Colonial Williamsburg - highlights

[ramsfan]

A few years ago we went to Williamsburg. We visited BG, WC USA and Jamestown Settlement and the kids (then 8 and 10) had a great time. The day we went to Colonial Williamsburg was a nightmare!!! Too hot, too boring...and that was by the time we made it to the Governor's Palace (the first stop on the tour). I wanted to give it a try for a few hours, but no one else wanted to ..... so within an hour we were all ready to go.


We plan on going back to Williamsburg with my MIL and she would most likely enjoy Colonial Williamsburg. So I was thinking of just catching the Cry Witch trial or a Ghost Tour...which would keep the kids interested and skip the tour of the town. Are there any other highlights that my MIL would enjoy and would not bore the kids to death? (now 11 and 13) PS My kids do enjoy learning some history and thought Jamestown was fine.....but the thought of just following a tour guide around in the heat was not their idea of a good time.

 

[jaym]

I agree. You have to keep things exciting and fun so keep your options open and forget some of the traditional stops.
If you would consider a drive down to coastal areas (within 1 hour or so depending on traffic), Hampton Roads, Norfolk, etc., there is plenty to do and you are on the water.
You'll find abundant family activities, like Virginia Air & Space Center, state parks where the kids can enjoy the outdoors, rent bikes, etc.
Check the links I've included below.
We will be returning to Williamsburg in 2008 and my family can't wait.

http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?FeatureID=6&Rgn=15000
http://www.festeventsva.org/
http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=10133&MGrp=1&MCat=2

Are there any other highlights that my MIL would enjoy and would not bore the kids to death? (now 11 and 13) PS My kids do enjoy learning some history and thought Jamestown was fine.....but the thought of just following a tour guide around in the heat was not their idea of a good time.

 

[Bill4728]

We went to the talk at the movie theator which had an actor do a talk and Q&A as Thomas Jefferson. It was great!! The theator was in the shopping area next to the main ticket booth for CW. I understand they rotate who talks and what period of time they are representing.

 

[Jeni]

I should preface my reply with the confession that I live in the area, and after being dragged on school trips to CW, along with when relatives visited, I've seen it enough to never want to study colonial American history ever again:annoyed:

That being said, CW has truly made an effort to create a more hands-on/authentic experience. Instead of telling, now they want you to experience. There are "Revolutionary City" performances that do just that: http://www.cw.org/visit/planYourVisit/revcity/ I cannot say that I am a fan of them, but they are better than just hearing a speech about who did what.
The horse and carriage rides are nice too, but make reservations ahead of time. Dining in a tavern is also an enjoyable experience. Not ideal for the kids, but the Williamsburg Winery offers a nice wine tasting tour with lunch included. I have seen kids take the tour (it is indoors, cool temp, and informative), but of course, they aren't sampling.

I do like the ghost tour, and your kids may enjoy the pirate ghost tour one of the local boat companies offers (I'll post a link if I can find it). The Schooner Alliance is also in the area: http://www.yorkcounty.gov/tourism/alliance.htm

Like a previous poster stated, there is so much to do outside of Williamsburg too!

 

[tonyg]

I could spend another week or two just doing colonial Williamsburg. I guess it's just what one likes to do.

 

[sstamm]

I spent a week in Willimsburg last spring with my family. The children were 9, 13, and 15.

We did a ghost walk at CW and really enjoyed it. We tried to do a witch trial, but all were booked while we were there.

We also did a guided tour of the governor's mansion, but beyond that we just explored on our own.

The "Revolutionary City" experience had recently been introduced and we really enjoyed it. There are 2 different "programs" on alternate days, but even the same program can vary depending on how the crowd interacts with the "colonial" people. The program where they read the Delcaration of Independence to the crowd from the balcony of the Capitol was actually rather moving. It really put it in context for the children.

I had purchased a ticket for multiple venues, and much to our surprise, the kids only wanted one day at Busch Gardens, and wanted to return to CW for "Revolutionary City" several different afternoons.

They had not been there before so maybe they enjoyed it because it was there first experience, but we were glad they got a lot out of it. I will say that our 9 yr old son got tired of CW sooner than his older sisters, but even he had some knowledge of the events we were learning about. He liked the Jamestown settlement more than CW.

Have a good time!