Step back in time to the 18th century and find yourself enthralled by the costumed residents and historical buildings of Colonial Williamsburg. Points of interest include the Great Hopes Plantation, an interactive, living history site that represents an 18th-century plantation; the courthouse where the Treaty of Paris was signed to end the Revolutionary War; and The Governor’s Palace, one of the largest buildings in Colonial Williamsburg and home to Virginia’s post colonial governors and Royal Governors.
Go for the action-packed adventures and the wildlife of Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Explore the Virginia Living Museum, which became the first interactive establishment east of the Mississippi to combine exhibition elements including a native wildlife park, science museum, aquarium, botanical preserve, and planetarium.
Satisfy your hunger for dinner and mystery at the Mystery Dinner Playhouse Williamsburg.
Uncover a variety of beautiful, strange and truly bizarre sights from our world’s rich history at Williamsburg’s Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
With the Miss Hampton II Harbor Cruise you’ll experience a fully narrated journey through Chesapeake Bay, Hampton Roads Harbor, naval base in Norfolk, VA, and many other unforgettable sights of the Williamsburg area.
Dive into summertime fun at the mid-Atlantic’s largest water park, Water Country USA.
Soar effortlessly while taking in the beautiful overhead scenic views of the Williamsburg area in a hot air balloon ride, either with a group or on private flights.
Explore replicas of the ships that brought the English colonists to Virginia, explore the life-size recreation of a military fort and a Powhatan village, and relive the days of the early 17th century, all at Jamestown Settlement.
Splash around on a day trip to Norfolk Beach.
Get your adrenaline pumping and out of your comfort zone for some good ole treetop at the Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course, where you can zip line, climb and wind through obstacle courses through bridges, ladders and tunnels.
View 19th-century folk household objects like toys, kitchenware, paintings and furniture on display at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum.
Experience the joy of Bruton Parish Church, which has served, since 1715, the spiritual needs of the Williamsburg community, including the most famous American sons of colonial Virginia: Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
Explore Historic Jamestown, the original site of the first permanent English settlement in America, where ongoing archaeology at the site of James Fort has changed our understanding of the struggles and triumphs of early 1600s life in Virginia. There is an archaeology museum and a living history exhibits that help tell the story of this dramatic rediscovery.
Check out Bassett Hall, home of Mr. and Mrs. John Rockefeller Jr. and decorated in 18th-century furnishing.
Watch live plays and performances and shows independent films in the beautiful historic venue, Kimball Theatre, located in Merchant’s Square.
Escape the hustle and bustle of day to day life and hike the trail of nature’s perfect paradise, Waller Mill Park.
Pack up a picnic for the family and enjoy a kids’ playground and trails through nature’s beauty, solitude and wildlife at York State River Park. Run, bike or hike with great river views.
Experience themed historic programs, daytime activities and candlelight tours for all ages at Destination Williamsburg.
Don’t let the haunted keep you away at the Haunted Dinner Theater—younger kids love it, too—plus the buffet typically gets big thumbs up.
Grab those nine irons and get ready to tee up at many nearby courses, including the Nicklaus-designed course adjacent to the Greensprings Vacation Resort, plus the 63-hole Bray Links Course at Kingsmill Golf Club & Resort and 36 holes of championship golf at the Gold Course at Golden Horseshoe Golf Club.
Stroll the Williamsburg Botanical Gardens or the Muscarelle Museum of Art.
Visit Smith’s Fort Plantation about 7 miles away in Surry County. The house and parcel of land was later given by Chief Powhatan to John Rolfe as a dowry for the hand of Pocahontas when Rolfe and Pocahontas married. Originally built in the mid-1700s, Preservation Virginia acquired Smith’s Fort Plantation in 1933 and fully restored it.
Also in Surry County, don’t miss Bacon’s Castle, the oldest brick house in Virginia and an architectural gem with distinctive triple-stacked chimneys, curved Flemish gables and restored 17th-century gardens.