Thursday, September 14, 2017

Things You Must Do In Colonial Williamsburg


I love history. It's always thrilled me. I read books about history. I watch shows about history. I talk constantly about history. ("Did you know Henry VIII wasn't supposed to be king? His brother Arthur was, but then he died, so it was Henry. And he was indulged and spoiled as a kid, because no one thought he'd be king, so no wonder he turned out like he did..")

I knew I had to visit Colonial Williamsburg, a place where history comes alive. You're transported into the 1700s. All the workers are in period clothes and speak like they're really in the 1700s. I should have asked them about Benedict Arnold.





Oh and if some areas look familiar, it might be because parts of the show Turn was filmed there. If you haven't seen the show yet, you should. It's about the Revolutionary War and Washington's Spies. Without them, we might not have won the war.


(This was in the series finale of Turn. The King of England was walking with Benedict Arnold. I think they said it was Hampton Court and I was all, "NO! That's the Governor's House at Colonial Williamsburg!")

Colonial Williamsburg is gorgeous! It's exciting! I practically clicked my heels when we arrived but I didn't because I didn't want to embarrass my family. But here are some things you MUST do while you are in Colonial Williamsburg:







1. See the fife players! They always come out at the end of the day. Check the daily schedule to see when they'll appear. Plus the word fife is fun to say.






2. Check out the stores or places of business. You can go into all of them and ask questions. (So long as you have an admission ticket!) I loved the print shop because, well, I love books:





3. Listen to the people talk about what goes on in the buildings. We learned how a court worked back in the day:




4. If you have kids, take them to the Patriot's Play area.




5. Learn to play the game of graces! It's a fun game with a hoop. You'll sometimes see people out playing and yes, you can join in!





6. Check out the animals! You'll see horses. A dog named Liberty. And a cow named George. (Among others!) Yes, you can pet if the handler says it's okay.





7. If you're in the military or a veteran, check out the Liberty Lounge. You can use the bathrooms, cool off, and get some coffee and water. Plus you can get info from the kind people in there. Colonial Williamsburg is generous to military members: an active duty member receives free tickets for themselves, plus 3 dependents. Also, you can save at stores at restaurants whenever you show an ID card.





8. Eat at one of the taverns. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but all the waiters are dressed up in period clothing and there's usually live music.





9. You CAN take a horse drawn carriage ride, but admittedly, we didn't do this. It was $20 a person, and we're cheap, so we just admired the horses as they went by.




10. Stay at one of the Colonial Williamsburg hotels! They are all incredibly close to the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is where you can purchase tickets and take the shuttle bus to Colonial Williamsburg. We stayed at the Governor's Inn, which is the cheapest of the Colonial Williamsburg hotels. We were about 5 minutes from the visitor's center by car.





11. Walk to Colonial Williamsburg from the Visitor's Center. It only takes about 10 minutes and you can see some cool things along the way.





12. Punish your kids if they start to get moody. "We're on vacation. You stay here until your tone changes."






13. Try the ginger biscuit. Not only do they SMELL amazing, but they taste amazing too:





14. Make people in your family wear things like this:









Have you ever been to Colonial Williamsburg?












87 comments:

  1. My brother lived there for a while and it was such an amazing place. I love everything you did!

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    1. Oh wow I bet living in the area is just amazing and you get so much time to explore everything as well.

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  2. I love visiting Williamsburg! I live a short distance in Newport News, so our family visits often. I love teaching my son the history surrounding where we live!

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  3. I love it, love it, love it. I love everything about Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Just great places to visit. We just recently went to Vermont and I highly recommend it on your to do list. It's beautiful there and so clean.

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  4. I love travel post and guides! This one is really good, great insight for when visiting Williamsburg xx

    http://teona.mk

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  5. wow!I love to visit such places.I am sure you had a great day with kids among the colonial experiences.Fife players are my favourite thing to see if I visit there...

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  6. I haven't been to Colonial Williamsburg, but I love history and it's on my list of places to visit soon. Thank you for the picture tour, it was great! I want a ginger biscuit!

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  7. This is one place I have been wanting to visit for a long time. We love anything historical and know we would enjoy every moment

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  8. My kids loved visiting Colonial Williamsburg! We all had such a great time and I'd love to take the grandkids now that they are old enough to enjoy the trip.

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  9. We have never been there but we are definitely into history. At some point in the next few years we are hoping to head out that way. I'm glad to see that it doesn't disappoint.

