School Field Trips
Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area and Art Museums have been a premier school field trip destination for over 90 years. Your students will step into the capital of Virginia in the 18th Century and walk along the same streets as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Patrick Henry. Through immersive experiences, students explore daily colonial life, meet a diverse population including tradespeople, free and enslaved individuals, American Indians, and the founders of American Democracy. Students will investigate how concepts of self-government, rights, and civic responsibility emerged right here in Virginia’s former capital city.
How to book a field trip with Colonial Williamsburg
Booking your visit is simple! Complete our online request form and a member of our sales team will be in touch to finalize the details.
As you fill out the form, you’ll be asked to select details that shape your field trip.
Choose your experience
- Self-Guided
- $20 Adult | $10 Student (Ages 6 - 17)
- Half-day guided experience (3 hours)
- $20 Adult | $10 Student (Ages 6 - 17)
- Additional fees for guides
- Full-day guided experience (6 hours plus a lunch break)
- $20 Adult | $10 Student (Ages 6 - 17)
- Additional fees for guides
Choose a theme
Book Your Trip
A field trip with Colonial Williamsburg is more than a visit, it’s an active learning experience. Students engage with historic places, primary sources, and trained facilitators who guide thoughtful discussion and inquiry. Every program is designed to spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and bring early American history to life.
Funding Opportunities
Virginia & Middle Neck Peninsulas
Fourth-grade classes are eligible for free guided programs
Virginia Title I Schools
Title I schools may receive free guides, based on available funding
Local School Partnerships
Eligible local elementary schools may take advantage of free and reduced-cost field trips
Why Book Directly with Us?
Unmatched access. Authentic voices from the past. Inquiry‑based learning designed for today’s students.
When schools and tour operators book directly through Colonial Williamsburg, groups receive exclusive educational experiences led by trained facilitators and interpreters, designed to spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and connect students directly to primary sources from America’s founding era.
Led by Experts Inside the Historic Sites
Booking directly ensures that students learn from the experts who know these spaces, stories and collections best. Only Colonial Williamsburg guides and interpreters are permitted to lead tours inside Colonial Williamsburg's historic buildings and sites.
Third-party tour operators and guides may accompany groups through the streets of the Historic Area; however, they are not permitted to speak or interpret inside the historic buildings and sites.
Early, exclusive access to historic sites
Explore sites like:
→The Capitol Building
→The Governor’s Palace
→Raleigh Tavern
→The Public Gaol
For groups starting at 9:00 AM, this means a private, quieter experience—ideal for focused discussion, questions, and immersive learning before the Historic Area opens to the general public at 10:00 AM.
CW‑Trained Facilitators Leading the Experience
All school programs are led by Colonial Williamsburg–trained facilitators who:
→Guide students through inquiry-based discussions
→Encourage questioning, analysis, and evidence-based thinking
→Adjust facilitation for different grade levels and learning needs
These are not scripted tours. With Colonial Williamsburg, students are active participants in their learning.
Private Encounters with People from the Past
Students may engage in small-group or private experiences with:
→Actor Interpreters portraying the people of Williamsburg living in the 1770’s
→Nation Builders like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison
These exclusive encounters allow students to speak directly to interpretors, explore multiple historical perspectives, and understand how these individuals living and working in Williamsburg shaped our nation’s founding.
Exclusive Hands‑On Programs
Direct booking provides access to hands-on, school-only programming, including:
→Object-based inquiry
→Guided analysis of historic spaces and trades
→Site-specific, experiential learning
These exclusive programs are not available to the public and are intentionally designed to align with classroom instruction and social studies standards.
Inquiry‑Based Learning
Programs focus on primary resource–based learning, helping students:
→Examine documents, artifacts (real and replicas), and historic spaces
→Practice critical thinking skills
→Develop interpretations supported by evidence
Alignment with Curriculum
All our programs are designed with the classroom in mind. Our goal is to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience to students supplementing their learning in the classroom.
Students can experience first hand:
→Life in Colonial America
→The American Revolution
→The Founding Era
→A diverse historic perspective
Flexibility & Customization
By booking directly through Colonial Williamsburg, we can work with you in advance to create a program that exactly meets the needs of your students.
→Thoughtful scheduling based on your group’s needs
→Coordination across multiple programs in the same day
→Staff who work directly with educators and operators, not intermediaries
Stay and Save
You'll receive complimentary length-of-stay admission tickets when you book your stay directly at an official Colonial Williamsburg hotel.
Experience Living History
In the birthplace of America
Colonial Williamsburg is the world’s largest living history museum. Our 301 acres feature iconic sites, working tradespeople, historic taverns, and two world-class art museums. You’re invited to meet the people who bring history to life at Colonial Williamsburg.
Policies & Reservation Information
Reservations are required for all Group Tours and Evening Programs.
Call 1-800-228-8878 Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET), or email [email protected].
Self-Guided Tour for the Classroom
This self-guided tour leverages Uncovering Loyalties, an educational game created in partnership with iCivics, along with pre- and post-visit activities to ensure that your students have a tangible understanding of Virginia’s early American history.
Book Now
Fill out this form if you're interested in a Colonial Williamsburg Field Trip. Our team will be in touch to confirm your details.
Classroom Resources
From videos and games to lesson plans and primary sources, discover resources to use in your classroom to aid your students' understanding of 18th-century America.
