Traveling with Kids: Colonial Williamsburg

I am excited to make this blog mostly about travel!! There will of course be some family things, and occasionally book reviews or recipes if I feel they really need to be talked about but my passion has always been for TRAVEL.

So if you love travel as much as I do be sure to check out the travel link above for all our old adventures mostly around Europe!!

Now onto this actual post!!

A couple weeks ago my mom was here visiting and we didn't want to spend the whole time she was here at home. We had just survived the big hurricane that his North Carolina and so beaches here were out of the question!! So instead we decided a weekend trip to Virginia would be perfect!! Both her and I LOVE history stuff so going to Williamsburg was a no-brainer!!

Walking into Colonial Williamsburg for the first time. I think the kids weren't really sure what to expect. We had tried to explain to them that it was still running the same as it did back when people used to live there during the colonial times. 

We started the day out with a fun horse drawn carriage ride. I highly recommend adding this to your day if you are able to because it isn't a really long ride but gives you a nice tour of the whole town so you can decide which houses and shops you want to visit.

We paid for the sampler ticket which allowed us to do 4-5 of the homes or shops just not the  Governor's Palace, the Capitol, or the Art Museums. This ticket was just the perfect amount of locations however when traveling with younger children!! It kept us busy the entire day, and there was plenty that you could do to keep them entertained and learning.

Our carriage and driver!!

Governors Palace. We didn't get to see this one this trip but it was really pretty from the outiside

The Randolph House it has an awesome guided tour you will see more pictures below from the inside!! It is one of 3 houses that are completely originals.

Interestingly some homes are used as guest houses for guests if you want the FULLY EMERGED experience, other homes are now used as housing for people who work on the grounds. That would be such a cool job!

Three generations of us LOVE horses

In the square near the courthouse there is of course a few different ways people were punished available to try out...I might need to make one of these for time out corner!

During the visit there are both self guided and fully guided tours of shops and homes. It was really interesting to get a close up idea of how people lived compared to how they do now. There was lots of people working on the grounds who were more than willing to explain things, talk to your kids at their age level and tell them things about how kids used to live in that time to.

They also have a shuttle service that runs around the parameter of the ground that makes moving from one side and back much easier as little legs start to get worn out. With many food options, and snack bars you are never far from a quick bite either. We ate at Chowning's Tavern and everyone loved their meals, and the staff stayed in character the whole time truly adding to the experience.

 

If you love learning about history and are looking for a way to really emerge yourself in it. You should really visit Williamsburg!! It has something for everyone and could be a fun multiple day trip and just a few mins away from Jamestown which I hear is equally fun and interesting!!