Colonial Williamsburg for Locals

Looking for something new to do? Evening entertainment at Colonial Williamsburg includes signature favorites and new enchanting experiences. Take a spooky ghost tour, participate in a witch or pirate trial, enjoy stage performances, concerts and dancing. Discounts on evening programs are available to all Annual, Good Neighbor, and Collegiate Pass holders.Colonial Williamsburg Bookstore

The Foundation has published books since 1935 on subjects as varied as art and archaeology, history and historic trades, scholarly books, cookbooks and volumes for children and young adults. More than 50 Colonial Williamsburg titles are available at the Colonial Williamsburg Bookstore, along with books written by historians whose articles have appeared in Colonial Williamsburg’s magazine Trend & Tradition, early American history books from Foundation publishing partners, and titles affiliated with other museums in Virginia.

Lose yourself in the Spirit of ’76! Hear the stirring sounds of Revolutionary War field music, courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums. Join the corps as they march down Duke of Gloucester Street. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 4:55 pm, march with the Fife and Drum Corps from Market Square (behind the Courthouse) to Capitol Circle. Then, on Saturdays at 12:30 pm, march with the Fife and Drum Corps from Capitol Circle to Palace Green. 

Colonial Williamsburg hosts monthly blood drives for the American Red Cross at the Woodlands Conference Center, located at 159 Visitor Center Drive.

To register for an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code: CWF next to "Make Your Appointment."

Colonial Williamsburg works with the City of Williamsburg to make parking as accessible as possible for residents and guests visiting downtown, the Historic Area and Merchants Square. Parking fees align with the city’s Downtown Parking Plan to efficiently use the community’s available parking inventory. Revenue helps to maintain downtown Williamsburg and Merchants Square as a beautiful, vibrant and appealing location for both residents and visitors. Payment of fees can be made either through the Passport Parking app available for download on mobile devices or through kiosks installed in each parking lot. Parking fees in Colonial Williamsburg parking lots are:

• Parking lots P2-P5: 30 minutes free and $2 per hour thereafter with a $20 daily maximum.
• Parking lot P6, at the corner of Henry and Francis Streets, two hours free and an hourly rate thereafter of $1 per hour with a $10 daily maximum.
• Parking fees are in effect from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.  

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Colonial Williamsburg has joined Museums for All, a signature program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Association of Children’s Museums, to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums and build lifelong museum-going habits. The program enables those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits to visit Colonial Williamsburg for a minimal fee of $3 per person (for up to four people) with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. “History belongs to all of us and should be accessible to all,” said Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of Colonial Williamsburg. “Colonial Williamsburg is proud to participate in initiatives like Museums for All to ensure that everyone — regardless of race, religion, politics, or socio-economic background — is able to see themselves in our nation’s history.”

The Colonial Williamsburg Regional Visitor Center is open for ticket purchases, information, parking, and buses to the Historic Area. In addition, there is a small gift shop.

The Historic Triangle Recreational Facilities Authority (HTRFA) has determined that property adjacent to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center building and owned by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is its preferred location to build a regional indoor sports facility. Colonial Williamsburg is reviewing the HTRFA’s proposal, but no decision has been made about the best use of the property. The HTRFA’s proposal for the indoor sports facility has no impact on the Visitor Center building. The development of an indoor sports facility is independent of Colonial Williamsburg operations. For additional information, visit the Historic Triangle Recreational Facilities Authority (HTRFA) website: https://htrfa.org/

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation preserves, restores and operates Virginia’s 18th-century capital of Williamsburg, the largest living history museum in the country. Innovative and interactive experiences highlight the relevance of the American Revolution to contemporary life and the importance of an informed, active citizenry. The Colonial Williamsburg experience includes more than 600 restored or reconstructed original buildings, renowned museums of decorative arts and folk art, extensive educational outreach programs for the general public, students and teachers, beautiful hotels, culinary options from historic taverns to casual or elegant dining, the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club featuring 45 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones and his son Rees Jones, a full-service spa and fitness center, pools, retail stores and gardens.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and does not receive state or federal funds. The Foundation relies on grant funding, philanthropic support, and revenue from admissions, products, and hospitality operations to fulfill our mission, “That the future may learn from the past,” and to safeguard this national treasure for generations to come.

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Residents of Greater Williamsburg may purchase the Good Neighbor Pass, which includes unlimited admission to our Historic Area and two world-class art museums as well as discounts on dining, shopping, evening programs, and more. Qualifying zip codes include 23089, 23090, 23127, 23168, 23185, 23186, 23186, and 23188. For more information: Colonial Williamsburg Good Neighbor Pass. Certain special groups are also eligible for the Good Neighbor Pass, including:

• Military personnel and direct dependents living in the city of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County.
• Current municipal employees of the city of Williamsburg, James City County, and the Bruton District of York County are eligible to receive a FREE Good Neighbor Pass. Eligibility does not extend to family members.
• Teachers who work for the local school system (see list of qualifying schools) are eligible to receive a FREE Good Neighbor Pass. Eligibility does not extend to family members.

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Colonial Williamsburg is happy to provide a speaker for your organization’s next meeting. We will work with you to identify the topic and speaker that will best meet the needs of your audience. Flexibility in your topic and program date helps immensely in securing a Colonial Williamsburg speaker. For information, contact Amy Ritchie, community affairs manager, at aritchie@cwf.org.

Colonial Williamsburg receives many requests for charitable donations each year. Our ability to make contributions is quite limited, and primarily focused on nonprofit organizations within our local community and the Commonwealth of Virginia. However, donations are considered on a caseby-case basis. Requests must be in writing on your organization’s letterhead and can be emailed to Amy Ritchie, community affairs manager, at aritchie@cwf.org. The request must include information about your organization, including nonprofit status, how the donation will be used, and if an event, the date, location, and anticipated numbers. The more information the better. The standard donation is two Single-Day Admission Tickets.

The roads located within Colonial Williamsburg, including Duke of Gloucester Street, are public roads maintained by the City of Williamsburg. For permission to host a road race within the Historic Area, please visit the city website for a permit request.

There are many unique venues within Colonial Williamsburg where you can create a truly memorable conference, event, or wedding. From a lavish ballroom affair to an intimate garden gathering and every occasion in between, you will find the meeting space ideally suited to your specific needs.

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Networks or production companies interested in using Colonial Williamsburg's property or assets for filming must contact Kevin Crossett, director of Corporate Affairs, at kcrossett@cwf.org to discuss guidelines and opportunities. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation must approve all production projects. A Foundation staff liaison will be present at all times during filming. The production company will provide proof of insurance and may be responsible for fees associated with the project.

The Business Forum is Colonial Williamsburg’s corporate donor society. Its members provide critical annual support to aid in the general operations of this precious national historic treasure. In appreciation, members receive several exclusive benefits and privileges. The Business Forum has three giving tiers, each commemorating a well-established 18th-century Williamsburg entrepreneur: • Greenhow Circle ($1,000 or more) – named for John Greenhow, whose general store sold all manner of goods • Prentis Circle ($750-$999) – named for William Prentis, whose shop in the Historic Area is the best surviving example of a colonial period store • Tarpley Circle ($500-$749) – named for James Tarpley, who apprenticed to a merchant before opening his own store in 1755.

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