What to Do (History-related) in Greater Williamsburg:
Colonial Williamsburg: Ah, the grand dame of the trip. Colonial Williamsburg deserves a full-day (if not two) of your vacation. If you’re traveling with young kids, must-see stops include:
- The Wigmaker: Where kids learn about yak, goat, and human hair made into fashionable wigs.
- The Powell House: Where kids can participate in hands-on cooking demonstrations, arts-and-crafts, dressing up like 18th century gentleman and ladies.
- The Kids Corner: My boys loved playing old-fashioned games like marbles and hoop rolling.
Also, once you spend the day at Colonial Williamsburg make sure to walk around Merchants Square in the evening. It’s chock-full of cute shops, restaurants and cobblestone streets. We ate dinner at the super yummy Retro’s Good Eats in Downtown Williamsburg (which was very budget-friendly). The kids loved the old-fashion sundaes, root beer floats and malts. My cheeseburger with cole slaw was super delicious, while my son’s grilled cheese hit the spot (he ate every bite). Yummy sides like fried pickles, sweet potato fries and onion rings, make this one of the most popular kid-friendly restaurants in town. Insider tip: The giant chalkboard at Retro’s that encompasses half the wall and the bucket of colorful chalks, is a great way to keep the kids busy while waiting for the food to arrive.
Historic Jamestowne: We started our tour here at the Historic Jamestown Visitor Center, where exhibits and a multi-media theater presentation provide background on Jamestown's beginnings. Then we walked through the town site to see the original church tower dating to the 1690s and the foundation of some the earliest buildings in Virginia. The Ed Shed, which opened in the spring 2015, was the biggest hit: it targets young kids by providing an interactive experience allowing my boys to discover artifacts just like a real archaeologist.
Jamestown Settlement: After Colonial Williamsburg, this was the favorite historical spot for my boys. They loved roaming through the Powhatan Indian village, especially seeing all the animal skins. We also spent a good amount of time exploring the three ships that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607. The period-custom sailors were extremely helpful answer my kids questions and engaging them in history. The 1610 is a great place for dress-up. Insider tip: Have lunch at the Jamestown Settlement Café. The brisket with jalapeno is delicious, as is the pulled-pork sandwiches. There’s a nice variety of hot food (quesadillas and Rueben’s) as well as salads and wraps. The kids enjoyed the freshly-made cookies, fruit cups and, of course, the chicken nuggets.
Yorktown Victory Center: Since trying to explain the American Revolution to kids under six can prove daunting, we skipped the indoor museum and headed straight out back to the living-history exhibits. My boys learned how the settlers preserved meats (they loved holding an actual pig foot dried in salt) and how they dried fruits and vegetables. We visited soldier’s tents and saw old-fashioned shaving kits, toothbrushes and simple cot beds. The star, of course, was the watching the loading and firing of the canon. Insider tip: If your kids are young, head directly outside and visit each station there. The kids will love the period costumes and the 1780s Virginia farm display.
What to Do (Non-History Related) in Greater Williamsburg:
Go-Karts Plus: My kids are not tall (45 and 47 inches), so I was prepared to go on many of the rides with them and was pleasantly surprised by just how much fun car racing, water bumper cars and water wars could be. Insider tip: wear swim wear if you have any desire to hit any aqua parts of the park—you’ll get soaked. We dressed accordingly and managed to spend 5 hours at the park before we even realized it. The kids especially loved the water bumper cars racing rides and I loved the miniature golf and water wars. You can easily make a day out of the park. Go early, the shift seems to change around 4 and the lines start forming. At 11, when it opens, we had the park to ourselves.
