Attractions Nearby Williamsburg, Day Trips and Excursions

(Williamsburg, Virginia - VA, USA)

It is well worth your while hiring a car and touring the countryside around Williamsburg, where you will find significant historical attractions and lovely coastal areas.

Some of the most popular attractions close to Williamsburg include places such as Historic Jamestown, the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America; and Yorktown Victory Center, where the Revolutionary War ended in 1781.

Historic Jamestown

Address: Off Colonial Parkway, Jamestown, Virginia VA, USA
Tel: +1 757 898 2410
It is hard to overstate the significance of this site, the first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607. Now uninhabited, the ruins provide fertile material for active imaginations. Its recreation of the tough life of the early settlers is fascinating, while artist's impressions of the original settlement also give you a starting point for tracing this era of history. All that remains standing are the ruins of a church tower built in the 1640s, while archaeologists continue to excavate fascinating artifacts including traces of the original 1607 fort.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Virginia Living Museum

Address: 524 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, Newport News, Virginia VA, 23601, USA
Tel: +1 757 595 1900
Just a 20-minute drive from Williamsburg is Virginia Living Museum, a great place to take the kids and home to numerous attractions, including a wildlife park, science museum, aquarium, botanical gardens and planetarium. Visitors are able to learn about the native flora and fauna of the region through carefully reconstructed natural environments.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 18:00, seasonal variations apply
Admission: charge, discounts available for children, children under three free

North Bend Plantation

Address: 12200 Weyanoke Road, Charles City, Virginia VA, 23030, USA
Tel: +1 804 829 5176
Just west of Williamsburg is North Bend Plantation on the James River, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1801 for the sister of the 9th US President, William Henry Harrison, it is a mixture of Greek Revival and Federal styles, with tours of the manor attractions and grounds available for visitors.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Westover

Address: 7000 Westover Road, Charles City, Virginia VA, USA
Tel: +1 804 829 2882
This mansion was built in 1735 by an American aristocrat who was famous for writing one of the first travel guides about the region, as well as being the collector of a 4,000-volume library. Close to Williamsburg, Westover house is famed for its ornate carvings, but is only open during Garden Week in late April. However, the grounds are open year-round and feature 100-year-old tulip poplars and rose gardens.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 18:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Yorktown Victory Center

Address: Route 238, Yorktown, Virginia VA, 23690, USA
Tel: +1 757 887 1776
This is where the Revolutionary War ended in 1781 after the Battle of Yorktown. The Victory Center is now home to excellent exhibits depicting the battle, along with outdoor reenactments depicting rural life in 18th-century Virginia.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge