Colonial Williamsburg - what's free there to do?

[100AcreWood]

We're planning a trip to Williamsburg over Spring Break. I haven't walked through colonial Williamsburg in 15 years. I seem to recall there are parts you can do without paying. I don't think my kids are old enough to appreciate the tour but it would be fun to look around. Any suggestions?

Also anything else in that area we should check out? Has anyone been to the Norfolk zoo?

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Subbing.

I'd love to take the kids over spring break so I'm curious to hear how the weather is for you and also if everything is open. Hope you find some free stuff to do too...I'd love to hear about that.

 

[havaneselover]

My kids have done the free part with their dad and the paid part with school. They didn't love it.

Busch Gardens will be open by mid-March. Weather at spring break is unpredictable. Last year I took the week off and we had one warm day and several cold and rainy days. High could be 50 (unlikely but it happens) or 80.

 

[HM]

You don't have to buy a Williamburg pass to enjoy that area. When our kids were little, we just looked around the outsides of the buildings, talked to the people dressed in costume and generally wandered about talking about what it would be like to live back then.

For us, the real gem of the area is Jamestown Settlement. I suggest touring it. The kids can see the settlement, try on armour, watch arrow heads being made, tour the Jamestown boat. It was our favorite thing.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

Hi, Hampton Roads native here.

You can walk around Williamsburg without paying for tickets. You just can't go in the buildings. There are a couple of taverns you can eat in. You need a reservation (which you can make the day of), but you don't need tickets. If you decide to get tickets, there is a spy quest that the kids can do that might make it more interesting for them.

Jamestown is great. There are actually two parts--the part with the settlement/fort/boats/Indian village. It's very interactive. There is also an inside museum and a cafe. The other part is the state park, where you can walk around the actual original settlement. There is also a museum here. This part is very, very sobering. There are graves upon graves here, evidence of the suffering of the original settlers.

Norfolk Zoo is a great day trip. It's not cheap, and it's not huge, but it has a lot of the major animals that other metropolitan zoos have.

 

[Crystal824]

We have done Williamsburg the last two summers because my in-laws have a time share there. We have 2 very young children. Currently, 4 and 6 mo. We didn't buy the passes to Williamsburg either time. We just walked around the area. We did do a carriage ride the first summer, which is expensive, but my 3 year old (at the time) really enjoyed it. That summer we were there for July 4th so we saw the fireworks. We also did dinner at a Tavern this year for my birthday.

My older daughter loves the Yankee Candle Store in the area. There is a lot of interactive stuff to do. They can make their own jar candles, dip candles, Santa is usually there....etc. She still talks about that store (just mentioned it last week) and we were there in August. She also loved Busch Gardens.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

You can still walk around outside the buildings.

However, late in the afternoon, they do block off a portion of the street down by the Capitol.

I will say that my kids are a range of ages. We went down this summer for the day as we has a special group rate. My kids were 14 down to 4 and they all had their favorite parts. We did the spy activity and they enjoyed that a bunch.

When I went as a kid and did not have access to the buildings, it irritated me.

So if you do have an opportunity to get tickets, I would not hesitate to suggest it. I do understand that they are expensive. We have been fortunate that the times we have been able to go, we had access to discounted rates.

But prior to the closure of the street for the late afternoon activities, you can walk the entire property. I just want to caution that not all kids will appreciate that.

Some ticketing options can be coupled with other activities in the area.

When we went, we were able to eat at one of the taverns for lunch without reservations. Dinner is when those become more necessary.

Busch Gardens is fun. But better without strollers and tired short legs. That place is a big hill!

I do regret that we never made it to Jamestown. Maybe this summer when we head back up to visit friends.

 

[Pooh54]

It has been a few years since we went to Williamsburg. We were able to go to the Fort Eustis Army Transportation Museum for free. I believe they were open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays. We also took the Jamestown-Scotland auto ferry for free. Kids thought it was cool to ride on a boat with the car. Rode it across and then turned around and rode it back. We walked around Colonial Williamsburg enjoying what we could for free. There was quite a bit to enjoy as we walked around. Be warned though, it was hot when we went and bought the oldest child a water to avoid a meltdown. Bottled water cost 2.75. Carry your own if you can. Ate at a good barbecue place and a Chinese buffet that was recommended on tripadvisor. Can't remember the names. Kids highlight was a night at Great Wolf Lodge. This was pricey but we did get blessed with an upgrade to a bigger suite at no charge. Used the lockers at Great Wolf Lodge to use the water park before check in and after check out the next day. I can't remember what the lockers cost. Also spent money at Great Wolf Lodge to do magiquest. Spent the rest of our nights in Williamsburg at a SpringHill Suites that was well price. There was a playground right behind the hotel at a park that was within walking distance. Springhill Suites also had an indoor pool. Did a trip to Yankee Candle, outlet mall and a Christmas store. All were enjoyed. Have a great time.