Go Ape Treetop Junior: I admit, I’m an adventurous type of mom. I love anything that challenges me physically and gets the heart-rate up. My six-year old is also an adrenaline junkie, while my four-year-old likes to play it safe and cautious. What makes Go Ape so much fun, is that it builds confidence, so the boys were both super proud of themselves when they finished loop one. Basically, the center is a ropes, obstacle course above ground. While being harnessed (and safe!) at all times, kids zipline, walk over a balance beam, step gingerly over a (what seems like) rickety bridge, all the while testing their balance, endurance and courage. Both boys were super excited to make it through the course. Jack, my older one, even did loop 2 (the more difficult course) again…and again. Insider tip: Plan to spend two hours here. Your ticket allows you 1.5 hours, doing the loops as many times as you want, but if you’re traveling with little kids, it takes a while to go to the bathroom, get harnessed, work up courage to do the first obstacle…
Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Of course, what kid doesn’t love an amusement park? This one has a special Sesame Street Forest of Fun area for the little tykes. We spent a good chunk of time here. Insider tip: Make sure to bring a bathing suit and towel. The splash pads are life savers on a hot day. We also really enjoyed the Land of Dragons, which involved nets and slides and a bumper car area just for little ones (my youngest, Matthew, must have gone on the bumper cars about a dozen times). If you’re spending the day at the park (like we did), one of the best places to eat is Das Festhaus in the Oktoberfest part of the park. For adults, they have authentic German sausage, smoked BBQ ribs and a great stage show with singing and dancing. For kids, there’s plenty of yummy options including authentic pretzels and yummy pretzel-wrapped hot dogs (a big hit with my boys).
Water Country, USA: We spent most of our time in the three kiddie areas—Cow-A-Bunga, H20 UFO and Kritter Korral. Insider tip: As soon as you get to the park, head to the H20 UFO area and put down your towels, bags, strollers and snacks. There are six ginormous umbrellas providing shade to the many lounge chairs. It’s the ideal place to throw your things for the day. Another favorite spot was the Surfer’s Bay Wave Pool where every 10 minutes the water goes from calm to wavy (my kids adored this area). The adults really enjoyed the lazy river. We spent most of the day there (the lines get longer as the day went on, so we were happy we got there right when it opened).
Yankee Candle Village: I didn’t realize all the fun to be had at Yankee Candle’s flagship Williamsburg store. My kids loved making their own candle jar (there were over a dozen colors and scents to choose from and my art-loving boys made a rainbow smelling and looking display). I really loved the wax hand station; a perfect keepsake not only of our visit, but of remembering the smallness of my boys’ four and six year old hands. The dip-your-own critter station is also lots of fun—critters include pirates, ships, horses, lanterns, Christmas trees, Easter eggs and more. My sons picked the pirate and the ship and were amazed how many colors they could dip their wax critters in. Finally, the make-your-own-jar-of-candy was, understandably, the biggest hit. With options ranging from sour patches, tootsie rolls, gummy worms, edible Lego’s and lollipops, my boys made sure to stuff not only the jar, but the lid.
Where to Stay in Greater Williamsburg:
Kingsmill Resort: The reason to stay here? The pool. It feels like a beach, pool and water park in one. With a lazy river, a giant sandbox with toys, a big water slide, a large swimming area, a concession stand and lots of chaise chairs, it’s a win-win. The resort also offers free shuttles to Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and the Water Country USA, which not only saves money, but helps avoid the crowds.
Fairfield Inn & Suites Williamsburg: This budget-friendly property boasts a fabulous location near all the attractions and it’s best feature is the free breakfast (and a full-on breakfast at that: eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, fruit, bagels, muffins, cereal, yogurt, orange juice, apple juice and plenty of piping hot coffee). Plus, the indoor pool is great for rainy days as well as early mornings and late afternoons. Insider tip: Request the one-bedroom suite. It has two double beds, two bathrooms, plus a separate living room area with a pull-out sofa bed. The large space means everyone can spread out.
Turns out Williamsburg—including the history of Jamestowne, Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown Victory—and the fun of the surrounding parks and attractions –Busch Gardens, Water Park USA, Go Carts Plus, Go Ape and the Yankee Candle Company—made a wonderful vacation for kids who love to explore and parents who love to teach. A good time was had by all.
