are an audiophile of any sort. Came here recently with my parents since it had been on our list of spots to try ever since they moved to the area. You might think you're in the wrong place when you walk in and see a ton of pianos for sale, but nope: the manager comes right over, escorts you to where the museum itself starts, and sets you on the path. He was very personable and was a veritable museum of musical knowledge himself, great intro to a great experience. This place is nothing short of a mesmerizing medley of some of the strangest musical instruments you have ever seen, along with an incredibly cool collection of memorabilia from esteemed Virginia musicians, some recent and many from days long departed. I thought the automatic banjo machine was particularly cool, never seen one before and probably never will again. The entire thing took us about three hours to work our way through and it was quite an education. It is mostly reading though they have a few interactive exhibits on the top floor, and they seem to be actively planning even more which is always nice to see. If you have a passion for music both old and new, I definitely recommend stopping by! Overall: 5.0 stars ---- Pros: - Very cool museum with some one-of-a-kind pieces and truly fascinating historical tidbits. - Extremely nice manager with a clear passion for maintaining and expanding this collection. - Good value for the admission price. Cons: - While I can't imagine this place being overly busy, parking is limited so I can imagine this could be an issue, albeit a small hypothetical one.

    This museum is much larger then it appears. I lost count of the number of rooms we went through…read more There were many unique instruments and other music-related items. One room is dedicated to musicians from Virginia. I highly recommend this hidden gem of a museum.

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    Virginia Musical Museum
    Virginia Musical Museum
    Virginia Musical Museum

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    Colonial Williamsburg Merchants Square Ticket Office - Peyton Randolph House

    Colonial Williamsburg Merchants Square Ticket Office

    4.0(9 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    If you haven't been to Colonial Williamsburg, you need to drop everything and go. So rich in our…read morehistory, and so entertaining. And in the fall they often run specials allowing you a membership for little more than the cost of an activity. I purchased the membership allowing us unrestricted access and a carriage ride where we were given the roles of the richest people in town! Ate in a local pub...that was interesting. Food was "authentic" and ale was good. There are many little stores interspersed in the town where we got some interesting period pieces. Even Orange Blossom water, which the food network site told me how to use! I could have spent a week here, but we had limited time. Someday I will get back and allowed a full week to satisfy my curiosity!

    I have lived in Virginia for about 6 years and I passed by Williamsburg. I have seen the signs, but…read moreI have never really taken the time to visit Williamsburg My fiancée is a civil war fanatic so we always try to find a place to go to satisfy his need to history. So he can have more historical fun facts to share with friends at game night gatherings. Haha. This place was very pleasant. We walk thru the Williamsburg old town and it was for sure and amazing adventure. The employee walk around with outfits from the 1800 and all the old buildings and history. It's a small town and each little building has a background and a story. They have backyard gardens that look fruitful and just stunning. Then they had a little park with bond fires. It great to a nice end while it being cold.

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    Colonial Williamsburg Merchants Square Ticket Office - Bruton Parish Cemetery

    Bruton Parish Cemetery

    Colonial Williamsburg Merchants Square Ticket Office - Insane Asylum

    Insane Asylum

    Colonial Williamsburg Merchants Square Ticket Office - Ye Olde Gaol

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    Ye Olde Gaol

    Colonial Williamsburg - tours - Updated May 2026

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