Founded as the Capital of the Virginia Colony in 1699, Williamsburg was named in honor of England’s reigning monarch, King William III. It was the second capital of the Virginia Colony – the first being Jamestown, which was founded in 1607 as the first permanent English-speaking settlement in the New World. 

Williamsburg was one of America’s first planned cities, located just five miles from Jamestown between the James and York Rivers. The city quickly became the center of political, religious, economic, and social life in Virginia. The capital of Virginia was moved to Richmond in 1780, and Williamsburg became a ​​quiet college town and rural county seat. 

The Rector of Bruton Parish Church, the Reverend Doctor W A. R. Goodwin, brought the city’s importance to the attention of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the 1920s. Rockefeller funded and led the reconstruction of the 18th-century city, and Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed its main thoroughfare “the most historic avenue in America.”
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Today, Colonial Williamsburg is world-renowned as the premier center for the interpretation and preservation of American colonial history.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
Touted as one of the most historic destinations in the United States, I recently took a short trip to Colonial Williamsburg with my four-year-old daughter and my parents and can't wait to share my real experiences with you.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
My father took my brother and me to Colonial Williamsburg when I was a teenager (circa 2004-2005) and recollected how many people – visitors and workers alike – there were within the town at the time.
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Approximately two decades later, we were surprised to discover that many of the historic buildings and shops were only open select days of the week, and there weren’t many visitors or demonstrations outside either. I wonder if it would have been busier had we visited on a weekend or cooler day, but overall, it felt less impressive than we had remembered.
Throughout the course of three days, we enjoyed various history lessons at the Governor’s Palace, the Capitol Building, and other historic buildings throughout the town.
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We meandered through shops, stopped to marvel at the 18th-century architecture, and tried to stay as cool as possible in the 90-degree weather. We learned about the governors of the former Virginia Colony, about the court system, and about how the residents of the town once lived.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState

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By the third day of our trip, we were a bit underwhelmed with our experience. However, that outlook improved when, after perusing the Williamsburg Art Museum, we stumbled across archaeological work being done nearby.
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A group of Williamsburg archaeologists and their team of high school volunteers were digging in the fields near the site of John Custis’ former home. The archaeological team shared how they planned to use artifacts found in the soil – pottery, nails, seeds, and even bone – to recreate John Custis’ famed garden.
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Not sure who John Custis was? We weren't either. Custis was a lover of horticulture and politics and was Martha Washington’s father-in-law from her first marriage to Daniel Parke Custis. After Martha's first husband, Daniel, died, she went on to marry the one and only George Washington, who was a prominent planter and soldier at the time.
Walking down the street, we stumbled across another work site: the reconstruction of the Williamsburg Bray School, a one-room schoolhouse that taught enslaved and free Black children from 1760 to 1765.
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The school was permanently closed in 1774. In the 1920s, was moved to become a residence for female students at the William & Mary – the second-oldest institution of higher learning in the country – where the building was expanded to accommodate the students’ needs.

In 2021, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation began research and stabilization work on the building, which was moved to its current location in 2023. Here, it is being reconstructed and returned to its original 1760 appearance. The Bray School will open to the public in September 2024, featuring programming that explores Williamsburg’s diverse population and the history of Black education in Virginia.
While learning about the history of our country at Williamsburg’s landmarks – like the Capitol building, where we took a guided tour and learned all about the colony’s governance – it was these archaeological sites that truly fascinated me the most.
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From staff archaeologists digging up history to modern-day joiners and craftspeople committed to using the building methods of days gone by, the commitment to recreating the experiences of those who came before them and to learning from our past is impressive. This dedication to the preservation of history is crucial, and I hope everyone who visits Colonial Williamsburg understands this.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
The easiest way to access Colonial Williamsburg for yourself is to drive and park at the Visitor Center, then take the bus that shuttles visitors around the perimeter of the historic area. Buses loop every 15 minutes, and we never waited too long for a bus.
We stayed on property at the Woodland Hotel & Suites, which, while charming, was also perhaps in need of a few updates. It was the perfect home base to explore Williamsburg, as we could easily walk from the hotel to the Visitor Center to catch the bus.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
The hotel also had a variety of kid-centric activities, including a pirate-themed splash pad and pool, plus mini-golf, air hockey, bean bags, and more. There were also daily activities for the kids, including crafts, games, and movie nights.

While Williamsburg might not have been entirely what I expected it to be, it was a breathtaking history lesson that came to life – one that I believe every American should experience for themselves. For more information about this historic destination or to start planning your trip, visit the Colonial Williamsburg website. 

If you’re interested in learning more about American history, these 25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the United States are true natural and cultural wonders.

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Colonial Williamsburg, 301 Scotland St, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA