Top Rated Attracties in Williamsburg

The Governor's Palace was the home of Colony of Virginia's Royal Governors and later post-colonial governors Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. Built in the early 1700s, the main building was burned down in 1781 and was reconstructed in 1930. The reconstructed building was based upon the original architectural design as well as influenced by Jefferson's suggested renovations while he was a governor. Visitors can tour this elegant residence which was built to showcase the Crown's influence. After seeing the Palace, make sure you explore the gardens outside and see if you can navigate your way around the boxwood maze.

Explore sunken ships, wander past waterfalls, and look for gold - all with a golf club in hand. Pirate's Cove offers 18-holes of pirate-themed mini-golf that is sure to delight players of all ages. The course winds its way through perfectly curated pirate scenes, including a giant pirate ship that 'launches' canons overhead.

Established in 2000, The Williamsburg Botanical Garden is a gorgeous botanical garden that is home to over 2000 trees and other flora. The property consists of more than 15 species of daffodils in the bulb garden, lilac and wildflowers like rattlesnake master and blanket flower. However, the most popular area in this green cover is the butterfly garden where visitors can marvel at hundreds of butterflies. Besides the scenic beauty of the landscape, Williamsburg Botanical Garden is also known for its sustainable gardening practices like its green roof pavilion. Visitors can not only enjoy the natural scenery, but they can also participate in educational tours.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is an award-winning and eco-friendly adventure park started in 1975. Its many awards include the accolade of “World’s Most Beautiful Theme Park,“ “Golden Ticket Award” and “Applause Award.” This theme park recreates European villages, trains, tulip gardens and rides that make it a thrill-seeking mecca. If you're brave enough, hop onto Alpengeist, one of the tallest inverted coasters with a complete circuit in the whole world. Built to simulate an Alpine ski lift, albeit a slightly scarier version, it reaches heights of 195 feet (60 meters) and hair-raising speeds of 67 miles (108 kilometers) per hour. You can also embark on animal tours, adopt a dog for a day or two, visit the haunted house Howl-O-Scream, and Christmas Town for festive fun. Shop for German cuckoo clocks, Italian candles, wood carvings and Caribou pottery; then learn to make your own craft items at the workshops. Busch Gardens also features restaurants serving authentic British, Irish, German, French, Italian and Scottish cuisines. The park timings vary every week; the complete calendar can be found on the park website.

The Colonial National Historical Park is made up of some of the most important battlefields in the nation's history and memorials to famous war heroes and figures. This park includes Historic Jamestown, Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial Parkway and the Cape Henry Memorial. This vast park lets you travel back to 17th Century colonization and the American Revolutionary War. There is a bevy of family and kid activities including guided tours by extremely knowledgeable historians that will even dress the part of a 17th-century pilgrim, or you can travel by car through the beautiful Colonial Parkway and stop along the way to check out all the sites. Visitor centers and museum shops are located throughout the park so you will never get lost trekking back through history.

This museum has a mix of everything: marine life, wildlife, plants and a planetarium. It's a golden opportunity to see wolves, sea turtles, sharks, coyotes, pelicans and the solar system in one dizzying day.The operators are pioneers in their field; when it opened in 1987, it was the only living museum East of the Mississippi River. Its focus on public education makes it a popular destination for families. Group rates and member discounts are available. Opening hours change seasonally; check the website for details.