Let's face it: Colonial Williamsburg can get a bit pricey, especially for a family of four or more. A lot of visitors purchase tickets ahead of time, assuming that they'll need tickets to see anything. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Want a cheap family vacation that includes Williamsburg without the fee? Here's our local secret: there are no entrance gates at Colonial Williamsburg.
Soooo, do what the locals do: just park in one of the downtown lots (near Merchant Square) and walk around Duke of Gloucester Street (the main drag of the park). You can actually walk all through the town and enjoy the architecture, walk inside any of the historic shops that make and sell goods and talk to the workers, eating in restored taverns, see military parades and costumed interpreters...all without without paying a dime of admission.
The only things you won't be able to do without an admission ticket is get in major buildings like the Governor's Palace (which is a great tour, I admit, but even the basic ticket won't get you into that, and it may be a little boring for the kiddies anyway) or go on a guided tour.
Our favorite thing to do: take turns having someone take a picture of us in the stocks on the main street by the Colonial Williamsburg Courthouse (these were used to publicly punish people in colonial days).
Here's another freebie...The Summer Concert Series!
Colonial Williamsburg offers an annual Summer Breeze Concert series in Merchant Square every July and August. Admission is free. Performances usually take place Wednesday evenings, and often include performances by the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Concert Band, jazz quartets, show bands, and more.
Nearby attractions which won't bust your wallet include Historic Jamestowne, Yorktown Battlefield, and Yankee Candle Factory. Like to shop? Williamsburg is an absolute bargain shopping mecca, with huge outlet malls-- like Prime Outlets Williamsburg and the Williamsburg Pottery-- that offer discounts of 20%-80% or more on name-brand merchandise.
Want to save money on food?
If you want authentic colonial food, be prepared to pay for it. But you're really buying more than just authentic colonial food...you're paying for the joy of being served by costumed interpreters, including smiling serving "wenches" (no, it was not necessarily an insult back then) and getting the general tavern experience. If you're willing to splurge, the King's Tavern generally gets top marks for both service and food.
But if you're on a dime, look outside the Historic area. Our pick for delicious, cheap and bountiful dining within just a few minutes drive from the Historic area is Peking Restaurant. We've been coming here for the last 13 years whenever we're in Colonial Williamsburg VA. This huge Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet offers Chinese, a Mongolian BBQ, Hong Kong style dim sum, sushi, Vietnamese noodles, pizza, fruit, and little donuts (our kids' favorite).
Try to leave room for some self-serve vanilla and chocolate ice cream. It's probably the best, most comprehensive Chinese buffet I've ever been to. And it's just a short drive (5 minutes) from Colonial Williamsburg.
Peking Restaurant is located in Kingsgate Shopping Center (757-229-2288) and is open for lunch and dinner. They also serve take-out, so why not pick some up and have a picnic on Duke of Gloucester Street as you watch the costumed interpreters walk by?
For overall savings in the Williamsburg area, pick up a free visitor's guide. There are several free visitor guides for the Historic Triangle area. They offer dining, shopping, and attraction info, as well as area maps and...coupons!
There are a wide variety of places to stay in and around the Williamsburg area...and even more price options. Best advice? There are a number of upscale campgrounds in the Colonial Williamsburg area (including one that has its own shuttle stop for the Williamsburg bus that goes between Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and other local sights).
If camping is not your style (and in the height of summer humidity, it's not my idea of a good time), and you want to "camp" in a hotel, check out sites like www.travelcoupons.com. They offer coupons for some of the best hotel deals in the area.
If we want to go really cheap, try Travelodge King William. They offer a mid-summer $55 rate (1-2 people - weekends/holidays higher) which includes kids under 17 free, free continental breakfast, an outdoor pool, plus discount tickets for Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Colonial Williamsburg.
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