 

[100AcreWood]

Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions!

For those who suggested Jamestown settlement, I see looking on the website there are two options - Jamestown and Yorktown. I assume the Jamestown side is better for the interactive stuff?

 

[HM]

Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions!

For those who suggested Jamestown settlement, I see looking on the website there are two options - Jamestown and Yorktown. I assume the Jamestown side is better for the interactive stuff?

Yes, Jamestown. I can't remember what Yorktown was like to tell you the truth.

 

[manning]

If you decide to buy the tickets/annual pass here are the prices

http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/plan/tickets/ticket-options/

 

[My2Qtz0205]

Re:Yorktown
Like Jamestown, there are two Yorktown parks--the National Park where the battle actually took place--you can run all over the redoubts and drive around to different historical sites (camps, the place of surrender, etc.). Then there is a reenactment site that is more interactive. We have not been to that part, as it was closed when we went in January a couple of years ago.

 

[princesspwrhr]

If you decide to get tickets to Colonial Williamsburg so that you can go into the buildings, I suggest looking into costume rentals for younger kids - the retal price is reasonable, the refundable deposit is a bit steep. For kids who are just a bit too young for the spy game on the smart phones, the scavenger hunt you get with the costume rental (and the extra attention) is great. Having lived here a while I've noticed that the only way to have a really good time at CW is to initiate interaction with the costumed staff- for some reason they are reticent on starting conversations with you, but will talk your ear off if you approach them.

Drive Colonial National Parkway and pull over and have a picnic.

Likewise you can drive through the Battlefields free.

Stop at Yorktown Beach (free parking) for a day, there's the beach, a grassy picnic area and you can walk through the town.

"Kidsburg"/Mid County park is a great place for kids to run off some energy and was recently redone. Until March 1 there is an outdoor ice skating rink there.

Newport News park is huge and has great walking paths and playgrounds and picnic areas.

The Williamsburg Regional Library often has free programing, or cheap programing. It is located right off the historic area. www.wrl.org

As mentioned, Busch Gardens will open mid march-weekends only until Memorial Day.

There are lots of other museums in the area - Watermans Museum, Mariners Museum, Virginia Living Museum (great for kids), Virginia Air & Space Museum, Hampton History Museum, Casemate Museum, US Army Transportation Museum. Up in Richmond is a GREAT childrens museum next to a decent science museum (I haven't been in a few years, but the last several times I went, much was in disrepair) On the other side of the water is Nauticus, Portsmouth Children's museum, VA Sports Museum, Virginia Zoo, Virginia Aquarium...

Re:Yorktown
Like Jamestown, there are two Yorktown parks--the National Park where the battle actually took place--you can run all over the redoubts and drive around to different historical sites (camps, the place of surrender, etc.). Then there is a reenactment site that is more interactive. We have not been to that part, as it was closed when we went in January a couple of years ago.

At the Historic sites- get the Jr. Ranger Program booklet. Even if the kids are too little to do the activities, it gives you a great idea of things to see with the kids (Like the cannonball still embedded in the Nelson house)

Officially both Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center are only closed on Christmas day and New Years day. They have delayed opening before for snow/icy road conditions, and Yorktown Victory Center is under construction currently which at times has made it look closed. Starting in mid January/early Feb 2015, the encampment and farm will share a space while the old building is demolished, so that will be a cool and different part of history to see (an occupied farm I mean, though for a lot of the under 7, demo is cool too! lol)

Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions!

For those who suggested Jamestown settlement, I see looking on the website there are two options - Jamestown and Yorktown. I assume the Jamestown side is better for the interactive stuff?

Both Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center (www.historyisfun.org) offer the more interactive hands on things to do versus Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Visitors Center (www.nps.gov) Jamestown Settlement has 3 outdoor sites - replica Powhatan Indian town, replica ships and replica James Fort, plus an indoor gallery space. Yorktown Victory Center has 2 outdoor areas, replica Continental Army encampment and a replica of a middle class 1780's farm. When demolition starts on the old museum building, the massive new building will be open, but the galleries will not be open. From what I've read, it's so that the HVAC system can "cure" for a year before they put all the valuables in it, but there will be short movies re: the revolution to view. At both locations kids can touch everything in the outdoor areas, it's not unheard of for them to be put to "work" (grinding corn, watering gardens, weeding, scraping out a canoe, removing hair from a deer hide, helping with other tasks) and I've found the costumed interpreters (in general) at Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center to be more proactive with engaging visitors than the ones at CW.

Tourist season starts right around Spring breaks and the educational museums are busier on Thursdays and Fridays than other days in the week, so if you plan on Jamestown Settlement or Yorktown Victory Center go on a Monday or Tuesday for the least amount of school tour groups. (for those planning to travel later in the year closer to Memorial Day- same holds true, 4th grade is Virginia History and the state testing is early June, so pretty much every 4th grade class in the state goes to Jamestown Settlement either in the fall or late spring.