Things to do in Williamsburg VA
1. Historic Colonial Williamsburg
2. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
3. Jamestown Settlement
4. Yankee Candle Village
5. Yorktown Sailing Charters
6. Historic Jamestowne
7. Go-Karts Plus
8. Williamsburg Indoor Sports Center (WISC)
9. Yorktown Battlefield and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
10. Bike Riding
Places to eat in Williamsburg VA
1. Retro’s Good Eats
2. Baker’s Crust
3. Second Street Bistro
4. The Virginia Beer Company
5. Duck Donuts
6. Culture Café
7. Blue Talon Bistro
Where to Stay in Greater Williamsburg VA
Plan Your Trip to Williamsburg VA
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THINGS TO DO IN WILLIAMSBURG VA
1. Historic Colonial Williamsburg
Being one of the top things to do in Williamsburg, this place is where history comes to life.
When here, you would slip in to the times of 18 th Century Colonial Virginia where there were no cars and only the hooves over the stones could be heard.
Things you must see during your visit at Colonial Williamsburg are taverns, gardens, homes, and restored shops.
The restored shops, taverns, homes, gardens and government buildings of historic Williamsburg VA are so pretty to explore.
With live reenactments, noon day cannons, Patriots at Play games and inspiring speeches by George Washington, there is a lot to explore and enjoy in Colonial Williamsburg VA.
Plan to spend an entire day here, it’s one of the best things to do in Williamsburg VA.
Get your Colonial Williamsburg tickets here.
2. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
If you love the thrill and theme parks is all you need, then Busch Gardens is the best place for you.
This theme park is focused more on the thrill-carrying roller coasters that are sure to give you the adrenaline rush you need.
Apart from the thrill inducing roller coaster rides there are plenty more tamer rides, like swinging chairs and river cruises.
3. Jamestown Settlement
In one of the three recreated ships that brought the first English colonists to Virginia in 1607, kids can climb into a sailor’s bunk and steer with a whipstaff.
You can also stroll through the Powhatan village in case you want or dig deep into the Indigenous tribes that used to live here before the colonists took over.
You can get your Americas Historic Triangle Colonial Williamsburg Historic Jamestown and Yorktown tickets here
4. Yankee Candle Village
One of only two flagship stores in the US, the first being the original Yankee Candle Village in Massachusetts, and the second in Williamsburg, Yankee Candle Village is so much more than just a sweet-smelling place to buy candles.
There are different showrooms of boutique apparel, unique household items, candy shop, a fudge counter, a coffee counter, an ice cream counter, and ornaments for every occasion.
The Candle Emporium here has over 200,000 candles and 200 fragrances.
We had an unexpected two hours of fun exploring this store. I’ve now discovered a new shopping love and one of the fun things to do in Williamsburg VA with kids.
5. Yorktown Sailing Charters
Climb aboard the Yorktown Schooner, Alliance & Serenity for a sail along the York River past the battlefield where the USA won its independence.
Yorktown Sailing Charters run multiple tall ship sails a day.
Our day sailing cruise on a schooner down the York River was pushed back to sunset due to the weather. Sunset is a peaceful time to be on the river sailing up and down and learning a little more of the history and local stories of the area.
We passed by the docking area where the naval warships offload their ammunition and the forest area where the CIA do secret training.
Do not go in there for a sticky beak. Someone will be escorting you back out in a matter of seconds after a few questions.
The girls loved helping to hoist up the sail. I was not shy in volunteering either.
The captain is very friendly and is happy to share many stories with you as you sail. You may even get to steer the ship for a bit.
6. Historic Jamestowne
With kids having greater interests in this area, this site of the first English settlement is a archeological site.
You can see archeologists work uncovering more artifacts here, and also what has been already recovered. It is the area basically where the English settlement nearly failed.
It also has Archearium where there is a display of skeletons from the settlement and learn more about their background.
7. Go-Karts Plus
With 8 acres of land, Go-kart plus has games and all things fun. The place is more noticed for go-karts and has four of the tracks, Blaster Boats, Bumper cars, and even a mini golf course. This will definitely be on the fun things you can do in Williamsburg.
8. Williamsburg Indoor Sports Center (WISC)
If you are looking for something to have fun inside, consider Williamsburg Indoor Sports Center. The Center has laser tags and as a family, you could also have fun around being jewelry theives maneuvering around laser beams to reach the buttons on the walls.
9. Yorktown Battlefield and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
If you have learned about the Revolutionary War, it would be of interest to you to see the area where the Americans defeated the British at Yorktown. This event led to the Independence of America. Visiting this and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, you will get a sense of what they were fighting for.
10. Bike Riding
The Greater Williamsburg has miles of bile trails for the travelers to explore. You can also choose to go from a three mile or five mile loop on island Drive which will fill you with the beautiful view of the James River and the landscape. Even the Freedom Park has more than 20 miles of mountain biking trails.
know more for more adventurous things to do in Greater Williamsburg with family. In it, you’ll learn more about Busch Gardens VA, Go-Karts Plus, Go Ape adventure Treetop Adventure course, and Segway tours
PLACES TO EAT IN WILLIAMSBURG VA
1. Retro’s Good Eats
2. Baker’s Crust
3. Second Street Bistro
4. The Virginia Beer Company
5. Duck Donuts
6. Culture Café
7. Blue Talon Bistro
Blue Talon Bistro in the historic downtown provides serious comfort food in a warm and casual environment, and it was our favorite place to eat in Williamsburg.
It’s a French-inspired restaurant with a few American leanings.
Count how many roosters you can see within the restaurant while you’re waiting for you meal.
The girls each wrote their own myth of how the rooster got blue talons, which was cute and a terrific way to entertain them while we enjoyed a lovely bottle of French Pinot Noir to go with our delicious duck, which Craig says was the tastiest he has ever had. MMM. Love French duck!
We tried escargot (snails) for the first time. They were covered in a delicious garlic and parsley butter so tasted delicious. I’m not sure I’d order them all the time, but it was worth tasting them.
This is the restaurant to do that in.
And a pot of mussels steamed in white wine with shallots, butter, lemon, tomatoes & garlic also went down at treat.
The service was also amazing, and Savannah left with a comment to say our waitress was a very kind lady.
Where to Stay in Greater Williamsburg VA
We stayed at the Wyndham Garden Inn which is one of the hotels near Busch Gardens Williamsburg VA.
Everything is relatively close in Greater Williamsburg, so you could stay closer to the historic Colonial Williamsburg area and still access the theme park easily.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO WILLIAMSBURG VA
For more advice on things to do in Williamsburg and the Greater Williamsburg area including places to eat and stay, visit the official Visit Williamsburg
website.