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Things to do in Williamsburg, Virginia

Our most recommended things to do in Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg: Busch Gardens Ticket & Water Country Option

1. Williamsburg: Busch Gardens Ticket & Water Country Option

Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, is the world’s most beautiful theme park, as voted year after year since 1990. Wander through the classic European themed and artfully landscaped villages, resembling the Parisian streets of France, the hamlets of Scotland and the Oktoberfest celebrations of Germany. Explore all nine villages centered around six countries. Kids can sing with Elmo, feed a lorikeet and ride between mom and dad on a thrilling kid coaster all in the same day! After catching one of the many entertaining shows, head over to award-winning roller coasters inspired by Old World legends like the Apollo, the Griffin, and the Loch Ness monster. From virtual reality to carousels, everyone one in the family will find an activity they love and create cherished memories to think back on for years to come! Animal Exhibits: Spend some time at Highland Stables and take part in a celebration of centuries-old Scottish traditions. Interact with blackface sheep and their border collie guardians. Enjoy demonstrations of traditional herding and hunting methods. Visit Eagle Ridge to meet some gutsy American Bald Eagles, each one a survivor of injuries that left them unable to live on their own in the wild. Hear their inspiring stories and feel the sense of awe that travels with these majestic birds. Stroll through Lorikeet Glen and make a bunch of new friends as colorful birds glide down to greet you from the branches of a fascinating, free-flight aviary. Go beyond the haunting calls and piercing eyes of the mysterious gray wolf in Wolf Valley. Learn what you can do to help these important ancestors of modern-day canines survive and thrive. Theme Park Rides: Take a ride on Alpengeist, one of the tallest, fastest and most insane roller coasters in the world. Before you can say "boo" the floor drops beneath your feet, so get ready for what many coaster enthusiasts still call the ride of a lifetime. Experience the mind-bending climbs and weightless wonder of floating airtime at Apollo's Chariot, one of the mightiest coasters of all time. Hop on the classic Loch Ness monster which hurls its passengers along 3,240 feet of steel track into the air, over water, and through a dark cave. Join the bravest of ride warriors and challenge yourself to the 205-foot, 90-degree, 75 mph free fall of Griffon, a heart-pounding, tour de force roller coaster.

Williamsburg: Haunted Ghosts, Witches, and Pirates Tour

2. Williamsburg: Haunted Ghosts, Witches, and Pirates Tour

Hear the stories of the ghosts who inhabit the town of Williamsburg. Follow your ghostly guide down eerie streets and experience 13 haunted locations on this tour of the most haunted places in town. Discover the 17 spirits of the Peyton Randolph House, known as the most haunted place in Virginia. Learn what happened in the oak panel bedroom and hear what is waiting for you in your jail cell. Learn about the Wagon of Death, the gallows, and what happened to Lucy Ludwell, George Wythe, Ida Jones, and many more. Learn the outcome of the witch trials here and what happened to Williamsburg's most famous witch. Guests often see and hear strange, unexplainable sights and sounds, so you will not want to attend without a camera in hand.

Williamsburg: Secrets of Williamsburg Walking Tour

3. Williamsburg: Secrets of Williamsburg Walking Tour

Journey through the early days of America on this 90-120 minute walking tour of historic Williamsburg, Virginia. Equipped with hours of research, your guide will transport you to the 18th century and regale you with tales of love, war, brotherhood, and the costly fight for freedom. While Colonial Williamsburg is a true museum of living history, many storytellers shy away from the details that made it real and avoid unpopular stories of the great, and terrible, men and women who lived, loved, laughed, killed, and died here. On this tour experience, instead of stepping carefully around those stories, expert tour guides will dive headfirst into unflinching accounts and gripping backstories of the famous and infamous figures who called Williamsburg home. Dive in with them as they reveal and showcase America's first conspiracy ring, hidden vaults and crypts throughout the city filled with surprising artifacts and people, events and secret meetings held in seedy taverns filled with less savory characters, and more. They will attempt to paint portraits of historical figures so vivid and true that you'll believe you met them and know them as well as yourself. On this tour, you will visit up to 12-15 locations all tied to famous figures in American History and you will learn the true history of the most iconic places of Colonial Williamsburg as your expert guide takes you through the different pieces of the city and why Colonial Williamsburg was the city that history made and more. Experience the religious, political, and educational epicenters of the city and see where George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and other famous figures walked, talked, ate, drank, and had some of the most important discussions and laid the most unforgettable battle plans that would change the nation forever. See the Bruton Parish church, one of Virginia's oldest religious buildings and stand at the gates of the Governor's Palace that housed the Governor of Virginia responsible for the capture of Blackbeard the Pirate. Explore the Gaol (Jail) where Blackbeard's Boys were housed before meeting an untimely fate and the house the George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and Thomas Jefferson's mentor--George Wythe--planned the final integral battle of the Revolutionary War. It’s one thing to read about history; it’s another to see, hear, smell, and touch it. As you journey through the nation’s largest living history exhibit, you’ll experience a deep connection to America’s earliest settlers. Stand in the shadow of iconic homes like the Peyton-Randolph House and the Governor’s Palace. Hear sobering tales of the black colonial experience - stories that have been glossed over for decades. By the end of the journey, you’ll have new insight into what life was really like 300 years ago, and how America developed into the country it is today. Bring the family along and take a relaxing stroll through this beautiful, historic town.

Williamsburg: Guided Food Tour with Tastings

4. Williamsburg: Guided Food Tour with Tastings

Take a flavorful walking tour through downtown Williamsburg, visiting seven local eateries and restaurants in a single afternoon. Taste a specialty from each place as you discover hidden facts, and get an introduction to downtown Williamsburg’s culinary scene.  Come hungry, because this tour will have you sampling cheeses, nuts, spices, teas, and more. Head to the Wythe Candy Shop on foot to try an assortment of chocolates, then stop at Paul's Deli for some local bites. Next, taste spices at Spice and Tea Exchange. Treat your sweet tooth during a visit to the Justified Bakery for samples of gourmet desserts. The tour finishes back at the meeting point in Williamsburg.

Colonial Williamsburg: Colonial History Guided Walking Tour

5. Colonial Williamsburg: Colonial History Guided Walking Tour

Experience life in eighteenth-century America. In this guided walking tour of Colonial Williamsburg, you’ll hear stories left out of textbooks. Learn about the founding fathers and visit the same buildings they did. Discover unexpected connections between their times and ours. Start your journey from the Capitol Building. From there, visit historical sites including the Raleigh Tavern. At the Silversmith, watch skilled craftspeople work their trade. Imagine yourself back in the 1700s. The costumes worn by the staff are true to the period and add to the atmosphere. Discover colonial-era figures beyond Washington and Jefferson. Hear your guide tell stories about the royal government and the transition to elected officials around the Governor’s Palace. Learn the poignant history of America declaring independence before returning to the Capitol Building.

Colonial Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl

6. Colonial Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl

Drink like a founding father on this spooky walking tour of Williamsburg with stops at Bruton Parish Church, Peyton Randolph House, Kimball Theatre, and Wythe House. Visit 8 haunted sites, including 4 pubs, and listen to bone-chilling stories from your guide. Meet your guide at a pub to down a pint of liquid courage before delving into the creepiest ghost stories this historic town has to offer. If you're not a drinker, treat yourself to mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks. Learn about the ghosts of William and Mary and the many tortured spirits who haunt Kimball Theatre. Stand in the shadow of the Public Hospital, where the screams of former patients still echo in the night. Mingle with the spirits of the 325-year-old Wren Building before topping off with a drinking game at DoG Street Pub in Colonial Williamsburg's Merchant Square.

