Theme Parks, Museums, and Sites in Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg

Restored City

The Williamsburg area, including Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown, offers a wide range of activities. This historical triangle in the Hampton Roads Area of Virginia holds all the charm of Colonial America mixed with modern thrills of amusement parks and interesting museums.  With key events in our nation's history dating back to the first English settlement in the 1600s up through the Revolutionary War, Williamsburg has much to offer in the way of history lessons.

Jamestown Settlement: You will truly step back in time and live as one of the first settlers who came from England to the New World. This full-scale replica of a 15th-century town also includes reproductions of three of the original ships that brought the first colonists. Continue on in history to the Revolutionary War at the Yorktown Victory Center. As the site of the turning point in the War with England, this is the very spot where General Cornwallis surrendered to the colonists. At Yorktown, you'll get to see a Continental Army Encampment, view films and galleries and visit with characters in 16th-century attire.

Colonial Williamsburg: The last point on your triangular history tour is Colonial Williamsburg, often called the nation's largest living history museum. Here you'll see 500 restored buildings and be assisted by 3,500 professionals, including historians, archeologists and historical interpreters. Shop for arts and crafts or talk with a Revolutionary War soldier after you witness a battle re-enactment.

Theme Parks:

Water Country USA,  After you've enjoyed a history-filled day in the Williamsburg area, bring yourself back to the present era for fast-paced excitement at one of the area's theme parks. But before you arrive back in the 21st century, make a stop in the 1950s and 1960s at Water Country USA, a park with a theme built around these two happy American decades. With its dozens of thrill rides, lots of lounge chairs for soaking up the rays and climate-controlled pools, you'll enjoy this cool park.

Busch Gardens,   Now it's time to come back to the present day at Busch Gardens, just three miles east of Williamsburg.  You'll be engulfed in the gorgeous surroundings of the world's "most beautiful theme park," which has also won awards for its food and shows. Scream your way along the track of the world's tallest inverted rollercoaster, the Alpengeist, or laugh at the amazing and comical animals at the Pet Shenanigans Show. Another treat that awaits you at Busch Gardens are the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses.

Museums:

In addition to its theme parks, Williamsburg is also a rich resource for educational attractions. It's just a hop-skip-and-jump to Newport News, Virginia, and the Mariner's Museum, dedicated to the history of man's relationship with, and respect for, the mighty sea. The Mariners' Museum has a huge collection of maritime artifacts, seafaring vessels and ship models. Other Museums in the Williamsburg area include five that are right in Colonial Williamsburg:

• DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum
• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
• Bassett Hall,
• Winthrop Rockefeller Archeology Museum
• Carter's Grove Plantation

Each of these museums has a different focus, with various exhibits and artifacts that lend insight into daily life in Colonial America and the history of this place. Clearly, the Williamsburg area has plenty of activities for active thinkers, thrill-seekers and history lovers. Come to where America began, and experience some of the heritage that unites us all!