Williamsburg – Mixing History with Pleasure

From visiting the 17th century to a 383-acre theme park, Williamsburg has something for every family member! It is a destination full of adventure and activities that are all outdoors, so plan ahead and bring rain gear just in case! With more than four million tourists each year, peak season falls around holidays and the summer (school’s out!). We went the first week of June before school was out and practically had the park to ourselves – there literally wasn’t a wait for anything.

Williamsburg was capital of the Virginia Colony from 1699 to 1780 and played a significant role in the American Revolution. The live history experiences in Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown captivated our four year old. Take advantage by asking a lot of questions and interacting – our daughter was able to help with picking vegetables from the garden, cooking, spinning wool, and more! Everyone in costume has a story to tell, you just need to ask 🙂

Opposite the relaxed “olden times” is the thrill of Busch Gardens. The park is broken into “countries”, each having its unique style of food and music. There are abundant rides for the little ones which was a pleasant surprise.

I teamed up with Visit Williamsburg on this trip, and I highly recommend reaching out to them if you have any questions or need recommendations (seriously an incredible resource).  They are immensely knowledgeable and kind, making our trip one to remember!

We have compiled a list of the three A’s: Accommodations, Adventures, and Appetite!  If you have any questions about Williamsburg or our trip please shoot us an email!

Accommodations

We were hosted by CW Resorts and stayed at the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel & Suites. We had a one bedroom suite which is ideal for families – a separate living space and bedroom is our preferred arrangement. A continental breakfast is included (yes please!) as well as free mini golf, fitness center, splash park, pool, and on site restaurant. There is also a complimentary shuttle that takes you to Busch Gardens hourly and to Colonial Williamsburg every 15 minutes.

Let me take a moment to tell you that the mini golf and splash park are AMAZING. We stayed at the splash park for hours and had to force our kids to come eat dinner. The mini golf course was so fun for littles learning, as there was no one else playing and gave us time to play without stress of needing to move fast.

The suite itself was very comfortable and we thought the decor was very charming, it fit right in with the colonial feel. There was an entire middle school there the first night we stayed and the hotel handled that massive group very well, it never interfered with us.

Adventures

Busch Gardens – Roller coasters, shows, and plenty of rides our littles could enjoy made Busch Gardens a favorite family stop. We went during the Food & Wine Festival – I would highly recommend visiting during this time. All the food we tried was delicious and it was fun to taste different countries specialities all in one place! Thankfully we brought rain coats because it poured for a solid hour – then all clear from there.  Sesame Place was our girls favorite place in the park.

Colonial Williamsburg – Step back in time to Colonial America and learn about this revolutionary city through reenactments and hands-on activities. Talk to those dressed in period clothing and you must tour the beautiful Governor’s Palace (no strollers allowed). We really enjoyed slowly wandering around this area.

Jamestown Settlement – America’s first permanent English colony, comes to life through an outdoor living history. Our daughter enjoyed making pottery with Native Americans and going on the ships here. We spent the most time in the settlement helping them pick vegetables and herbs, then cooking them over the open fire. My daughter would have stayed here all day!

American Revolution Museum at Yorktown – See where American independence was won at the Yorktown Battlefield. We enjoyed seeing all the chickens and gardens.  Dan enjoyed the tobacco barn in the back. Inside the museum you must stay for the “Liberty Fever” panoramic film – it is an amazing show complete with effects (our 4 year old loved it but I wouldn’t recommend it for the tiny ones due to loud noise and flashing lights).

Appetite

Virginia Beer Company – A great place to stop in for some local brew. Very family friendly, there was a corner full of games and a great outdoor space.  They had a food truck on site the day we went.

The Scottish Pig – This food truck was at Virginia Beer Company. The barbecue was delicious – we had both a plate and nachos. We recommend the plate, as the nachos did not have as much barbecue and could have used more toppings.

Huzzah’s Eatery – This restaurant is at our hotel and we ordered a pizza there – it was very good! Great atmosphere for families with ping pong tables and corn hole outside.

Jamestown Settlement Cafe – On site at Jamestown Settlement this restaurant has a menu to delight anyone. We had all shared several items and they were all equally tasty! It is funny to see people dressed in character come in to the cafe to eat.