Colonial Williamsburg Self-Guided Walking Tour

Welcome to the Colonial Williamsburg Tour

Don’t just learn about American history… live it! On the Colonial Williamsburg tour, America’s Colonial past comes to life through beautifully restored architecture and authentic reenactors. Stroll down these historic streets while this tour tells you everything you need to know about Williamsburg, early America, colonial life, and more.

Williamsburg has a long and complex history that predates the creation of the United States by almost 150 years! Dig into the town’s origins, the dramatic struggles which unfolded here during the revolution, and the people who put Williamsburg on the map.

Plus, get insights into the painstaking restoration of Williamsburg, and find out how John Rockefeller was involved in all of it. If you’re looking for a comprehensive exploration of this fascinating town, this tour has you covered.

About the Tour

The first major landmark you’ll arrive at will be the Peyton Randolph House, a gorgeous home dating back to 1715. Its former owner was actually a key revolutionary figure, though you might not have heard about him in school!

Next on the Colonial Williamsburg Tour you’ll arrive at the Fife and Drum Building, where you’ll learn about the importance these simple instruments had during battles. If you’re lucky, you may also catch a performance of Colonial Williamsburg’s very own fife and drum band as they march through town!

Continuing onwards, you’ll hear about the origins of the Colonial Williamsburg museum project, including how America’s first billionaire, John D. Rockefeller, bankrolled the whole thing! He was apparently a bit of a history buff.

After that, you’ll see the Public Gaol, a grim prison that once held all manner of unsavory sorts. But would you believe it also held Blackbeard’s pirate crew while they waited to be executed?

Up next on the Colonial Williamsburg Tour is Bassett Hall, the lavish estate where Rockefeller lived while overseeing the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. Then it’s on to the old Capitol Building, where Virginia once declared independence from Britain… four days before the Declaration of Independence was signed!

Speaking of independence, you’ll find the Raleigh Tavern next. During the 1700s, this tavern’s unassuming facade hid secret revolutionary meetings within.

Next, you’ll come to the Williamsburg Magazine, an old munitions storehouse. Here, you’ll learn the dramatic tale of a standoff between British troops and Williamsburg residents on the eve of the revolution.

As you make your way to the Play House Stage, a recreation of one of the country’s oldest theatres, you’ll hear a few spooky stories about ghost sightings that have taken place throughout Williamsburg–not especially surprising considering how much history lives here!

After that, you’ll reach the Governor’s Palace, where Virginia’s Royal Governor ruled over the people of this state… until he was forced to flee in the dead of night.

Then you’ll see two of the town’s most historic structures: the George Wythe House and the Bruton Parish Episcopal Church. The former was home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence who was also a staunch abolitionist. The latter actually predates the town itself, and is the whole reason for the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg!

Finally, you’ll make your way to the historic campus of the William & Mary School, the nation’s second-oldest university. Here, you’ll find one of Williamsburg’s oldest and most impressive buildings, and learn a little about the college’s controversial history. The Colonial Williamsburg tour concludes here.

Tour Start Point: Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, 101 Visitor Center Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA