Best Things To Do in Williamsburg, Virginia

Are you looking for what to do in Williamsburg?

  • Colonial Williamsburg: A living history museum that will shed light on the revolutionary city of Williamsburg and its historical significance. A number of sites exist within Colonial Williamsburg such as museums, churches and buildings that have been restored. One of the must-visit Williamsburg attractions!
  • Historic Jamestowne, Williamsburg: Historic Jamestowne is the cultural heritage site where the city of Jamestown was established in 1607. It will give you a glimpse into the lives of early settlers through artefacts and movies.
  • Jamestown Settlement: Another living history museum where the lives of the people of Jamestown are portrayed. On-going archaeological work keeps happening.
  • Busch Gardens Williamsburg: A 383 acre theme park that has been divided into different hamlets representing different countries and lots of rides. A great place to take the kids.
  • The College of William and Mary: The second oldest institution of higher education in the United States only after Harvard University. A great place for a quiet, reflective stroll.
  • Water Country USA: A water theme park with exciting water rides for the young and old alike. One of the major fun things to do in Williamsburg!

Below we have a list of things to do in Williamsburg and the places where you want to spend the best moments of your trip. At the same time, the city offers you the best neighborhoods to explore and new foods to try.

This list should help you in deciding and prioritizing what you should plan on your Williamsburg getaway. Find a mix of must-see tourist spots, underrated local hangouts, and maybe even a few new experiences you can try out.

Make the most of your trip to Williamsburg with confidence.

Tourist Attractions in Williamsburg

Here is the list of things to do in Williamsburg and tourist attractions in city.

  1. Busch Gardens

    4.6 (913 Votes)
    Busch Gardens

    Outdoors, Garden, Leisure, Adventure

    Busch Gardens is a theme park located in James City County that opened in 1975. The park is broken into different parts or “countries” each showcasing different food and music. England, Germany, Italy, France, Scotland and Ireland—they’re all there.      Jack Hanna’s Wild Reserve is also located within the park with an area dedicated to the reha...Read more
  2. Historic Jamestowne

    4.7 (788 Votes)
    Historic Jamestowne

    Outdoors, Educational Site, Historical Site, Architecture

    Located on the James River, Historic Jamestowne is the cultural heritage site where the city of Jamestown was established way back in 1607. It was the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The heritage site is jointly taken care of and operated by US National Park Service and Preservation Virgini...Read more
  3. Jamestown Settlement

    4.7 (630 Votes)
    Jamestown Settlement

    Museum, History Museum, Educational Site, Archaeological Site

    Jamestown Settlement is a living history museum where costumed interpreters portray the life of a resident of Jamestown in the 17th century. It is a comprehensive reconstruction of the life and times of the early English settlers and the settlement is situated adjacent to Historic Jamestowne. It was in the 19th century that the first efforts were made at historical preservation and since then, ...Read more
  4. Water Country Usa

    4.6 (469 Votes)
    Water Country Usa

    Outdoors, Amusement Park, Theme Park, Water Park

    Water Country USA is a water theme park that lies 5 km away from Williamsburg and is considered Mid-Atlantic’s largest water park. It’s just a stone’s throw away from Busch Gardens. The theme park also has kid-friendly pools, and if you’re not in for the thrill of the rides, it even has plenty of places for you to relax and work on your tan. Includes water rides like: A...Read more
  5. Governor's Palace

    4.7 (406 Votes)
    Governor's Palace

    Outdoors, Educational Site, Historical Site, Architecture

    The Governor’s Palace is one of the largest buildings in Colonial Williamsburg that was built in the early 1700s. It used to be the official residence of the Royal Governors of the Colony of Virginia and served as its capital before it was moved to Richmond in 1780. The Palace subsequently burned down in 1781 and was painstakingly reconstructed at the original site during the 1930s. The a...Read more
  6. College Of William And Mary

    4.6 (490 Votes)
    College Of William And Mary

    Outdoors, Educational Site, Architecture

    The College of William and Mary, the second oldest institution of higher education in the United States only after Harvard University, is a public research university founded in 1693 located in Williamsburg. One of its most notable students was none other than Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of America. It has also educated many other key figures that have been instrumental in the...Read more
  7. Williamsburg Pottery

    3.3 (338 Votes)
    Williamsburg Pottery

    Outdoors, Entertainment, Shopping Center, Specialty Shop

    Williamsburg Pottery Factory is a retail outlet store located west of Williamsburg in Lightfoot, Virginia and was founded in 1938 by James E. Maloney. The outlet used to be ‘bare boned’, however, in 2012, went through a major redevelopment to attract tourists. If you want to buy ceramic items, you will get beautiful pieces here at affordable prices. It’s a shopaholic’s p...Read more
  8. DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum

    Art Museum, Museum, Outdoors, Observatory

    The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum is one of the attractions at Colonial Williamsburg. The museum is named after DeWitt Wallace who was one of the founders of the Reader’s Digest magazine. The museum was opened in 1985. The museum, unlike the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum which is focussed on folk art, is dedicated to “finer things”. You enter the museum thro...Read more
  9. Yankee Candle Company

    4.7 (255 Votes)
    Yankee Candle Company

    Outdoors, Shopping Center, Specialty Shop

    The Yankee Candle Company, known colloquially simply as Yankee Candle, is a retail outlet that sells candles, candleholders, dinnerware and accessories. Its first store opened in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, in 1989. Its second flagship store was opened in Williamsburg in 2005. At the store, you get a chance to make your own candle which is one extremely enjoyable and therapeutic activity.&n...Read more
  10. King's Arms Tavern

    4.6 (171 Votes)
    King's Arms Tavern

    Hotel, Outdoors, Food And Drinks, Restaurant

    The King’s Arms Tavern is one of the rustic reproduction taverns of Colonial Williamsburg. Your server will be dressed in the fashion of the 18th century and the food will be scrumptious and to your taste. The restaurant was originally established in 1772. It used to be one of the most frequented taverns of its time. It offers a chophouse menu which includes roasted lamb, prime rib and p...Read more
  11. Pirates Cove Adventure Golf

    4.6 (131 Votes)
    Pirates Cove Adventure Golf

    Outdoors, Golf Course, Play

    Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf was first established in 1983 in Traverse City, Michigan, and its mission is to provide quality, family-oriented fun and entertainment to children and adults. It’s an award-winning miniature golf course telling the story of pirates through the challenging course. Aye! The golf course includes pirate themed décor and props. There are cascading wat...Read more
  12. Public Hospital Museum

    Museum, Educational Site, Specialty Museum

    The Public Hospital Museum was actually the first mental hospital in North America. It admitted its first patient in 1773. It used to be known as Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds. The idea back then was the mental illness was a disease of the brain and a mentally ill person had chosen to behave that way and was acting irrational. Treating the patients included horrific...Read more
  13. Spooks And Legends Haunted Tours

    Outdoors, Entertainment

    A great tour to take if you like to be spooked! Learn about the legends and the ghost stories of Colonial Williamsburg. These are two tours that are available: The dead of night tour: Meets at Cheese Shop in Merchants Square, 410 W. Duke of Gloucester Street Features costumed tour guides who talk about the most recent accounts of ghostly encounters. This is not a historical tour. No props are ...Read more
  14. Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course

    Entertainment, Adventure

    Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course is located in Freedom Park, located a few minutes away from Colonial Williamsburg. The course allows participants to view the park from a vantage point that is otherwise inaccessible. There are a lot of obstacles that participants have to battle, making it a fun-filled 2-3 hour activity. Afraid of heights? The park employees have helped allay a lot of fears since...Read more
  15. Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

    4.2 (218 Votes)
    Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

    Outdoors, Entertainment, Exhibition , Specialty Shop

    The museum or “odditorium” is worth visiting if you revel in the weird and the peculiar. This museum will give you a chance to see things like shrunken heads, a prehistoric shark’s jaw, a real vampire killing kit, and a 12 foot tall Transformer sculpture made out of scrap parts! The museum really gives weight to something that Robert Ripley himself said: “Some of the mos...Read more

Williamsburg
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  • Are there bike trails nearby

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  • Are there any plays going on--either afternoon or evening?

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    • Williamsburg Players Inc and Kimball Theater are two well-known performing arts theaters in Williamsburg. You may visit the official website of these theaters to check out their schedule of plays. 

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