A good place to start on the tour of the battlefield sites that defined America…read more The Yorktown Visitor's Center is the perfect starting point for exploring several of the most pivotal sites in American history. The drive from the main road to the center is scenic, offering glimpses of Virginia's historic landscape before arriving at the center. Getting to the actual center seemed a little confusing as there are arrows describing the car tours to visit various sights when leaving the center. The center is not very large. The exhibits inside are well-organized and interactive, showcasing artifacts from the Battle of Yorktown, maps, uniforms, and weaponry from the era. There is a short film that provides an good overview of the battle and its significance in the history of our American independence. The center also features a gift shop with books, souvenirs, and historical memorabilia. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and offered suggestions regarding various tours that you could take when driving around the area. There are several well-marked signs leading visitors from the center to the surrounding area sites. The driving tours take visitors through key historic sites connected to the Siege of Yorktown (1781) and the broader Colonial National Historical Park. Overall, the Yorktown Visitor's Center is an great stop, providing an introduction to this historic battlefield and its role in shaping the nation.

Colonial NHP is spread out over Jamestown, Yorktown and a road connecting them. We went to the…read morevisitor center in Yorktown and thought it was great. It did a great job of explaining what led up to the British surrender and how it happened. I especially liked the part of a ship that was built into the visitors center. Walking through it really was like walking through an 18th century ship - very cool. The visitors center did a great job of explaining the surrounding area and helping us decide where to go. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend checking it out when visiting Yorktown.

This is an incredible museum, comprehensive and informative without being boring or dry. It is part…read moreof Jamestown Rediscovery Archeology. We visited it after looking at all of their archeological sites. We should have visited it first, to be more informed about what we saw. My favorite part was about Pocahontas. She married John Rolfe to bring peace to colonists and her tribe. My second favorite part concerned the wells. Without water one cannot survive. We did not expect to spend a lot of time here, but we wandered the museum for over an hour. It wasn't enough time. If you need more information, a friendly and knowledgeable volunteer is on hand.

From outside the fence the size of the gardens is deceiving. It's quite large. Honestly, I didn't…read moreexpect much but once you enter it's rather enchanting. You feel like you're tucked in a hidden oasis with the canopy of trees with the various plants and flowers surrounding you throughout the garden. There are signs to identify all the beautiful flowers and plants. Various areas for sitting are peppered throughout the garden- a pavilion with two picnic tables, a seat for two under the pergola a gazebo with additional seating and a bench or two to rest. I can only imagine its full beauty in the spring or summer. They even had a bird feeder which was busy with a bunch of beautiful feathered friends stopping to eat. It was quite a serene & peaceful visit. It's also free.

This place surprised me because it was more than what we saw as we drove past on the way to park…read more So I'm glad we got to wander the garden, which it meandered in a small park. It had all sorts of beautiful trees and plants, flowers, and bird houses and bee houses! It truly is a wonderful array of botany and trees planned out by a wonderful group of people who invest their time and love in this! There are shade-loving plants and sun-loving plants everywhere! The feeders attract a variety of birds to the garden while the flowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies! It's a very relaxing way to unwind and explore nature!

Attended the Christmas High Tea. First it wasn't a "tea"---it was a luncheon with lukewarm water in…read morea teapot to make a cup of tea with and the waitstaff were overwhelmed.

We stayed at the Boxwood maybe 10 years ago. Beautiful place . Apparently since then it has changed…read morehands more than once . We needed a place to stay near Norfolk this year to meet with a medical professional and thought of the Boxwood first . I explained my situation with the owner and she was gracious enough to allow us to stay a couple days . Lydia , the caretaker, was knowledgeable, very friendly and took great care of us . Unfortunately the property has fallen into somewhat disrepair thro the past owners but you can still see the old charm . The new owners appear to have plans to bring it back to its southern charm and are in the process of renovating it now along with a new large addition that they're working on now . Give em a little time and it could come back to glory . I'll need a place down there next year and I'll check her out first . Mike B , 3/20/2024

Great tour guides friendly and personal great deals. They know what their talking about with the…read morehistory of Williamsburg enjoyed my self and the ghost tours and staff tremendously

I expect a little more spook than basic stories. It was a nice tour, but definitely not what I…read moreexpected. The stories told weren't even spooky just basic someone died here and now people hear or see things. I guess if your just wanting to find out basic who did where and who maybe haunting places this would be the perfect tour.

