Many years ago, when our kids were little, we decided to make their Christmas more about experiences and less about gifts. Our son and daughter had gazillions of toys, and they couldn’t even tell us what was in the toy box that rarely got opened. So, feeling swallowed up by toys…we decided to take a trip instead! Fast-forward to Christmas 2024. This year’s Christmas trip was to Colonial Williamsburg, VA. What a beautiful and interesting place!
Colonial Williamsburg is the perfect place to go if your family enjoys learning about history. 365 days a year, they have people dressed in character for their living history museum. They have working tradespeople, buildings to tour, taverns where colonial-era meals are served, 2 art museums, and much more. You can feel fully immersed in the Revolutionary War Era. We were impressed with how organized and easy it was to get around and navigate all the “touristy” things we wanted to do. As a bonus, everything in Colonial Williamsburg was decorated for Christmas similarly to how it would’ve been historically decorated.
We were able to fit a lot into our 4-day itinerary, but honestly, we decided we might go back sometime in spring or fall so we could see some of the things that we didn’t have time for. Here is our rundown of activities that we squeezed into our 4-day stay:
Southwest is our airline of choice and there we no direct flights into Richmond, VA so we chose an early morning flight so we could enjoy at least half a day of fun upon our arrival. We were very pleased with RIC and extremely impressed with our rental car from Enterprise! There were 8 travelers on this trip so we needed a larger car. They accommodated us with a Jeep Wagoneer that was very nice and it was probably the quickest rental car experience we’ve ever had. We were on the road in less than 20 minutes! Richmond International Airport is only a 30-minute drive from Williamsburg.
Day 1
We chose to stay at Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel & Suites. From the moment I walked in for check-in, the staff was super friendly and helpful. They had maps and all the information that we needed ready for us. When I booked this hotel they did ask what time we were arriving, a note was made in our reservation, and they did have one of our rooms ready 2 hours before check-in! We always try to stay in the places that have continental breakfast included in the price of our stay. It’s just a time and money saver for us. Now that Andy and I have such a good workout routine in place, we also prioritize that our hotels have a fitness center available. Woodlands checked both of these boxes for us! Their fitness center was above average and quite clean. The breakfast was decent. Not the best we’ve ever had and certainly not the worst. There was a great variety and it gave us all a little something to eat to start our day. The rooms were very clean, the water pressure in the shower was great, and the beds were comfortable. The decor was dated…but we were staying in a “colonial” hotel. There is a restaurant on-site. We ordered carry-out one of the nights and the food was very good! This hotel is very conveniently located next to the visitor’s center. That is where you can catch the shuttle to take you to anything you want to see in Colonial Williamsburg. There is also a footbridge and walking trail that is half a mile to downtown Colonial Williamsburg. The visitor’s center has some great souvenir shops and this is also where you can pick up your tickets. You can walk around all you want for free, but you’ll need tickets for admission into any of the historical buildings.
For a late lunch we went to Amber Ox Public House for an impressive lunch and a great patio that was heated perfectly https://www.theamberox.com After we got some food in our bellies we headed over to Duke of Gloucester Street to walk around and see what we could see in Colonial Williamsburg. We loved the wreaths and Christmas arrangements on the buildings. They are all made of dried fruit, oyster shells, and greenery…so pretty! On three December weekends, they have Grand Illumination, which brings quite a crowd. We were able to watch the opening proclamation on Colonial Courthouse Steps, ringing off the bells, and the fife and drum procession, the lighting of the Raleigh Tavern, and the grand display of fireworks. It was quite something to see.
Day 2
Williamsburg is part of Virginia’s Historic Triangle, along with Yorktown, and Jamestown. We headed on over to Yorktown to explore the American Revolution Museum. We were very impressed with the museum! We picked an awesome day to go because there was not much of a crowd at all. Lots to see and learn in this museum. https://www.jyfmuseums.org/visit/american-revolution-museum-at-yorktown After so much immersive learning at the museum we were hungry of course. We found a beachfront pub, called Yorktown Pub, because if we are close to the ocean…we want seafood! https://www.yorktownpub.com Their menu had a wonderful variety of foods and local brews and the atmosphere was just what we wanted and expected! On our way out of Yorktown, we made a stop at the Yorktown Battlefield National Park.
