Entrée au Colonial Williamsburg

Went to the drama “Cry Witch” at the Capitol: It was a reenactment of a witch trial in Williamsburg in 1703 that was recommended by a couple we met at wine tasting. Would not recommend for family.

Beautiful site to visit that is historical and informative. Presenters are very educated on their topics and follow up questions. You definitely need multiple days to visit. Spread out area, bring water to stay hydrated, lots of buildings are air conditioned. Use the bus stops to alleviate some of the walking.

The people at the Visitor Center were most helpful! We really didn’t get to enjoy too much because of the crowds at the tours. And the map had very small letters.

Easy to navigate. A very fair cancellation policy. Customer service person was helpful

I had first visited Colonial Williamsburg over 25 years ago with my mother and had a wonderful trip. I was very excited to return and share this experience with my husband who had never been. The experience was not quite as remembered. First the whole town of Williamsburg is beautiful and the museum town is lovely. I recommend buying the tickets so you can do the tour of Governor's Palace and the other buildings. It not only supports the program but you can learn a lot and I enjoyed interacting with the "colonial residents". Its really fun watching some of them do trades as they make products from that time period using their methods. Its also clear how much most of them love what they are doing and are passionate about the history. I also don't mind how they blended in some modern elements in some stores, such as selling modern food and drinks at places to keep you hydrated and fed as you walked around. I thought it was tactfully done. What made me sad was the colonial town was not nearly as vibrant as it was on my first visit. I remember reenactors walking around the town, having conversations with guests. People speaking in public as if it was from that time frame and some random displays and shows on the streets. I saw they do reenactor weekends but the town was definitely not as lively as my previous visit. We even went on a Saturday in June, which I expected to be busy; and it was not. We had no problem getting around and had many parts of the town to ourselves at points. It was nice but sad at the same time. Some of the shops and trades seemed to be condensed into shared spaces and not as spread out as I remember. I am sure lots of the change has to due with a decrease in visitors overall. I also understand that they may want to have less staff out in the streets since anyone can walk through there for free. You want to make sure the paying guests are getting more of the experiences with the colonial residents. I just wish there was more going on outside the building to make it a little more immersive. Overall I still had a nice time and would recommend this as an area to visit. I do plan to try and go back sometime sooner than waiting so long, as we did love the whole area. Maybe a holiday trip next time.

Bought one-day pass. Thrilling day! Well worth cost of admission. Reenactors were informative and engaging. Wear shoes for walking. Use the free bus. Bring a bottle of water and refill as necessary. Make sure phone is fully charged beforehand. Military may use the Liberty Lounge , like a USO. I recommend picking out a few places you really want to see. Don’t try to see it all. Stop and ask questions. Great way to celebrate 250.

Would have liked a booklet to carry around explaining the various shops and what we should definitely see!

I spent about 8 hours exploring Colonial Williamsburg and had a wonderful time. I first visited 17 years ago, and while a lot has changed, as it naturally should, I do miss how immersive the experience used to be. Back then, the interpreters stayed completely in character, even pretending not to understand modern slang, which really made it feel like you had stepped back in time. This visit felt a bit more modern, so I didn’t get quite the same historical immersion. That said, I still love Colonial Williamsburg. There’s so much history to learn, the grounds are easy to navigate, and the admission process was smooth and family-friendly. It’s a fantastic place to spend the day, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone interested in American history.

Visited for two days. Once we visited the visitor center we finally understood how visiting would work. Would be helpful to be able download an interactive map. Also, we are veterans and would have liked to know we could have visited the military rep instead of waiting in line or being able to get the military discount at the kiosk. However, we are grateful for the discount and being able to visit Liberty Lounge for a break and coffee/water with fellow vets. Very appreciated. The village is set up well and the map was helpful. As a lover of history though would have enjoyed more of a presence of guides or employees staged and telling stories. The only interactions we had were inside the trade shops if we asked questions and of course in the capitol, the courthouse or the palace. Food sources were also scarce. The Kings Arms Tavern was the only sit down restaurant that was open on the day we visited. We did like the meals that we ordered and the service was great. Cry Witch is very well done and was one of our favorite things that we attended. I am glad to have made the trip and with a few improvements this could be exceptional.

Loved colonial Williamsburg; however, the process at the visitor center to redeem our tickets was complex. Trip advisor needs to explain that process up front. That way the steps could have been done at home with access to a printer.