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  10. This sounds awesome - I love it when people dress in period-appropriate clothing too. I live in the Detroit area and we have something similar called Greenfield Village.

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  11. I hated history when I was growing up, forced to learn about it in school. As soon as I got out though, I found this love for history that I wished would have existed at that time. What a lovely place to visit. We love visiting places with historical references and back grounds.

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  12. What an amazing looking place to go to and explore, I bet it is wonderful seeing history in action with all the people in costumes.

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  13. We visited colonial Williamsburg a few years ago and had a fabulous time. Your photos took me right back to my trip!

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  14. Hahaha I love the one about your kids being moody. That is too funny. I think I would pass on the carriage ride as well. They likely just want to get more money out of tourists with that one.

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  15. i love history especially when they come to life like this one here! as a new comer to north america, visiting here is can be a good learning experience for me! www.crayonized.com

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  16. We visited back in 2008 and absolutely loved it! I want to go back...lol I remember making my son try on different clothing for pictures too! We ate at a Tavern with communal dining and had a wonderful experience. The beer and food was fantastic! They even had a magician/comedian there who was hilarious! I highly recommend going to Colonial Williamsburg...thanks for taking me down memory lane!

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  17. I've been to Williamsburg several times, but I've never done any of these things. I need plan us a trip and do some of these activites.

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  18. I've always wanted to visit Williamsburg! When I lived in DC it would have been so easy, but I never got there. Going to take my son soon!

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  19. I have always wanted to take the family here. How great that they have discounts and free tickets for service members.

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  20. We have Greenfield Village in Michigan which is also a place that goes back in time.

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  21. Loved every activity you did and it would have been fun to see "fife" drummers! I like historical places

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  22. We love to travel and experience many different things and this sounds like so much fun! It's historic plus such an educational experience.

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  23. How incredibly lucky you and your family are to be able to experience this colonial scene in Williamsburg. I live on the west coast, but I dream of visiting that area some day.

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  24. Such an amazing place to visit. Thank you for sharing your experience in detail.

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  25. Colonial Williamsburg looks really amazing!! Didn't know there would be so many things to do there! :)

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  26. What a great place to spend the day. I'll have one of the ginger cookies please!

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  27. History is fascinating indeed! Especially when you get to see it coming to life before your very eyes! The kids must have loved it there! Extra points for the ginger cookie!YUM!

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  28. What an awesome place to visit! I love American history and it's so neat to see it come alive! I think it's so interesting to see how people used to live back in the day!

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  29. A fun travel post .Itoomske my family dress up in costumes.But I hide

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  30. What an absolutely fun place! I have no doubt my kids would be enamored with everything!

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  31. Your kids are so blessed to have a mom who loves history! Colonial Williamsburg looks so fascinating. It would be hard for me to want to leave!

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  32. I absolutely LOVE all things historic (the logs that they used to build my house are from the 1800s!) and so this post was a really fun read! I can't get over those food prices tho, talk about inflation!

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  33. This is right up my alley. I am all about old history I'd love to visit!

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  34. This looks like it was a great trip. We are actually going to see a fife and drum group tomorrow.

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  35. Those places looks like a great and nice place to visit. I love historical places.Will definitely check this place.

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  36. This looks so much fun and a great place for families. I love experiencing places like these. Thanks for sharing.

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  37. $20 for a carriage ride is a great deal!! Wow, there's so many fun things to do.

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  38. I haven't got a chance to visit Colonial Williamsburg before but reading this makes my feet itchy. I really love trying on period clothes and traveling to historical places like this. Thanks so much for your post!

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  39. Colonial Williamsburg sounds like an awesome place to go to. I would certainly go to the print shop first and see the fife players.

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  40. I've never been but I'm 99% sure this is where my schoolteacher brother and his wife went on their honeymoon. Always made me smile.
    George the Cow is adorable, and ginger biscuits look divine.

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  41. I love learning about US history. Visiting old towns with history always brings me joy. I would love to go for a visit to Williamsburg!

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  42. The Patriot's Play area looks awesome! I bet the kids really enjoyed that part!

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  43. What a wonderful place for an educationally immersive tour! So much to learn and the kids look like they're enjoying it at the same time too :)

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  44. I have been here. Lol, we used to get season passes. We went multiple times through out the year and it's so fun to see the way they decorate for the seasons/holidays. My teens favorite place to visit is the coffee house.

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  45. I love Williamsburg. We started going there when I was a kid. We brought my daughter a few years ago.
    http://therantingsofadramaqueensmum.blogspot.com

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  46. This looks like the coolest town ever :) I really want to see the fife players and eat in the taverns. It must have been an awesome experience.

