An Educational Family Road Trip to Williamsburg

Where to Stay: Historic & Outdoor Accommodations

Stay in a Historic Colonial House, right in Colonial Williamsburg. Each house has its own story. We stayed in the Brick House Shop, built in the 1720s and originally used as a riding chair maker business. We loved the historic feel but appreciated the perks of modern amenities like bathrooms, TVs, and coffee makers. The best part? Fife and drum parades right outside our door and authentic 18th-century restaurants right down the road; you really felt like you were living in history.

For another type of experience, embrace the great outdoors at 🔻Timberline Glamping in Chickahominy Riverfront Park. Located on the Chickahominy River, these waterfront glamping sites have amazing views and feel like a little piece of quiet right outside the city. They have two tent options: the Double Safari Tent with 2 double beds that sleeps 4, or a Deluxe Safari Tent that can sleep 6. This is one of the few glamping tents we've seen that cater to larger families, so we were very excited to see an option with more beds.

Educational Experiences: Our Favorite Ways to Make Learning Fun

• Take a tour of Colonial Williamsburg with Williamsburg Walking Tours. Picture yourself strolling through hundreds of restored and recreated buildings, chatting with historical reenactors, and stepping back in time. You can watch a blacksmith at work, enjoy the tunes of period music in the parlor, or simply wander through the palace gardens. You'll uncover fascinating tidbits that you won't find in any history book. 

• Take a carriage ride through 🔻Colonial Williamsburg. Besides checking off a major childhood bucket list item, riding a horse-drawn carriage through the historic streets and buildings is such a cool way to immerse yourself in history and learn more about the area.

• Explore Yorktown by bike from Patriot Tours and Provisions. It’s the best way to see the historic streets and buildings. Be sure to stop by the beach, too.

• Learn more about historic Yorktown by sailboat with a Yorktown Sightseeing Day Sail. It’s such a beautiful way to learn, and the views from the sailboat are hard to beat.

• Explore Riverwalk Landing and Historic Yorktown Village. With beautiful old homes, historic landmarks, and lots of shops, there isn't much else you need. Be sure to take a ride on the free Yorktown Trolley, where you can visit the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

• Visit Jamestown Settlement, a living history museum of America's first English colony. Easily an all-day trip, this museum has indoor galleries plus outdoor exhibits featuring full-sized Colonial-era ships, a Native American settlement, and a James Fort recreation. Reenactors answer questions and show you how life was during that period. We learned how they grew tobacco, how to fire a musket, and how the Native Americans made their cooking pots, all from watching it up close.

• Craving a faster pace? Williamsburg on Wheels offers E-Bike tours on the scenic, historic Powhatan Creek Trail. You'll learn about the history of the area while enjoying nature on this hour-long guided ride.

Thrilling Outdoor Adventures

• Water Country USA is Virginia's largest waterpark and the place to be in summer. From toddler-friendly splash pads to a heart-racing 75-foot drop water slide that even the teens will love, there's something for the whole family here. Our favorite was the Colossal Curl!

• The James City County Skate Park offers 10,000 square feet of concrete jumps and ramps.

• Jamestown Beach is a family- and dog-friendly beach on the James River and is the perfect spot to cool off. There’s wave-free water with shallow and deep swimming options; they also have grills, concessions, and bathrooms. There is an entrance fee of $5 during the weekdays and $10 during the weekends per passenger vehicle.

• Head to Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park🔻 for a treetop ziplining experience and an outdoor escape room. Their ziplining course is self-guided, so it's great for all ages, and the outdoor escape room was a fun way to test our problem-solving skills together as a family.

Where to Eat with Kids

• Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que🔻: Hands down one of the tastiest and coolest restaurants in Williamsburg, this has been a local staple since 1971. Pierce’s still smokes their meat the good old-fashioned way. You know it's good food when you have multiple customers saying they've been coming to this place since they were kids – over 50 years!

• Precarious Beer Hall: Great beers and great burgers, and some of the best nachos I've had. Stay for the arcade games, shuffleboard, and trivia nights.

• Aromas Coffeehouse Bakeshop & Cafe: Grab coffee, a smoothie or freshly baked goods for breakfast, and enjoy their outdoor seating.

• The Cheese Shop: Within walking distance of Colonial Williamsburg, they have some of the best sandwiches in town. Obviously, try all the cheese, it's worth it.

• Cook's Burger Bar: We loved everything we tried here! Great burgers plus a bunch of appetizers you don't normally see (and all delicious).

• Shorty's Diner: If a restaurant's motto is "It's not fancy...It's not fat-free...It's just the way it used to be!!" you know you're in good hands. Try the chocolate chip pancakes, they're bigger than your head.

• Carrot Tree Kitchens: Great for lunch, this sandwich shop is in the quaint Yorktown Riverwalk. Be sure to try their old-fashioned salads. (There’s also a location in Williamsburg.)

• Sal's By Victor Italian Restaurant & Pizza: Maybe one of the best authentic Italian restaurants we've been to. We tried most of their appetizers, dinners, AND desserts here and loved every one.

• Everbowl: Superfood bowls with endless variations. This is the perfect spot for a healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free meal.

• Food For Thought: Grab a meal while surrounded by the wise words of inventors, scientists, and social leaders.

• Not Another Pancake House: Not only amazing pancakes, but their eggs benedict and French toast were amazing.

Day 1:

• Head to Water Country USA for a day of water slides and fun.

• Check-in to Colonial Houses at Colonial Williamsburg.

• Dinner and games at Precarious Beer Hall.

Day 2:

• Breakfast at Aromas Coffeehouse Bakeshop & Cafe.

• Enjoy a carriage ride and tour Colonial Williamsburg.

• Lunch at The Cheese Shop.

• Visit James City County Skate Park.

• Relax and swim at Jamestown Beach Event Park.

• Dinner at Cook's Burger Bar.

 Day 3:

• Breakfast at Shorty's Diner.

• Rent a bike from Patriot Tours and Provisions and explore historic Yorktown.

• Lunch at Carrot Tree Kitchens.

• Go on a Yorktown Sightseeing Day Sail.

• Explore Riverwalk Landing.

• Dinner at Sal's By Victor Italian Restaurant & Pizza.

• Check-in at Timberline Glamping Co. 

Day 4:

• Breakfast at Everbowl.

• Explore Jamestown Settlement and have lunch at the Jamestown Settlement Cafe.

• Take a Powhatan E-Bike Tour.

• Dinner at Food For Thought.

• Watch the sunset from your Timberline Glamping site.

Day 5:

• Breakfast at Not Another Pancake House.

• Hit the treetops at Go Ape Zipline & Adventure Park.

• Lunch at Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que.
   

Homeschooling Resources & Lesson Plans

Turn your getaway into a field trip! See teacher resources and lesson plans from Colonial Williamsburg. These free resources, developed by historians and educators, include primary sources, multimedia content, lesson plans, and other materials.

Explore More Things to Do with Kids in Williamsburg

Ready to plan your educational adventure? Find more ideas like the top spots for kid-friendly dining and the best things to do with kids, or check out more family adventures at We Chose Adventures.