Colonial Williamsburg

Guided and self-guided Colonial Williamsburg tours included with admission take guests through 18th-century homes and gardens on foot. Visitors can buy single-day tickets, multi-day passes, or a 7-day package that grants access to nearby historic sites such as Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown Victory Center, and Yorktown Battlefield.

While private excursions and carriage rides are an option, Colonial Williamsburg is best known for evening ghost tours tailored to children and adults. Historical reenactor tour guides typically lead these outings, providing guests with stories of haunted encounters from the 18th century to the present.

• The museum is a must-see for American history buffs and families with children.

• Prepare for lots of outdoor walking with comfortable shoes and sunscreen.

• Buy tickets online, at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, the Visitor Center, the Lumber House Ticket Office.

• Hotels, restaurants, and shops are wheelchair accessible.

• Download the Colonial Williamsburg Explorer app for easy access to digital tickets, coupons, directions, and event calendars.

• Your admission supports Colonial Williamsburg's mission of preservation and education.

• Fine general info and educational exhibits at the visitor center.

Williamsburg is in southwest Virginia in the Historic Triangle. It's easily accessible by car via Route 60. In the city, public buses and a shuttle are the best ways to reach the site. The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry from Surry, Virginia, takes the most scenic route. Amtrak and Greyhound offer convenient transportation from East Coast cities.

Open to visitors year-round from 9am to 5pm, Colonial Williamsburg tends to be busiest during the afternoon. Beat the crowds by visiting the historic area on weekday or weekend mornings. Popular seasonal events include a Fourth of July celebration and an annual Grand Illumination during the holiday season.

Visitors flock to Colonial Williamsburg to see one of its longest-running evening programs with a twist. Cry Witch, an interactive play that first debuted in the 1980s, allows guests to immerse themselves in the colonial era by participating in a witch trial based on real historical events. Buy your admission ticket early—the play is one of Williamsburg's hottest tickets and often sells out.

Yes. You can visit Colonial Williamsburg for free. You can stroll past the 18th-century buildings of the Historic Area, watch some re-enactments, visit select sites, shops, and restaurants; and buy horse-and-carriage rides. However, Colonial Williamsburg tickets let you enter historical buildings like the Capitol Building, and enjoy interpreter-guided tours, demonstrations, and more for a richer experience.

It takes between two and three days to fully experience Colonial Williamsburg. That gives you time to explore all the historical buildings, view museums, browse shops, enjoy re-enactments, and take horse-and-carriage rides and additional tours. However, if you only have a day, it’s still possible to experience some key attractions, plus shopping and dining.

Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area is one mile (1.6 kilometers) by 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers). A leisurely walk around its buildings’ exteriors and shops will probably take around three hours. However, if you’re exploring inside the historic buildings, watching presentations, souvenir shopping, and visiting a restaurant, it’ll likely take a day.

Start by touring the Capitol, where Virginia’s Assembly once sat, before browsing colonial shops like the wigmaker, armory, and apothecary. After a restaurant lunch, tour the Governor’s Palace, watch re-enactments, and see the fife-and-drum cannon salute outside the Courthouse. Finish with a ghost tour or colonial tavern dinner.

Yes, Colonial Williamsburg is worth visiting, especially if you’re a history buff or have children. As the world’s largest living history museum, it offers 88 original 18th-century buildings along with costumed re-enactors, craft demos, shops, performances, and more. Visiting is therefore less about charting the past but rather reliving it in rich, realistic detail.

Yes. Find free parking at the visitor center, a stroll or free shuttle ride from the Historic Area. Find more free parking at the Colonial Williamsburg Art Museums on nearby S. Nassau Street. Plus, you’ll find several parking lots close by, some with fixed-duration free parking.