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  47. Love places where history comes alive. I do hope to visit Williamsburg one day.

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    1. I am totally the same it is amazing seeing it all happen in front of you as it would have once upon a time.

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  48. We went there a couple of years ago and we loved it. We did not get to see the reenactment though so if we ever go back, we will do that.

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  49. Oh it looks like y'all had so much fun! I have never been, but i would love to take the kids and check out all of the fun stuff to do !

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  50. I love taking my kids to places where history comes alive like this. I need to get the family to Colonial Williamsburg.

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  51. You guys must have had a lot of fun there. I also love visiting places with historical stories behind them.

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  52. Wow, for us travellers, its always fun meeting history.

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  53. Would love to visit this place. It’s fun to be transported back in time even for a short period of time.

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  54. My brother went to William and Mary so I know it well. But that was long time ago, I would love to go back and take my daughter. There are some many things to do which you showcase.

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  55. I need to take my kids here! I love history as well! Love the outfits, whenever I see someone dressed up from the past that is my favorite part.

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  56. In Canada, we have Upper Canada Village and this reminds me so much of it! I was telling my husband that we need to do something like this as a family!

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  57. This looks like the kind of town you see in those old-timey films :) Amazing!

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  58. I have not been to see Colonial Williamsburg since I was a child. I really want to take my kids and these are some great must-sees.

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  59. I've never visited Colonial Williamsburg before but I love visiting historic sites. It sounds like it would be so fun to visit and you'd learn so much about what life was like back then!

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  60. My kids would really enjoy a trip there. Their school does this stuff a lot!

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  61. I grew up in Maryland and traveling to Williamsburg was a family ritual. Your post has brought back amazing memories. Definitely a place to visit!

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  62. This is so much fun! There is so much educational value on a visit like this one! I hope one day I get to visit this beautiful town!

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  63. Looks like great place to visit with family it include both history and fun. I would like to take my kids there sometime.

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  64. There are lots of interesting to do! I'd love to explore this place with the whole family. My niece would surely enjoy this.

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  65. Wow looks like an interesting place.. I would love to explore this place with my kiddo and family... I just love to know about history and it seems like a fun way with family

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  66. Williamsburg looks and sounds like a great lace to connect with history. I am completely smitten by the printing press!

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  67. So much to experience especially if you're a huge fan of history. I think the kids will learn so much while having fun as well. Definitely worth the visit!

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    1. I agree. It looks like so much fun. I am all about visiting places that have history to learn while having fun with my kids. I hope to get here some day.

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  68. My niece has been there and she loved it. She's a huge history buff! Ever since she has gone I have been really wanting to go because she talks about it all the time.

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  69. We love Colonial Williamsburg. We took the kids when they were younger and the grandkids visited a few months ago.

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  70. This is such perfect timing. We're going to VA this summer and want to visit a few of these spots!!

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  71. I absolutely love visiting educational places like this. We haven't been to Colonial Williamsburg yet, but we do try to make one domestic trip each year, so I'm going to have to make sure we put this on our US travel bucket list. My girls would totally dig it, I'm sure.

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  72. I love visiting colonial villages. I just moved to the east coast so this is a must see for me!

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  73. Wow! Colonial Williamsburg sounds really an amazing place to visit! Can't wait to go here!

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  74. I have always wanted to go there. My nephew with his family visited the place before and had a blast. Hopefully, we get to visit the place soon.

    -LYNNDEE

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  75. That looks like a lot of fun. I love that there is a lot you can learn here too. I always love seeing historical stuff like this.

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  76. This looks like a fun trip! There are lots that I would love to experience and taste!

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  77. oh, wow! What a fun trip and very educational. I would love to take my family there someday and experience this kind adventure. Thanks for sharing!

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  78. I went to Colonial Williamsburg when I was a kid and it was one of my favorite destinations. One of my kids went there for a school trip and he loved it too. It looks like your family enjoyed it!

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  79. How many unusual and interesting things you can do in Colonial Williamsburg. and yes! it's gorgeous!!!

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  80. This place looks amazing! I would love to visit because I love historical building and learning about history!

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  81. I really like exploring colonial Boston. This sounds like another city that I need to get to.

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  82. Sounds like such a great place to visit. I love that they take care of the military when they visit.

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  83. I LOVE Colonial Williamsburg! I think everyone should visit at least once! It is a great way to discover a piece of history and family time too!

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Thanks for the comment!