Our kids still had some Christmas shopping they needed to finish and to our surprise, Williamsburg has an excellent outlet mall.https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/williamsburg So we stopped in for some shopping. This outlet mall has a fantastic variety of shopping for all ages…and even better…a craft brewery tasting room conveniently located amid all the stores. Alewerks Brewing Company had a great variety of brews on tap and it was the perfect place to sit and relax after a busy day! https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/williamsburg/stores/alewerks
We finished off day two with a Colonial Williamsburg ghost tour. We booked the Christmas Spirits Candlelight Walking Tour. https://theghosttour.com/the-williamsburg-christmas-spirits-candlelight-walking-tour/ It was VERY cold, but this was truly a great tour. We have visited many places that offer ghost tours and this ranks right up there with the very best. Even though we didn’t see or feel any ghosts…none even showed up in any of our photos, we still enjoyed all the historical stories and all the accounts of interactions that others have had. This was a great way to learn some local history and tragedy.
Day 3
Our kids still had some Christmas shopping they needed to finish and to our surprise, Williamsburg has an excellent outlet mall.https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/williamsburg So we stopped in for some shopping. This outlet mall has a fantastic variety of shopping for all ages…and even better…a craft brewery tasting room conveniently located in the midst of all the stores. Alewerks Brewing Company had a great variety of brews on tap and it was the perfect place to sit and relax after a busy day! https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/williamsburg/stores/alewerks
We finished off day two with a Colonial Williamsburg ghost tour. We booked the Christmas Spirits Candlelight Walking Tour. https://theghosttour.com/the-williamsburg-christmas-spirits-candlelight-walking-tour/ It was VERY cold, but this was truly a great tour. We have visited many places that offers ghost tours and this ranks right up there with the very best. Even though we didn’t see or feel any ghosts…none even showed up in any of our photos, we still enjoyed all the historical stories and all the accounts of interactions that others have had. This was a great way to learn some local history and tragedy.
Lunch was just a 2-minute drive from the Jamestown Settlement Museum, Billsburg Brewery. This was a really cool brewery that had several home brews on tap with an inside waterfront taproom and an outdoor seating building with heat, and a food truck to order some excellent food. This was a great place to stop for lunch after a fun morning of learning at the museum.
If time allows while we travel, we always try to find local coffee shops, escape rooms, and bowling alleys. We were quite pleased to find all 3 of these in Williamsburg. We found a coffee shop called Eleva for an afternoon “pick-me-up” and to my surprise, they had some boozy options! I had an Elevatini(coffee martini). After our coffee, we made our way to Room Escape Williamsburg to our escape room, Time Siege: Battle of Yorktown https://www.roomescapewilliamsburg.com/time-siege-battle-of-yorktown/ and I’m pleased to announce that we escaped with plenty of time to spare! Colin, my cousin with autism, loves to bowl. So we made sure to head over to Bowlero Williamsburg to get in a couple of games for Colin! It was an awesome bowling alley with 40 lanes, a nice food menu, and a great drink selection. https://www.bowlero.com
King’s Arm Tavern for dinner…YUM! Recipes are inspired by the 18th century and servers are dressed on theme as well. The food and the atmosphere were excellent. We enjoyed listening to the stories of this historic tavern. And check out the size of those napkins. Our meal here was the perfect end to an awesome day!https://www.colonialwilliamsburghotels.com/dining/kings-arms-tavern/
Day 4
For our last full day in Colonial Williamsburg, we walked around to see all we could see. It was the warmest day of the trip making it to nearly 50 degrees so that was a welcome change. We toured the Governor’s Palace and George Wythe House. Beautiful tours and such interesting stories! There were many more that we could have toured but there just simply wasn’t enough time.
Dinner at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern….wow! George Washington’s favorite for a reason! Seafood 18th century style. The food and drinks were fabulous and such a fun atmosphere. The servers told the story of the tavern and we were serenaded with 18th-century musicians too. The napkins are laughably large but we loved hearing the history behind the napkins too. We were so glad that we included this meal in our trip…we would go again in a heartbeat! https://www.colonialwilliamsburghotels.com/dining/christiana-campbells-tavern/
We had a very Merry Christmas during this family trip to Virginia! So many fun and interesting things to do and see. The area kept us busy for our 4 days there and left us wanting to visit again to see the things that we didn’t have time for. Traveling, experiences, and time with family are the BEST gifts you can give or receive at Christmastime!
Psalm 121:8 “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore”