Williamsburg Attractions

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum houses more than 2,600 paintings, carvings, toys, and needlework. The museum, at 307 S. England St., has one of the best collections of American folk art in the United States. The art here reflects everyday life. The museum has changing displays from its collection. It also has research materials, a library, and a gift shop. You must have a ticket to enter the museum. Its operation hours change seasonally.

Basset Hall
Basset Hall is an 18th-century frame house that sits on nearly 600 acres of gardens and woodlands in Colonial Williamsburg. The home, at the corner of Francis and Waller streets, is named after Burwell Basset – one of Martha Washington’s nephews. The home has 18th-century furnishings, art, and glassware. This is also where John D. Rockefeller and his wife Abby lived during the early restoration of Williamsburg.

Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens Williamsburg was voted one of America’s most beautiful theme parks. The park, located about three miles east of historic Williamsburg, has European-themed exhibits that show the various stages of a country’s development. Busch Garden’s rides, of course, are its main attractions. The Alpengeist is one of the world’s top-rated roller coasters. It is also the world’s tallest twisted roller coaster. The Alpengeist is 195 feet high and reaches speeds upwards of 67 mph. Guests are lifted into an innocent looking ski lift that has six inversions and a 170-foot drop. The park opens at 10 a.m. every day, but hours can change monthly.

Carter’s Grove
Carter’s Grove provides one of the most accurate interpretations of colonial African-American life in Williamsburg. Carter Burwell built the plantation on 1,400 acres in 1750. The home and its quarters housed thousands of slaves before the abolition of the practice. Guests are shown a slide presentation about Carter’s Grove when they arrive at the attraction, which has restored slaves’ quarters. There is also an exhibit that features historic photographs and documents. Carter’s Grove is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays from March through December. This attraction closed temporarily in January 2003 for a two-year assessment.

Colonial Capitol
This is the site where several of the founding fathers discussed liberating the colonies from the British crown. The Virginia legislature met at this site until 1780, when the state’s capital was changed from Williamsburg to Richmond. The capitol burned down and was rebuilt several times. This building is a reconstruction of the 1704 structure. The tour here is nearly 25 minutes long. It is located off of Waller Street in Colonial Williamsburg.

Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum
This museum is the home of a large collection of American and English antique furniture, tools, firearms, silver, and clothing from the 17th through 19th centuries. The Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, between Francis and Nassau streets in Colonial Williamsburg, also has lectures and musical performances at the Hennage Auditorium, which is located in the museum.

Ghosts of Williamsburg
The Ghosts of Williamsburg is a candlelight tour of the city. A tour guide in 18th-century clothing will tell you about the city’s folklore. There are several tours offered each night.

Governor’s Palace
This was the official home and headquarters of Virginia’s royal governors from 1714 to 1775. The home, off of Lafayette Street in Colonial Williamsburg, is recreated to look as it did five years before the British left the colonies. Artisans, who are trained in various 18th-century methods, reproduced the palace’s period pieces that were not available. The Governor’s Palace has 10 acres of gardens, greens, and wine cellars. Previous visitors say you should allot at least 30 minutes to tour this site.

Jamestown Settlement
Guests can learn about America’s first permanent English colony at the Jamestown Settlement, which is on Colonial Parkway. Visitors can walk through a Powhatan Indian village, board the replica of a ship that brought the first colonists to Virginia, or try their hands at grinding corn and weaving plant fibers into rope. Tourists will also see how the Jamestown settlers endured as they strived to establish the colony in a film that is presented at the settlement. The Jamestown Settlement also has various galleries that examine the events that led up to American colonization, demonstrate the lives of Jamestown’s American Indians, and trace the first century of the settlement. All of its museums are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Muscarelle Museum of Art
The Muscarelle Museum of Art is located on The College of William and Mary’s campus. It has temporary exhibits from both private and public collections with more than 3,600 paintings and sculptures. The museum’s second floor showcases permanent works of art. The Muscarelle Museum of Art is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There is a $5 admission fee for special exhibits. Children younger than age 12 are admitted free. The museum is located on Jamestown Road.

Music Theatre of Williamsburg
The Music Theatre of Williamsburg, at 7575 Richmond Road, presents Americana through a music show. There are three performances that feature music from the 1940s through the early 1970s. The theater seats 752 people and has great acoustics. Admission is $25 per seat. Call the theatre’s box office at 1-888-MUSIC-20 for reservations.

Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf
This is one of the newest attractions in Williamsburg. Pirate Cove’s Adventure Golf, at 2001 Mooretown Road, is 18 holes of fun with a pirate theme. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. from the last week in April to the third weekend in October. Hours may change from Memorial through Labor days. Admission prices vary. Call (757) 259-4600 for more information.

Raleigh Tavern
The Raleigh Tavern hosted some of the most famous men in American history, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. The men met here to discuss the American Revolution. Henry’s troops gave him a farewell dinner here in 1776. Williamsburg’s well-known tavern is named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who settled the lost colony in North Carolina 20 years before Jamestown was settled. The original building caught fire in 1859, but another structure was built on the site in 1932. Guests can buy 18th-century items like gingerbread and Shrewsbury cakes and cider at the tavern, which is on Duke of Gloucester Street in Colonial Williamsburg.

Water Country USA
Water Country USA, located three miles west of Busch Gardens Williamsburg, offers a variety of activities to its guests. Visitors can ride the Aquazoid, which is the park’s largest family water ride, or see athletes dive in the park’s Caban-A-Rama Theatre. There are also more than 1,500 lounge chairs available for sunbathers. Water Country USA is the mid-Atlantic’s largest water park. It usually opens in May for the tourist season, but its hours of operation change monthly.

Williamsburg Outlet Mall
People come from miles around to shop at the Williamsburg Outlet Mall. The mall has more than 40 name-brand stores that offer discounts up to 70 percent. It also has a food court. The mall is located at 6401 Richmond Road in Lightfoot, Va.

Yorktown Victory Center
Yorktown is a small Virginia village, but it is significant in American History. Yorktown was the site of a decisive battle won by Gen. George Washington in 1781 during the American Revolution. It was also the home of Thomas Nelson Jr., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The attraction has a battlefield, which is maintained by the National Park Service, a residential street, and the Victory Center Museum. The museum has a gallery, and a film that tells the story of the American struggle for independence from the perspectives of ordinary citizens. Reenactments are also presented at the center, which is located on Colonial Parkway.