After hours pamphlets available at door along with a clean bowl of water for dogs. Virginia…read moreloveworks art on the parking lot. Lots of parking next door at the bank.

The Smithfield Visitor Center is really nice - it's attached to the Arts Center and shares the same…read moreentry lobby area. There are tons of brochures about things to do in Smithfield and Isle of Wight County. Some of them have coupons for entry if there is an admission fee (like touring the St. Luke's Church. There's Windsor Castle Park, kayak rentals at the park where you can launch for $10 an hour (1 person) or $20 an hour (2 people). There are plenty go guided walking tours like Ivy Hill Cemetery, Fort Huger, The Isle of Wight Courthouse Complex, Fort Boykin Historic Park and Nike Park. I spoke to the nice lady working inside, Deb, for quite a while and she was so friendly! She told me about the upcoming markets and events (there are tons) and I can't wait to see some of them! There is a Halloween market, a Picker's market (antiques), Christmas markets, and other vintage or handmade craft fairs all the time. Smithfield is so cute and the town is really good at planning things like this. Most events have a cute ham theme as well or bacon. If you are interested in finding suggestions for things to do in Smithfield - this is a worthwhile stop.

To start off, Lincoln is there! (If you were doubting). We took the trip up to see these heads…read morespecifically. It ended up pouring so yes, boots are recommended! The rows in between ended up flooding so I couldn't get past maybe the 3rd or 4th one in each row but this was a very unique experience. They have 42, technically 43 with Obama in the front. Well more like 42.1 compared to his size lol. To kick it off they give you background information which is cool to know and then guide you to the heads. You have the 2 hour slot to use and walk around for as little or as long as you'd like. The company was VERY organized and thorough with information beforehand and updating us on the weather. As well as accommodating, offering ticket holders to come earlier that day or next day with the weather! I didn't get the sunset pictures I wanted but a muddy rain night with the statues is a cool trade off! Worth it to see.

I've been wanting to visit this for a while and was lucky to get tickets many months in advance…read more It's on a private property and is open only ~8 times in a year. There were different 2-hour times that you can choose from when I bought the tickets. A full day pass is also available that allows you to enter multiple times in a day. The organizers send emails containing directions to get to the place, tips and other reminders. When they tell you not to wear pretty shoes, listen. Even though it had not rained for the past week when we went, there were areas that were really muddy. Wear boots. Went here on a Saturday afternoon. There was a short orientation at the start near the registration area then we went to the heads of the presidents. It was a cool experience seeing all these huge busts of the presidents. Two brief talks during the visit were (1) trivia about the presidents and (2) history of the place/presidents' heads. A gift shop at the entrance/exit had magnets, postcards, tree ornaments, posters, etc. Had a great time here and was lucky to get those tickets ahead of time because they run out quickly.

Throughout our wedding planning process, the coordinator, Robin was extremely helpful in every…read moreaspect. She gave suggestions of vendors in our price range and things I may not have otherwise thought of. Unfortunately, we were unable to have our dream outside wedding at this location because hurricane Joaquin happened to come that weekend! Robin gracefully reimbursed us and helped us look into other options indoors. I'm so grateful for her keeping me sane and on schedule!

I recently attended a wedding reception at this beautiful plantation. The owners went out of their…read moreway to be sure we all felt comfortable and greeted everyone with umbrellas since the reception was outside under a tent. Every detail was attended to including a personal introduction by the Owners as well as their staff. The original home was absolutely breathtaking and you could tell much attention to detail was involved in choosing antiques which adorned the home as well as the basement. I didn't make it to the pool house but heard it was also lovely. The food was superb and the evening was just incredible. I learned later that this Plantation was recently reopened to the public after some updating and refurbishing. It is truly a gem in Charles City and a perfect location for couples who are getting married in Williamsburg but would like a more private affair for their reception. It would also make an amazing spot for Corporate meetings and Holiday Parties. Let's give these folks some MUCH deserved business!!!