Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center
Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center
Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center
4.5
8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Stop in at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center to purchase tickets and find information on current events and activities. Park here for free, and ride the shuttle to different stops throughout the Historic Area. Whether you have an itinerary of your own or need help starting one, our friendly staff will steer you in the right direction.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
394 reviews
Excellent
274
Very good
83
Average
24
Poor
6
Terrible
7
teri1352
Portland, OR339 contributions
Sep 2020
This is much more than a visitors center. See the inside museum, enjoy the movies portraying the colonial times, go outside and watch people cooking in the "Revolutionary war camp", living in the tents during the war, firing muskets, "surgeries" being done, how farming was done, cooking in the farmhouses, making linen out of flax and much more. Take the time to see this amazing visitors center.
Written September 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen C
Calistoga, CA274 contributions
Apr 2021
Relaxing step back in time here in Colonial Williamsburg. Take your time walking around the old town as a horse drawn carriage passes you by with their hooves clicking on the brick streets. The are is closed to automobiles, so getting around on food is very easy. Interesting things to see. I'd recommend the courthouse & seeing the stocks next to it. Across the street is where they shoot the musket every 15 minutes or so. Fun place.
Written April 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Karen, thank you for your review of Colonial Williamsburg. We're glad you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you back in the Historic Area soon.
Written May 12, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
joefromcincy1961
West Chester, OH653 contributions
Jul 2021
Buying our Colonial Williamsburg tickets was quick and easy. The staff were very helpful, especially Kennette, who answered all of our questions with patience and cheerfulness. The gift shop is interesting, and they have a movie playing continuously to explain what is going on.
Written July 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi! Thank you for your review of Colonial Williamsburg. We're glad you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you back in the Historic Area soon.
Written July 27, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve R
Jackson, WY40 contributions
Oct 2021
A world class historic site like Historic Williamsburg should have a matching quality visitor center. We were told that the introductory film was "not working at the moment", the gift shop was closed and moved across the hall apparently to smaller quarters, they had no Williamsburg guidebooks available to help you explore the town (we were advised to check at the art museum store when we went into town), and the information desk was not very helpful at all for first-timers needing to get oriented to the process and procedures of getting started on our visit. The shuttle service was very good taking you into town and back.
Written October 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, thank you for the feedback and taking the time to reach out to us. We'd love the opportunity to connect with you personally and learn more about your recent experience. Could you please email us directly at cwres@cwf.org so that a member of our team can assist?
Written October 24, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Robert M
Murfreesboro, TN2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
There’s so much to see, however much is closed due to covid, still. Restaurants are limited as well as buildings to visit. When we asked the visitor center about what to see, nothing was mentioned about many of the buildings still being closed. We didn’t find out until we were walking around and saw so many buildings closed, with no signage. So disappointed that things aren’t back open and free by this point. What you can see looks amazing and I’m sure when it actually opens up, it’ll be fantastic. Unfortunately we might not ever get to come back.
Written July 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a review. We value customer feedback and are committed to the continuous improvement of our guest experience.
Written July 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JoeHend
Bensalem, PA56 contributions
Oct 2022
Used back in the day as the information hub and Gateway to Colonial Williamsburg, it still serves those wishing a more personal experience in purchasing passes, tickets, and program tickets. Great if you're a first time visitor to CW. There is parking and if you have a pass or ticket you can catch the CW loop bus here and it's included with your ticket. IT's an on and off bus that runs all day into the night. There is a cool bridge from the Visitor Center to the Historic Area if you don't mind a modest walk. You used to be able to view the introductory film to the Historic Area, entitled The Making of a Patriot, but they don't show it now, citing safety concerns to our visitors (Covid, I gather). you can pull the film up on Youtube I believe. There is a nice gift shop there and with buying your tickets you can also make dining reservations for the Historic Area.
Written October 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for providing all the detail regarding the Visitor Center and the experience that future visitors can expect. We truly appreciate that you took the time to provide this. We look forward to your future visits. We hope we will see you during the holidays when it is extra special here at Colonial Williamsburg. Take care.
Written October 31, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cindy G
San Antonio, TX398 contributions
Dec 2019
The Visitor Center is a must for first time visitors to Colonial Williamsburg. The center has numerous people that will help you map out your visit. A cafe and gift shop are also available at this site. Free parking and shuttle bus service are available.
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol Ann J
Germantown, NY1,783 contributions
Sep 2022
The Visitor Center is a great place to begin one's visit of Colonial Williamsburg. There is plenty of free parking there, and one may purchase tickets and hop on the shuttle bus to get to different parts of the living history museum. There is a gift shop inside too.
Written September 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review of Colonial Williamsburg!
Written September 30, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael T
Apex, NC1,037 contributions
Oct 2020
We bought all our tickets in advance and they made picking them up easy. The visitors center is very pleasing to the eye and well laid out. The shuttle busses to the historic town run regularly right outside the door. These people have their act together even with covid.
Written October 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jodi H
100 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
This is a top notch visitor center. The staff are very knowledgeable, nice and helpful. I even found out that I could turn in my unused tickets and for $5 more they would now be good until the end of the year. What a great deal seeing how hurricane Ian followed us here!
Written October 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review of Colonial Williamsburg. We're glad you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you back in the Historic Area soon! We're also glad that you could use your unused ticket through the end of the year!
Written October 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is the Visitor Center shuttle free even if we do not buy tickets to any of the attractions or events? And, is the pathway from the Visitor Center well lit and safe to walk on back to the Visitor Center after dark?
Fred D
Phoenix, AZ63 contributions
I concur with the other comments especially Ed. The walk is somewhat long, we walked in day one and used the shuttle day two and three.
Do you have to buy a ticket in order to ride the shuttle/trolley?
sawyerrj79
Lehigh Acres, FL119 contributions
It is free when you buy tickets to Colonial Williamsburgs . Or you have to buy a shuttle pass.
TexianTraveler
Texas57 contributions
Does anyone know if there is a way to visit Colonial Williamsburg for the day while traveling in an RV - Parking????
Bill and Sherlene
Chandler, AZ30 contributions
There are plenty of parking areas but some do not accommodate an RV. Driving (RV and or car) is limited inside the area but can be done around the site just as tour buses and such go.
CPBoley
Kimbolton, OH19 contributions
Is there any golf courses in the general area of this attraction? And is there a better time of year ( concerning crowds) to visit Colonial Williamsburg?
D P
Wellington, New Zealand6,710 contributions
I ghave no idea on golf courses you would have to google them. As to best time of year I would say March to get less people and by end of May to get good weather with still fewer crowds. Week days are always quieter.
Anne P
New Jersey12 contributions
I would like to know the hours open in December if at all. I would like to get the best pricing on the places like Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg. I like to know any points of interest beyond the two I mentioned.
Asa T
Elkton160 contributions
8:45 PM - 5:00 PM Monday through Sunday. You can soend days in Colonial Williamsburg (and that is the time of the Christmas Lights early in December). THe website will get you started. In addition to the two you mentioned, Norfolk is a good tour. It all depends on how much time and money you have. By the way, it can get cold on the seside in December. The Colonial Williamsburg is the most important. The Art Museum is really better than you would think. It is thew old insane asylum and has a great exhibit of everything else.
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