Williamsburg is the middle point of the Historic Triangle, with Jamestown at one end and Yorktown at the other and a colonial parkway linking all three. Trying to do the whole triangle in a day flattens it, because each end holds two competing museums rather than one. The town also carries a major theme park, which is why most trips here are really two holidays booked together.
The top 12, ranked
Ranked by how consistently each pick appears across official Williamsburg sources, the local destination marketing organization, and recent independent roundups.
- Top pick
1Best for History · #1 of 12
Colonial Williamsburg
Historic SiteHistoric AreaThe Historic Area streets stay open and walkable. Ticketed buildings, trade shops and evening programs rotate through the week and thin out in the low season.$50 plusThe restored eighteenth century capital is the largest living history museum in the country, a full working town of original and reconstructed buildings staffed by tradespeople and interpreters. Duke of Gloucester Street, the Governor's Palace and the Capitol carry the visit, and the trade shops are where it stops being scenery and becomes a place.
Local tipBuy the multi day pass rather than a single day, because the trade shops and the palace tours are timed and a single day forces a choice between them.
- Top pick
2Best for Family · #2 of 12
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Family AttractionEast of townRuns a seasonal calendar rather than opening daily all year, heaviest in summer, with a Halloween event on selected autumn nights and a Christmas season before a midwinter closure.$50 plusA European themed park built into wooded ravines a few minutes east of town, with more than fifty rides including a heavy roster of coasters, plus a Scottish village, an Italian village and a working bird show. The landscaping is far better than the format usually allows, which is why it draws adults as well as teenagers.
Local tipStart at the back of the park and work forward, because most arrivals turn right into England and the far villages stay quiet for the first hour.
- Top pick
3Best for History · #3 of 12
Jamestown Settlement
MuseumJamestownOpen daily year round except a small number of winter holidays. Outdoor areas can close in extreme heat while the galleries stay open.$25 to $50The state run museum of the first permanent English colony pairs indoor galleries on the Powhatan, the English and West Central Africans with a large outdoor recreation of the 1610 fort, a Paspahegh town and full size replicas of the three ships that made the crossing. Interpreters work all three areas.
Local tipDo the outdoor areas first and the galleries afterwards, since the ships and the fort are exposed and become unpleasant once the afternoon heat sets in.
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4Best for History · #4 of 12
Historic Jamestowne
Historic SiteJamestownOpen daily with a gate entrance that closes well before the site does. Closed on a small number of winter holidays.$25 to $50This is the actual archaeological site of the 1607 fort, run jointly by the National Park Service and the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, with an active dig, the church tower that survives from the 1600s and the Archaearium museum holding thousands of excavated artifacts. It answers a different question from the settlement museum next door.
Local tipTake the ranger or archaeologist led tour rather than walking it alone, because much of what matters here is below ground and needs explaining.
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5Best for History · #5 of 12
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
MuseumYorktownOpen daily year round except a small number of winter holidays. Outdoor demonstrations follow a daily schedule that shifts by season.$25 to $50The companion museum to Jamestown Settlement covers the whole Revolution rather than the siege alone, with immersive galleries, a wide screen film of the Yorktown siege and outdoor living history at a Continental Army encampment and a Revolution era farm. Artillery and musket demonstrations run through the day.
Local tipBuy the combination ticket with Jamestown Settlement if both are on the list, since it costs far less than two separate admissions and stays valid over several days.
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6Best for History · #6 of 12
Yorktown Battlefield
Historic SiteYorktownGrounds and tour roads are open daily. The visitor center and the historic houses keep shorter hours and some structures open only seasonally.Under $10The National Park Service preserves the ground where the last major battle of the Revolution ended in British surrender, including the siege lines, the Moore House where terms were negotiated, the Nelson House and the national cemetery. A driving tour links the earthworks and a free app narrates the route.
Local tipDrive the battlefield tour road rather than only visiting the center, because the redoubts and siege lines only make sense in sequence.
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7Best for Family · #7 of 12
Water Country USA
Family AttractionEast of townOperates on a warm season calendar only, generally from late spring through early autumn, with hours that vary day to day. Closed through the cool months.$50 plusThe largest water park in the mid Atlantic sits a few minutes from Busch Gardens under the same ownership, with a heavy slide roster, a wave pool and a lazy river across a wooded site. It is the standard second day for families who have already done the rides park.
Local tipLook for the combination ticket with Busch Gardens rather than buying two separate admissions, since the two parks are run together and priced accordingly.
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8Best for Free landmarks · #8 of 12
Wren Building at William and Mary
Historic SiteHistoric AreaPublic access follows the university calendar and is reduced during examinations, ceremonies and holidays. The surrounding campus is open to walk.FreeThe oldest college building still in use in the United States stands at the west end of Duke of Gloucester Street, anchoring the second oldest university in the country. Classes still meet inside, and the chapel, the great hall and the surrounding ancient campus are open to visitors without a Colonial Williamsburg ticket.
Local tipWalk through the building and out into the Sunken Garden behind it, because the campus side is where the college stops being a monument and starts being a university.
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9Best for Art · #9 of 12
Muscarelle Museum of Art
MuseumHistoric AreaOpen most days with shorter hours than a large city museum, and closures that follow the university calendar.FreeThe William and Mary art museum sits on the edge of the historic campus and pairs a permanent collection of American and European work with an ambitious exhibition program that has brought Italian old master drawings to a town otherwise dominated by the eighteenth century. It is the one stop here that is not about the colonial period.
Local tipCheck the current exhibition before going, because the temporary shows are the reason to visit and the permanent hang is modest by comparison.
