Entrée au Colonial Williamsburg

We could have used more time! We particularly loved watching all of the craftsmen and women show us how tasks were completed

Incredibly disappointing and not as advertised. Most of the buildings are replicas built in the 1930s by Rockefeller rather than original colonial structures, so it's important to know that before you visit. Signage is poor, and staff frequently provide conflicting or inaccurate information. At least 70% of the visitors appeared to be over the age of 60, with very few children. To see everything, you need 2-3 full days without taking extended breaks for lunch. Pack bottled water and snacks. Be prepared for a tremendous amount of walking. Many of the buildings are not open to visitors because they are used as rental housing for staff or local residents. Only a handful of buildings feature costumed craftspeople, who are generally friendly and knowledgeable. We did not see a single employee in period costume walking the grounds. A few tourists engaged in cosplay definitely. There were no flowers in bloom anywhere in the gardens. For June, the landscaping was especially disappointing, with only a few daylilies along one waterway. Many of the boxwoods had large dead sections that needed pruning. Don't visit b/c of the gardens as you will be disappointed. If you park at the Visitor Center, don't miss the parking payment kiosk. Parking costs $10 per day, and you will receive a ticket if you don't pay. The kiosk faces away from the parking lot, making it easy to miss. There is a free transit bus for drop offs at certain locations which you should utilize. Purchasing admission tickets at the Visitor Center takes longer than it should because the process is slow, and the cashiers were not particularly welcoming. Staff also seemed unfamiliar with the carriage ride ticketing process and sent us to multiple locations before we finally learned that reservations must be made through a Williamsburg property concierge. Unless you're staying at an official Williamsburg property, don't expect to secure carriage ride tickets as a walk-up visitor. And it's not worth the price either. The one place I would strongly recommend is The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg which are free and on the grounds. The staff and docents there were welcoming, knowledgeable, and genuinely happy you were there. The museum also contains many of the artifacts and furnishings that are absent from the historic buildings themselves. It wasn't clear whether the gift shops are operated directly by the Foundation or outsourced, but the merchandise selection was disappointing. Colonial Williamsburg had been on my bucket list for years. It turned out not to be what I was hoping for or as advertised. Now that I've been, I wouldn't return and can't recommend.

The tour is a waste of money. You tour yourself and it takes you to a shopping center after a few houses down the street. You can see all the houses if you come in from the shopping center no charge. There’s not much to see.

You don’t have to buy any tickets to experience colonial Williamsburg only if you would like to go inside the buildings do you need tickets. Since I’m a history buff I recommend getting the tickets otherwise you could enjoy and have fun regardless. Absolutely beautiful area with rich history of our country.

Really enjoyed seeing historical Williamsburg The fly over by the French air performance team was nice.

VA in the 1800s @ Williamsburg

This tour is interesting and informational. You do not go into any haunted house, but the tour guide does a good job of creating a fun, scary atmosphere.

We bought a one day pass to colonial Williamsburg. You need to exchange the ticket at the visitor center for their actual ticket (they’ll assist you in emailing it to them which is very easy). You park at the visitor center and then shuttle or walk to the actual Colonial Williamsburg area.

Wonderful, educational experience. Beautuful village. Staff was top of the line, friendly and informative as well as interactive. Highly recommend!

My family and I traveled to Williamsburg after looking forward to this experience for several months. Based on the information and marketing materials presented on the Colonial Williamsburg website, we expected a more immersive and interactive historical experience, including opportunities to observe colonial reenactments, character portrayals, historical speeches, demonstrations, staged performances, and other living-history presentations throughout the Historic Area. Unfortunately, our experience did not meet those expectations. During our visit, we did not encounter any historical reenactments, speeches, demonstrations, staged performances, or other interactive living-history experiences. The Governor’s Palace and the Capitol building were the only admission-required locations we were able to access using our tickets. Beyond brief guided entry into the buildings, there were no reenactments, historical speeches, demonstrations, or other interactive experiences that justified the admission price or matched the expectations created by the Colonial Williamsburg website. The ticket description led us to expect guided sites, historic trade demonstrations, staged performances, and other living-history experiences throughout the Historic Area. During our visit, we were unable to locate or experience those advertised activities. As a result, our family felt that the admission tickets did not deliver the value we reasonably expected when purchasing them. We spent a total of $143.04, including taxes, for four adult tickets, and left feeling disappointed by the significant difference between what was presented on the website and what we actually experienced. Had we understood that the experience would primarily consist of limited access to a small number of buildings without the advertised immersive programming, we would not have purchased four admission tickets.