There are lots of great things about visiting Colonial Williamsburg with kids but I didn’t really know how to start planning or what to visit while we were there. I started to do some digging for free things to do in Williamsburg and quite frankly felt super overwhelmed. I was also confused about how to visit Colonial Williamsburg on a budget, especially with our young children.
As a family of six traveling can get expensive really quick. We are grateful some of our children are so young and we often don’t have to pay full price admission for many attractions. We don’t mind shelling out some cash for our kids to have an amazing educational experience we just always want to make sure it is worth it first. So, because of that and based on our experience of visiting Williamsburg I thought this was an important article to share with other families who want a Williamsburg, VA experience but may want to do so on a budget. I truly believe family travel should be accessible to everyone.
Fun and Free Things to do in Williamsburg VA
Visit Colonial Williamsburg for FREE!
First off, admission tickets to Williamsburg are PRICEY. It is definitely not a cheap attraction to visit. The proceeds of an admission ticket go back to the foundation. This helps with the upkeep of all the houses, pays for the Colonial characters, and goes towards ongoing restorations. However, you only have to pay if you want to go in the houses and have the full experience of visiting Colonial Williamsburg. Walking around the town is completely FREE. Most of the grounds and gardens are open to the public and all of the historic shops are as well. There is even a periodical church that is open and free to explore.
I will be honest with you we were on the fence about whether or not to buy full tickets. We decided to opt out of the tickets and instead wander around looking at the buildings and entering the shops, oohing over the sheep, talking with the colonial characters and wandering the gardens. After just a couple of hours, my kids were pooped. They would have never lasted touring all of the buildings or sitting through various colonial demonstrations. We decided to save this for when they are older (or when we come back without them!). I was also stressed about my children entering the houses and wanting to touch EVERYTHING like they did when we visited Historic Nauvoo.
Because the main streets are public you can easily pack a picnic and wander around. Take your time to look at the horses, meet some Colonial dressed characters and be ready to leave in a few hours. Another great tip for visiting Colonial Williamsburg is to check in with the visitors center and get the pamphlet This Week in Colonial Williamsburg. With this, you’ll know of all the activities happening around the center. Many of the events are free and open to the public.
If you have older children who would love to explore more in-depth or would like a more educational day you may want to buy admission to enter the houses and exhibits.
Keep Your Ears Open and Ask Around
We heard from some neighbors at the campground that a local museum was doing a FREE pirate day. Sure enough, The Watermen Museum in Yorktown had an old ship, pirate artifacts and some great educational opportunities for the children. They really enjoyed an afternoon learning about pirates.
Take a Hike or Ride a Bike
Williamsburg and its surrounding area in Virginia are absolutely gorgeous. We visited in the Spring and the weather was perfect. We took advantage of all the time we had to play outside. There are bike trails everywhere including The Virginia Capitol Trail which is fifty-two miles of trail that ending in Williamsburg. York River State Park, Freedom Park, and Water Mills Park are also great areas to bike or hike. Freedom Park is home to Williamsburg Botanical Garden which is worth a stop in and of itself. It features beautiful flowers, a butterfly garden, wetlands, and an impressive herb garden.
Ride a Trolley
The Yorktown Trolley is a great way for some free sightseeing in the Williamsburg area. You can get a tour of the four-mile loop or enjoy a free ride to the American Revolution Museum, Yorktown Battlefield, and beautiful Yorktown Village. My kids loved the experience of riding on a trolley. My youngest thought it was a train, so it was a double win.
Ride a Ferry
We actually didn’t have the opportunity to ride the ferry and I was pretty sad about it. I really think my kids would have enjoyed this experience. The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry is a free ferry that connects Jamestown and Scotland. It runs on the hour and according to VDOT 24 hours a day, 365 days a week. All you do is drive your car on, then enjoy some of the beautiful views of the channel.
Sure, the Williamsburg area has Bush Gardens, Jamestown, and plenty of other impressive attractions you may want to spend on but you can always sprinkle in some of these great ideas to make your vacation budget stretch just a little bit further.
What are some of your favorite fun and free things to do in Williamsburg with family?
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Comments 6
I am so glad you went there! I have wanted to know myself about Williamsburg. I also want an RV tour . I want to know how your kiddos are doing? Do they like living in an RV? How is homeschooling on the road?
Awesome post. I have never heard about Williamsburg so it was not in my bucket list but after reading your post I would love to explore it with my kids. Keep sharing such interesting places.
This is awesome post, and specially for the children. they can enjoy here by doing this activities. Thanks mate for your great info, keep it up.
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