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10Best for Tours · #10 of 12
The Williamsburg Winery
TourSouth of townTasting room open daily with a last call before closing. Tours run to a set daily schedule and require booking.$25 to $50Virginia's largest winery works a four hundred acre farm a few minutes south of the Historic Area, with cellar tours, tastings, a restaurant and an inn on the same property. It gives the trip an adult evening that does not involve another costumed interpreter.
Local tipBook the tour and tasting in advance rather than arriving on spec, since the guided cellar slots fill and the tasting room alone is a much thinner visit.
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11Best for Family · #11 of 12
Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg
Family AttractionEast of townThe indoor water park runs year round and is warm whatever the season. Day pass availability varies with resort occupancy and sells out on peak weekends.$50 plusA large indoor water park kept warm through the year, attached to a family resort near Busch Gardens. Because day passes are sold alongside overnight stays, it works as a weather proof alternative on the days when the outdoor parks and the historic streets are washed out.
Local tipBuy a half day pass rather than a full one if the visit is a rain contingency, because the water park is compact and a full day is more time than most groups need.
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12Best for Family · #12 of 12
Ripley's Believe It or Not Williamsburg
Family AttractionRichmond RoadOpen daily into the evening year round, with longer hours through the summer season.$10 to $25An oddities museum on the Richmond Road tourist strip holding several hundred artifacts, illusions and interactive games across two floors. It is the least serious thing in a town built on serious history, which is exactly why it works as a break for children who have reached their limit with interpreters.
Local tipSave it for late in a trip rather than early, since it lands far better as relief after two days of colonial history than as a first stop.
Where things cluster
The Historic Triangle spreads across three towns. These four clusters keep a day at one corner of it rather than driving the parkway twice.
- Historic AreaThe restored colonial capital and the ancient campus of William and Mary at its western end, all walkable and closed to through traffic.
- JamestownThe island and the mainland beside it, holding the archaeological site of the 1607 fort and the state museum with the ship replicas, about fifteen minutes from town.
- YorktownThe siege ground, the waterfront village and the Revolution museum at the far end of the Colonial Parkway, roughly twenty five minutes away.
- East of town and Richmond RoadThe theme park, the water parks and the commercial strip where the family attractions and most of the chain hotels sit.
Make it a day
The town, done properly
Give the whole day to the Historic Area, starting at the Capitol end of Duke of Gloucester Street before the tour groups arrive. Work west through the trade shops to the Wren Building and keep the late afternoon for the Governor's Palace.
One end of the triangle each day
Spend the first day on the Historic Area and the college, finishing at the winery in the evening. Use the second for one end of the parkway only, either both Jamestown museums or Yorktown battlefield and its Revolution museum.
Ships in the morning, rides after
Open at Jamestown Settlement and let the fort and the ship replicas carry the first half of the day. Move to Busch Gardens for the afternoon and evening, or to Water Country if the heat makes the queues unbearable.
Map
Best time to visit
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Spring and early autumn are the clear windows, with comfortable weather for the long outdoor walking the Historic Area demands and the theme park still running a full calendar. Midsummer is hot and humid, the outdoor living history areas can close in extreme heat, and the theme park queues are at their worst. Winter is quiet and cheap, but the water parks close entirely and the Historic Area runs a much reduced program of open buildings.
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Williamsburg things to do FAQ
Parking, timing, cost, and weather answers for a smoother visit.
What is the difference between Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne?
They are two separate attractions with separate tickets. Jamestown Settlement is a state run museum with galleries, a recreated fort and full size ship replicas staffed by interpreters. Historic Jamestowne is the real archaeological site of the 1607 fort, run by the National Park Service and the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, with an active excavation and the excavated artifacts. History minded visitors usually prefer the second, families with young children usually prefer the first.
How many days do you need in Williamsburg?
Three days is the honest answer for the Historic Triangle. One day for Colonial Williamsburg, one for Jamestown and one for Yorktown. Add a further day if Busch Gardens is on the list, because the park absorbs a full day on its own and does not combine well with a morning of history.
Do you need a ticket to walk around Colonial Williamsburg?
No. The streets of the Historic Area are public and free to walk, including Duke of Gloucester Street, the greens and the exteriors of every building. A ticket is needed to enter the exhibition buildings, the Governor's Palace, the Capitol and the trade shops, and to join most guided programs. Walking without a ticket is a reasonable evening plan but a poor substitute for a full visit.
Is Williamsburg walkable?
The Historic Area and the adjoining college campus are entirely walkable and largely traffic free, and that is where most visitors spend their time. Jamestown and Yorktown are fifteen and twenty five minutes away by car on the Colonial Parkway, and the theme parks and hotel strip need a vehicle. A car is effectively required for anything beyond the town center.
Is Williamsburg good for kids?
Unusually so for a history destination. Colonial Williamsburg is built around costumed interpretation, live trades and animals rather than glass cases, Jamestown Settlement lets children board ship replicas, and Yorktown runs artillery demonstrations. Busch Gardens, Water Country and the indoor water park give the trip a non historical release valve when attention runs out.
What is the Colonial Parkway?
A twenty three mile scenic road built by the National Park Service linking Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, with no commercial traffic, no billboards and long stretches along the James and York rivers. It is part of Colonial National Historical Park, and driving it is the intended way to move between the three corners of the Historic Triangle. Sections are periodically closed for repaving work.
Keep planning
Use these nearby guides to extend your Williamsburg trip with a different pace and a clear next stop.
Hero image: Governor’s Palace at Colonial Williamsburg, photograph by Fletcher6, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped to 16:9.