Attractions & Entertainment

See the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and President William Henry Harrison, “Old Tippecanoe.” “Taps” was composed at Berkeley when General George McClellan headquartered 140,000 Union troops there in 1862. An architectural gem, the 1726 Georgian mansion is furnished with rare period antiques. Costumed guides conduct tours of the mansion daily. Lunch is served in the Coach House Tavern. The gift shop has a unique collection of historical mementos and charming gifts. 804-829-6018 or 888-466-6018 

Voted the “World’s Most Beautiful Theme Park” for nearly 20 consecutive years, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is bursting with adventure. Take a thrilling ride on Griffon, the world’s tallest and first floorless dive coaster which takes riders 205 feet up and plunges them 90 degrees straight down. Situated on 100 action-packed acres, Busch Gardens boasts more than 50 thrilling rides and attractions, nine entertaining shows, a wide variety of award-winning cuisine, world-class shops and an exciting event series including gardening and animal weekends and 21 nights of concerts, Busch Gardens offers something for everyone in the family.  New this year -- Sesame Street's Forest of Fun!  800-343-7946

Don’t miss Williamsburg’s premier family entertainment center. Spin, dive and soar on the newest thrill ride, The DISK‘O’! Strap yourself into a Super Stockart for a race around a high-banked track or have the little ones try the new Rookie Track. Be the captain of a bumper boat or sink a hole-in-one on the Miniature Golf Course. Play the latest games in our new air-conditioned arcade or win prizes playing Midway games.

Jamestown was founded in 1607 and became the first permanent English-speaking settlement in mainland North America. Today, the National Park Service and APVA Preservation Virginia preserve and interpret our nation’s roots at Historic Jamestowne—America’s Birthplace. Start your experience at the Visitor Information Station, where exhibits and walking tours are provided. Walk through the townsite to see the original church tower and the reconstructed foundations of some of the earliest buildings. Visit the Glasshouse where costumed glassblowers demonstrate their techniques. Driving tours explore the lush natural setting, and exhibits explain how the settlers harnessed that wilderness for their needs.

Immerse yourself in 300 years of history. At Yorktown you can experience many 18th-century homes, and picturesque streets are the backdrop for art galleries and antique and specialty shops. Visit the museums offering hands-on programs and exhibits. Stroll along the scenic riverwalk and relax on the sandy beach at river’s edge. Dine at one of the charming restaurants. Be sure to see Yorktown Victory Monument, commemorating the victory at Yorktown. See Cornwallis’s Cave, where the English general and his staff sought refuge from the bombardment by American and French troops. Visit the York County Historical Museum, which includes exhibits and artifacts spanning centuries of York County history.

At Jamestown Settlement, the story of the people who founded Jamestown and of the Virginia Indians they encountered is told through film, gallery exhibits, and living history. Gallery exhibits trace Jamestown’s beginnings in England and the first century of the Virginia colony and describe the cultures of the Powhatan Indians, Europeans, and Africans who converged in 1600s Virginia. Outdoors, visitors can board replicas of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607, explore life-size re-creations of the colonists’ fort and a Powhatan village, and tour a riverfront discovery area to learn about European, Powhatan, and African economic activities associated with water. In the outdoor areas, costumed historical interpreters describe and demonstrate daily life in the early 17th century. 888-593-4682

Movie Tavern

This attraction combines the enjoyment of movies with an in-theater dining experience.  A menu consisting of classic American favorites, beer, wine and margaritas are ordered in the lobby and served to Movie Tavern guests while they enjoy first-run films in state-of-the-art auditoriums.
757-941-5361 or 757-941-5362

Where learning is larger than life. Presidents Park is an educational and artistic outdoor museum dedicated to preserving our American heritage. The park features 18- to 20-foot-tall busts of all U.S. presidents in a relaxed garden setting along a beautifully landscaped pathway. The statues were sculpted by internationally renowned artist David Adickes. The park also features a Museum Center with a café, gift shop, and a banquet/meeting room. Educational programs, evening programs, and themed tours pertaining to presidential history from 1789 to the present are offered.

Wander 11 galleries and discover some of Ripley’s strangest oddities from around the world, such as an albino and mane-less lion from Africa, a dress made entirely of guitar picks, a U.S. flag that was flown to the moon aboard Apollo 16 in 1972, and of course a collection of traditional Ripley artifacts including a genuine shrunken head! In the adjacent 4D Theater, guests wear 3D glasses and experience a fourth dimension—wind, water, and other elements.

This beautiful new waterfront development was designed in the spirit of colonial architecture reflected in the town’s historic buildings. It features a variety of shops and riverfront dining that provides a daylong shopping, touring, and dining experience. The waterfront also features a performance area, a beautiful beach, and two floating piers. A mile-long pedestrian riverwalk and a scenic brick walkway link Yorktown’s major attractions. Riverwalk Landing is a one-stop destination for shopping, dining, and touring. 757-890-3300

Home of John Tyler, 10th president of the United States, Sherwood Forest has remained the home of generations of Tylers. President Tyler’s bride brought magnificent furnishings and objects of art to the house, which remain there today. She also added a ballroom to the house, which made it the longest frame house in America—301 feet-—one foot longer than a football field. The 27-acre original grounds contain 89 varieties of trees, including poet’s laurel planted by Thomas Jefferson. It has 12 original dependencies, and is one of America’ s most complete plantation grounds. National Historic Landmark. 804-829-5377

Yorktown Battlefield is the site of the final major clash of the American Revolution and the symbolic end of the colonial period of our nation’s history. On these fields in the fall of 1781, General George Washington and his allied American and French army surrounded and besieged General Charles Lord Cornwallis’s British and German forces at the Port of Yorktown. The ensuing British surrender resulted in the war’s end, granting independence to the United States of America. Administered by the National Park Service. 757-898-2410