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?