Merchants Square has been a favorite place of mine to shop, dine and recreate for decades. It has over 40 stores. Recently I had the opportunity to visit the square that's nestled between The College of William & Mary and Colonial Williamsburg. During Christmas is one of my favorite times to visit this area. It was hoping too! Crowds were beginning to arrive in Williamsburg for The Grand Illumination the next day. There was music, and a Christmas spirit in the cool crisp air. I visited a few shops that I had time for that were both favorites and new to me. The Cheese Shop for a snack. This shop has been a place I have frequented for decades, it's awesome and an independent run store like most others. I went to R. Bryant, a men's store. Lulu lemon, Danforth Pewter and a new shop Walkabout Outfitters which is a small chain. It replaced a very well known and established independent store I shopped since early 2000. If you're looking for a unique place to shop, eat and also take in a show at the Kimball Theater then Merchants is the place. read more

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A beautiful American place to visit. Settled near an American college WM. We enjoyed our visit, plenty on outdoor seating and nice small shops amd bistro. A must place to visit when in Williamsburg. read more

Merchants Square - Shopping Centers Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Beautiful afternoon for a nice leisurely walk down DoG Street with friends & pups !!! Watched horse-drawn carriages roll by and the Fife & drum performed. So steeped in culture and history, this place brings history to life with all the shops and taverns! Highly recommend if you want to escape the madness!! read more

Merchants Square - Herb garden - Shopping Centers Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Spur of the moment excursion on a wonderfully warm, January day! Merchants Square is great if you want to get outdoors for some exercise, whether it be walking or biking. And.......it is Animal Friendly!! We decided one warm January morning to take a mini day-trip and enjoy the wonderful weather with our sweet pup. The area was pretty empty (unusual for this venue), and the area was even more spectacularly beautiful with the sparse crowds (our pup enjoyed that aspect, too!) I was pleasantly surprised when one of the costumed employees offered our pup some treats.....nice surprise! ....And most of the restaurants have great outdoor dining venues, too, so bring Fido along! If you've got nothing planned on a nice warmish winter day, this is a great way to brush up on your history and see some of America's historical architecture.....with a little exercise, to boot! read more

Steeped in history, Merchant Square in Williamsburg, VA, is a captivating journey through time. Cobblestone streets, reminiscent of a bygone era, weave a narrative of the past beneath your feet. The architecture is amazing and stands as a testament to centuries of stories, each brick and facade echoing with the rich heritage of Williamsburg. Local boutiques, carefully nestled within historic structures, breathe new life into age-old traditions. Every step is a walk through history, offering a profound connection to the roots of this vibrant community. Merchant Square is a step back in time to the Williamsburg's evolution. You can see musket bullet holes in buildings. Super cool read more

Merchants Square - Shopping Centers Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Merchants Square has lots of nice gift shops It's also very walkable to a few good restaurants. The street fair nearby has lots of arts and crafts. read more

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Merchant's Square is super cute. It encompasses a collection of shops and restaurants right outside of Colonial Williamsburg. It's so close that you can walk down Duke of Gloucester Street and be in the heart of the attractions within minutes. When I visit, my preferences are The Cheese Shop and Hair of the Dog Bottle Shop. There are also some delectable restaurants in the area, including Blue Talon Bistro. Parking isn't always the easiest, but they do have several lot options and garages too. Short and long term spots are available. I've visited a handful of times since moving to Virginia in 2017, but I understand it's a necessity to visit during the Christmas season. Hopefully later this year I'll make it over! I think it's such a peaceful, clean, all-around nice spot to spend an afternoon, and I look forward to my next trip. read more

Think out of the box, and spend a day at Merchants Square! I've probably been to every shop in this Square!! One of my fav day trips is coming to this bustling area and enjoying flitting from store to store. Located next to Colonial Williamsburg, this eclectic shopping emporium is not only filled with unique shops, but also cool restaurants and specialty stores. Because of my very large sweet tooth, my first stop is typically the Wythe Candy shop. I stock up on sugary confections (because ya know you need a lot of energy for a day of shopping, lol)! I then pop in the Pewter shop, it was called Shirley Pewter for years, and although they still some Shirley Pewter, it's now call Danforth. I'm a collector of pewterware so I try to find a piece to and to my collection every year! I love the Everything Williamsburg store because there's always new inventory, gifts, candles, ornaments, and colonial souvenirs. Next is the W&M Bookstore, where I always find a book or magazine, while boosting the local economy! Win win! I will them peek into the apparel shops, Chico's, Simply Southern and my fav, the Scotland house! Being of Scotch/Irish decent, I will usually find some interesting heraldry gifts for my family and for me too! They have tea towels with your family crest on them! It's fun to search your family's history name and see what the have! I've also purchased some beautiful tartan pieces there! Speaking of tea, as a sinensophile, my trip to Merchants Square isn't complete without a stop in the Spice & Tea Exchange. I pretty much load up on various teas, herb infused oils, spices, and gifts! Talk about "Seasons" greetings, they have just about any seasoning you can imagine! We also try to make it by the Williamsburg Winery and the Precarious Beer Project brewery to lift our "spirits" before settling down for lunch at one of the fine eateries in the Square! Our last stop is always The Cheese Shop where your charcuterie dreams come true! Hundreds of cheeses from around the world! We love the champagne cheese and the herb encrusted goat cheese! After which we hit a few more shops and walk around to enjoy the lovely scenery and architectural beauty of this historic area! (Oh, and don't forget the toy shop! New toys and even toys from colonial times for your tots!) You won't regret a day spent in Merchants Square. Expect to spend a bit than most places, but the cozy atmosphere and quality is worth it. Parking can be a challenge, but there are many parking lots in the area and the restrooms in the square are kept very clean!! read more

