Williamsburg Travel Guide: The Perfect Encounter of History and Modernity

Tourist Attractions • Colonial Williamsburg: This is the largest and oldest living history museum in the United States, covering 301 acres, with 88 original buildings and 500 rebuilt houses, shops, public buildings and more. Visitors can stroll along car-free cobblestone paths, watch craftsmen use 18th-century tools and techniques to make goods, and interact with costumed commentators to learn about historical figures. • Duke of Gloucester Street: This is the main street of Colonial Williamsburg, lined with houses, taverns, artisan shops and merchant shops. Visitors can purchase a tricorn hat or sun hat and enjoy a musket or cannon firing show here. • The Wren Building at the College of William & Mary: This is the oldest college building in the United States, built between 1695 and 1699. Visitors can visit the ponds, bridges and sunken formal gardens on campus. • Craft Houses/Demonstrations: Here craftsmen showcase a variety of skills such as carpentry, gun making, and basket weaving. Children will be attracted to blacksmiths, shoemakers, hatmakers and brickyards. • Museums: The DeWitt Wallace Museum of Decorative Arts and the Abby Aldridge Rockefeller Museum of Folk Art are museums worth visiting. The Museum of Folk Art houses brightly colored and interesting exhibits such as toys, portraits and weather vanes, while the Museum of Art Deco displays fine furniture, musical instruments, household items, textiles and art. • Jamestown: This is the site of the first permanent British colony in the United States. Visitors can visit the ruins of the Jamestown Settlement and learn about the lives and challenges of the early colonists. • Yorktown: It witnessed the victory of the American War of Independence. Visitors can visit Yorktown Battlefield National Historical Park to learn about the history of the war and important battles. [Tableware] Food recommendations • Colonial Tavern: Visitors can sample food similar to what the colonists cooked at the Colonial Tavern, but prepared in modern kitchens. The waiters are dressed in period costume, and the cutlery and wine glasses are imitations of 18th-century items. Common dishes include peanut soup, Sally Lane bread, Bronx stew or sorbet. • The Cheese Shop: Sandwiches are very popular here, and don’t forget to ask for more signature sauces. [Hotel] Accommodation recommendation • Williamsburg Colonial Houses: These houses are carefully restored to the style of the period but equipped with modern amenities. Visitors can choose between a separate colonial house or a private room within a larger colonial house (called a tavern room). • The Williamsburg Inn: This is a luxurious five-star and AAA five-diamond hotel. Many US presidents and even the Queen of England have stayed here. • The Williamsburg Lodge: This is another hotel in Colonial Williamsburg, just a stone’s throw away from all attractions. • Williamsburg Woodlands: This is a family-friendly accommodation option located right next to the visitor center. [Rainbow] Other activities • Spa: Visitors can enjoy physical and mental relaxation at the spa. • Golf: Choose any of the 45 walking holes for golf at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club. • Shopping: Visitors can shop at shops in the historic area such as the Prentice Store, Greenhouse Store and Tarpley Store. In addition, Merchants Square is a shopping village with more than 40 modern shops and some outstanding restaurants. • Williamsburg Wine Tasting Tour: Visitors can explore the local breweries, wineries, distilleries and meadies along the Williamsburg Wine Tasting Tour route. • Family entertainment: Visitors can enjoy family entertainment at Busch Gardens or the Great Wolf Lodge water park. ⏳ Travel time Fall is the best time to visit Williamsburg. At this point, the heat in eastern Virginia began to subside, the leaves began to change color, the beer was fresh, and rugby games resumed. [Metro] Transportation Guide • By air: Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF) is the closest airport to downtown Williamsburg. In addition, visitors can choose to fly to Norfolk International Airport (ORF) or Richmond International Airport (RIC), which are approximately 45 minutes to an hour’s drive from Williamsburg. • Trains: Amtrak’s Northeast Regional route stops at the brick station in Williamsburg, just a 5-minute drive from Colonial Williamsburg. We hope this guide will help you plan your trip to Williamsburg better!