Colonial Williamsburg Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

Don’t just learn about American history… live it! At Colonial Williamsburg, America’s Colonial past comes to life through beautifully restored architecture and authentic reenactors. Stroll down historic streets as this tour reveals everything you need to know about Williamsburg, early America, colonial life, and more. Williamsburg has a complex history that predates the U.S. by almost 150 years! Explore its origins, the struggles during the revolution, and the people who shaped it. Plus, learn about its restoration, with John Rockefeller’s involvement. After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

1. 1

   Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center

   10 min

   The tour of this beautifully preserved slice of Colonial America begins at the Visitor Center, where you can get your first taste of the nation's largest living museum. Note: The tour is over 3 miles long, with more than 30+ audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete.. Your password can be used on the same number of devices as the travelers you have booked. Please enter the same password on each device. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   5 min

   Your first stop is at the doorstep of the Peyton Randolph House, the former home of a fiery revolutionary and one of the oldest buildings in Williamsburg! You might not have heard of William Randolph, but he was a trusted ally of folks like Thomas Jefferson

3. 3

   The Rockefellers' Bassett Hall

   5 min

   A simple two-story 18th-century white frame farmhouse nestled on 585 acres of lawn, garden, and woodlands, Bassett Hall once was the Williamsburg home of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller .Philip Johnson, a member of the House of Burgesses from King and Queen County, Virginia, is believed to have built the 18th-century frame house sometime between 1753 and 1766. Purchased by Burwell Bassett around 1800 Union cavalryman George Armstrong Custer guest in home during the Civil War

4. 4

   Colonial Williamsburg Capitol Building

   5 min

   Built between 1701 and 1705, the first Williamsburg statehouse served the colony of Virginia until fire destroyed the building in 1747.The first floor of the west building was for the General Court and the colony's secretary, the first floor of the east for the House of Burgesses and its clerk. Arched windows marched across the facades. Stairs on one side led to the Council Chamber, a lobby, and the Council clerk's office stairs on the other side led to three committee rooms. A second-floor conference room connected the classically corniced structures, and a six-sided cupola on the ridge of the hipped and dormered roof crowned it all. Though the west wing was completed by July 1703, it took Cary until November 1705 to finish all the work.

5. 5

   Stop 5

   5 min

   Next is the unassuming little Secretary's Office, where all the documents needed to reconstruct Williamsburg's colonial days were stored

6. 6

   Stop 6

   5 min

   After that, you'll arrive at the Raleigh Tavern, where rebellious Virginians met to plot a possible revolution against their British rulers. These meetings even welcomed famous names like Thomas Jefferson!

7. 7

   Colonial Williamsburg Magazine

   5 min

   Then you'll come to the Colonial Williamsburg Magazine, the site of a tense standoff between American patriots and British soldiers trying to steal all the gunpowder from the town before it could fall into rebel hands

8. 8

   Stop 8

   5 min

   Directly opposite the Magazine, you'll find the old courthouse, where residents of Williamsburg heard the Declaration of Independence read aloud for the very first time

9. 9

   Stop 9

   5 min

   Up next is the Play House Stage, a recreation of one of America's first theatres. The original may have failed terribly, but this one still puts on shows on a regular basis!

10. 10

    Governor's Palace

    5 min

    Then you'll see the extravagant Governor's Palace, and maybe start to get a sense of why the residents of Williamsburg didn't particularly care for their British royal governors!

11. 11

    George Wythe House

    5 min

    Up next is the house of George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who stands out from most of his compatriots because of one simple fact: he was an abolitionist. In Virginia, a state which used a huge amount of slave labor, this didn't exactly make him a lot of friends!

12. 12

    Bruton Parish Episcopal Church

    5 min

    Continuing on, you'll arrive at the oldest building in Colonial Williamsburg: the Bruton Parish Episcopal Church. Here, you'll learn not just about the church's surprising history, but also about how it's the whole reason Colonial Williamsburg exists in the first place

13. 13

    Stop 13

    5 min

    After that is the Bowden-Armistead House, the history of which showcases some of the deep divisions which cut through Williamsburg around the time of the Civil War. See, the owner was a northerner, and you can probably imagine how his Virginian neighbors felt about that...

14. 14

    William & Mary

    5 min

    Your route takes you next onto the campus of William & Mary College, the oldest college in the United States

15. 15

    Stop 15

    5 min

    The final stop on your tour is the Wren Building, an impressive structure which isn't just the oldest building on the William & Mary Campus, but the oldest college building in the entire United States!

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Site entry is free. This audio tour covers 30 historic buildings from the outside. Tickets to enter select buildings are available separately. Take your time, enjoy the tour first, and decide afterward which interiors you would like to visit.
• Check the official Colonial Williamsburg website before your visit for current hours, events, and planning information.
• Due to ongoing rehabilitation work on Colonial Parkway, several sections between Yorktown and Williamsburg are closed or under detours. Please check the official NPS website for the latest updates on closures and detours.
• Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.