This was at the end of our mini getaway and we truly enjoyed all the different shops and restaurants available. There is something for everyone and we were able to pickup some souvenirs. In addition to all the shops, we were lucky and arrived at the right time, and enjoyed a recreation of history. While eating lunch we listened to some great music by several local bands. I highly recommend this place as a family outing. read more

Adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg this 18th century style retail district including over 40 shops and restaurants. A nice place to enjoy a stroll and get something to eat. read more

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We can't visit Williamsburg without going to Merchants Square. Our favorites are The Cheese Shop, The Peanut Shop, and Wythe Candy Shop. We stumbled upon a farmers market too...so much to see in Williamsburg today. This is a wonderful place to take the family, especially during the holidays. The decorations will put you in a festive mood. Love it! read more

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There is always something to do, watch, hear, eat so much fun either as a solo, couple, with friends and family. Plus every season brings new things one can go every day and have a total new experience. read more

Great area! Will be even better when the new stores open. Friendly, safe atmosphere. Love when the main area is closed to traffic so you can enjoy it more! Looking forward to our next visit!! read more

What a treat! Visiting the stores and looking at all the history is a must do if you're visiting Virginia. You can browse all day and have the most relaxing time. The prices are high, but if you are wanting a souvenir from someone local who makes it locally, the price is worth it. Just look at tags, it's not worth paying a super high price for something made in China. Look before you buy. read more

Merchants Square - Historic buildings - Shopping Centers Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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I love Merchants Square...something for everyone. Dining options, shopping, wine and cheese, Chicos, candy. Yep...they got it and more. And it looks historic to blend in with Colonial Williamsburg. Also a great place to people watch. Inside Colonial Williamsburg, food options are in taverns and authentic to the time period. I can pass. Just come here to eat. Whether you want a sandwich or a dining experience this is the place. And be sure and shop as well. They only downside...nothing is cheap here. But it is full of quality. read more

Great area and food right next to colonial Williamsburg wanting to go again and check out some other places

We have made it a family tradition to visit merchants square farmers market for Christmas on Saturday morning for as long as we can remember, so this year so we invited friends to enjoy this tradition with us too. They have been making changes for the past few years in an effort to keep it fresh I'm sure, none of which really affected our overall traditional experience. This year as we were walking up, it looked like the vendors were a little thin this year. As we entered, we immediately were disappointed, there is a lady we have been some unique traditional German cookies called Springerle that we luuuuuuv, plus all the other goodies n cookies they have too. She was not there, and some of the others we have come to know and love over the years were missing as well. Half of the vendors were crammed across the street at the entrance of Colonial WB and the other half in the newly renovated parking lot. We typically take 2 trips to haul all of the goodies back to our car over the course of the morning and this year we bought nothing- so sad. Not sure what is, or was, going on, but we and our guests were very disappointed, maybe they will reconsider some of the changes or maybe advertise activities and/or changes more accurately, maybe we just missed something, sadly the WB website is not very user friendly either. In some good news, the Cheese Shop didn't disappoint or the warm Raleigh Bakery gingerbread cakes that are so worth the walk and you don't get crammed in with a bunch of other vendors like in the Market- Good luck on your trip! read more

This has always been a place we visit when we come to Williamsburg. It sits at one end of Colonial Williamsburg historic area. It is an 18th-century style retail village with over 40 shops and restaurants. It offers a wide variety of shopping experiences. We especially like to visit the Williamsburg Craft Shop - which was having an after-Christmas clearance sale. read more

Cute town with great shopping. Lots of fun shops to explore and places to eat.

Fun fun fun. If you're in colonial Williamsburg, this is a great place to spend an hour. Nice walk from the colonial portion, good quality food. We love the candy store. With younger children, when we go inside, they are blown away. Colonial Williamsburg is just awesome, and this place makes it even better. read more

Penny and a Sixpence....Don't miss this affordable jewelry store down a side street. Stunning silver jewelry, especially beautifuly designed rings. I visited twice and purchased twice. A very nice edition to Merchants Square, a fun place to shop when visiting Colonial Williamsburg. read more

Merchants Square is probably my favorite little area of Colonial Williamsburg and that's because I love to shop. There's something for everyone from snacks to clothing to housewares to souvenirs. And the employees are pretty friendly too. I like that you can just walk around and enjoy the sites and pop into the stores as you stroll along. A must stop in the colonial Williamsburg tour. read more

I tried to shop and they quickly told me to get out because it is only 21+!!! BS!!! My friends went back in with no problems!! Wow!!

Always something going on. If you're visiting, going to Merchants Square is a must. If it's s nice day, grab a seat at an outdoor table at one of the restaurants and people-watch while enjoying a great meal. read more

Merchant Square is filled with unique stores, tasty restaurants and culture. I love to go to Merchant Square with friends for a sandwich at the cheese shop and possibly a bottle of wine, you can sit on the patio and enjoy some people watching. Then I enjoy walking through all the shops with such wonderful items. I can always find something unique and different that I would never be able to find in a mall. Then head to the kimball for a movie or find some live music. A truly great place to spend the day. read more

This little shopping center in Williamsburg has a bunch of nice little shops. You can get anything from food, clothes, to souvenirs. Most shops have friendly employees to help you with all your needs. Be sure to park in a garage on a hot summer day to keep your car cool. Also, don't lose your garage ticket! read more

Beautiful and authentic. No ticket required. Everyone is dressed in period clothing, and the shopping is true to how it would have been 18th century. It smells heavenly in the shops, and they're warm in the midst of this brutal cold snap. read more

I can only give this place two stars because I think all of the shops are outrageously priced. They could be cheaper and still make money. I guess they make all of their money from tourists. I am a local now and will never go there again. read more