Colonial Williamsburg: Self-Guided Walking Tour

7. Colonial Williamsburg: Self-Guided Walking Tour

On this self-guided walking tour where an app is your guide, narrator, and map all in one, explore Colonial Williamsburg, a beautifully restored colonial town full of actors living out the lives of 18th-century Americans. Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app that will function as your personal guide, audio tour, and map all in one. Your tour begins at Colonial Williamsburg’s visitor center just north of the town center. As you walk south, you’ll learn about the earliest residents of Williamsburg and the Native Americans who called this place home when the first European settlers arrived. The first major landmark you’ll arrive at is the Peyton Randolph House, a gorgeous home dating back to 1715. Its former owner was a key revolutionary figure, though you might not have heard about him in school. Next, arrive at the Fife and Drum Building, where you’ll learn about the importance these simple instruments had during battles. If you’re lucky, you may also catch a performance of Colonial Williamsburg’s very own fife and drum band as they march through town. Continuing onward, hear about the origins of the Colonial Williamsburg museum project, including how America’s first billionaire, John D. Rockefeller, bankrolled the whole thing. Afterward, you’ll see the Public Gaol, a grim prison that once held prisoners incarcerated for everything from petty theft to murder. It even held But would you Blackbeard’s pirate crew while they waited to be executed. Up next is Bassett Hall, the lavish estate where Rockefeller lived while overseeing the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. Then, it’s on to the old Capitol Building, where Virginia once declared independence from Britain, just 4 days before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The next stop is Raleigh Tavern. During the 1700s, this tavern’s unassuming facade hid secret revolutionary meetings within. Next, come to the Williamsburg Magazine, an old munitions storehouse. Learn the dramatic tale of a standoff between British troops and Williamsburg residents on the eve of the revolution. As you make your way to the Play House Stage, a recreation of one of the country’s oldest theaters, you’ll hear a few spooky stories about ghost sightings that have taken place throughout Williamsburg. After that, you’ll reach the Governor’s Palace, where Virginia’s Royal Governor ruled over the people of this state, that is until he was forced to flee in the dead of night. Then, see two of the town’s most historic structures: the George Wythe House and the Bruton Parish Episcopal Church. The George Wythe House was home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence who was also a staunch abolitionist. Bruton Parish Episcopal Church predates the town itself and is the whole reason for the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. Finally, make your way to the historic campus of the College of William & Mary, the nation’s second-oldest university. Finish your tour by seeing one of Williamsburg’s oldest and most impressive buildings and learning a little about the college’s controversial history.

Williamsburg: Pirate Tour

8. Williamsburg: Pirate Tour

Take a journey through the golden age of piracy on a guided tour of historic Williamsburg. Find out the pivotal role pirates played in the city's and greater Virginia's past as you visit taverns, stores, and more. Meet your 18th-century tour guide at the Williamsburg's Capitol Building and follow them through the city to historic sites such as the Raleigh Tavern, Wetherburn Tavern, Tarpley and Thompson store, and the city jail. Hear about how pirates were way beyond just a local menace. Understand how they had significant influence on the developing colonies of Virginia and other settlements in this country. Learn about their life and customs in the era and how they built up a full-scale smuggling empire. Listen to fascinating details of famous battles and captured pirates. During your tour uncover Blackbeard's infamous past and his demise.

From DC: Colonial Williamsburg and Historical Triangle Tour

9. From DC: Colonial Williamsburg and Historical Triangle Tour

The adventure begins with pickup from your accommodation in Washington, DC and heads to Jamestown, Virginia. Learn how Jamestown was the first English settlement in North America, as well as the original capital of the state. Explore historic Jamestown with your guide, and admire the remnants of Fort James. Next, visit the reconstructed Glasshouse of 1608 and walk in the footsteps of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas. Continue onto Colonial Williamsburg, and enjoy a guided walk through the world’s largest living history museum. Travel back in time as you stroll through this historic site, complete with costumed actors who bring this revolutionary town to life. Before heading back to DC, visit Yorktown and check out the battlefield where General George Washington fought in the Revolutionary War. At the end of a fascinating experience, soak up views of the Colonial Parkway on the return journey.

Williamsburg: Colonial Conspiracy Tour

10. Williamsburg: Colonial Conspiracy Tour

Join your costumed, expert guide on a historical tour of colonial Williamsburg. During your tour, your guide will expose an often untold version of America's history and its founding fathers and the secret intentions they had for this nation. As you witness some of the city's landmarks, hear tales of the rites and rituals conducted by the multiple secrete societies which existed here - some of which still meet to this day. You'll also learn about some of the nation's most influential people from colonial America, all the way up to “Rockefeller’s Williamsburg”.

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What people are saying about Williamsburg, Virginia

Overall rating

4.4 / 5

based on 108 reviews

Catherine gave such an amazing tour to what ended up being just my husband and I. She even took us to some unplanned spots when we mentioned that we were interested. This is a must when visiting Williamsburg. Highly recommend!

We had a good time. The tour guide was very informative and his way of telling the history even kept the attention of my grandchildren.

Great tour! Learned a lot about this place and many interesting historical facts!

Our tour guide was great, he shared so much historical information.

We learned things that made Williamsburg even more interesting.