Colonial Williamsburg®

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Helpful Hints for a Successful
School & Youth Group Visit

Before your tour, consult these online resources.

Check the website for maps and accessibility information.

On the day of your tour:

Group Arrivals buildingPick up your tickets at the Group Arrivals Building directly behind the Visitor Center. If you are touring with Colonial Williamsburg guides, they will meet with you to finalize tour plans and review expectations. The guides will board your bus and travel with you to the Revolutionary City. Since each guide can lead a maximum of 26 people through the town, please have subgroups identified on the buses based on the number of guides contracted.

Once in the Revolutionary City, buses may “stand” in designated areas only long enough for dropping off at the beginning of the tour and picking up at its conclusion. Buses may return to the Group Arrivals Building bus parking area or take advantage of the nearby Penske Bus Service Center while your group enjoys the city. Your guides will provide your drivers with maps and designate drop-off and pick-up points. Once you have disembarked from the bus, you will not see it again until the end of your tour.

What to take? What to leave?

You will want to travel lightly. Bring money for souvenirs and lunch. While cameras are welcome, please leave any other miscellaneous electronics on the bus. Chaperones, teachers, and group leaders may want to have cell phones for communication purposes, but please do not use them inside the sites or during interpretations.

Tour comfort tips.

You will be exploring the colonial capital on foot. The Revolutionary City is nearly a mile in length and nearly half a mile wide. The tour will be both inside and outside. Your group will be walking on surfaces that are uneven and include dirt, brick, wood, shells, and asphalt. Encourage all members of your tour group to wear comfortable walking shoes with socks.

Be prepared for touring in all weather conditions.

Make sure all group members have the following: rain gear, such as ponchos and umbrellas for wet weather; an extra sweatshirt or sweater for cooler conditions; sunscreen; a hat or cap; and water. (Keeping hydrated in the heat is extremely important.)

Museum Etiquette

Etiquette lessonsPlease help us preserve this historic town.

  • Please refrain from eating gum, candy, or foods of any kind inside any of theHistoric Area sites.
  • Please look with your eyes only, unless an interpreter invites you to sit or touch. Your interpreter knows the best places to provide opportunities for you to touch objects and take part in activities.
  • Please refrain from using cell phones or other communication devices inside buildings or during presentations.
  • While photographs are permitted, please be courteous when using your camera. Take care that you do not disrupt any presentations.

Enjoy, explore, and embrace the sights and sounds of an 18th-century town with us. We look forward to sharing our capital city with you and your group!

 



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