We are continuing our quest to take the triplets and our daughter to knock a few Southeast Bucket List Travel Destinations. The latest on our list was the Historic Triangle- Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. We dedicated a day to each place + a Busch Gardens visit. In this post I’m focusing solely on Yorktown. If you only have one day to check out Yorktown, Virginia, here are 5 places to visit in Yorktown in 1 day!
Walk Riverwalk Landing
The quiet beauty of Yorktown surprised me. Riverwalk Landing genuinely looks like a movie set. It is lovely! There are shops and restaurants, but my favorite part was simply walking and taking in the scenes of the York River.
Cost: Free to explore
Set Sail with the Yorktown Schooner Alliance
The triplets had never been on a boat, and we decided the Yorktown Schooner Alliance would be their first boat outing. This was our most enjoyable family activity in Yorktown. While the Schooner Alliance offers several different sailing options, we chose the Pirate Cruise. Geared towards kids, this hour and a half long cruise was fun and educational. We all learned a little about boat safety, how to raise the sails, and how to tie a variety of knots. The crew fired a small cannon, and each child had the chance to steer the ship. Several of my kids stated that their time on the Schooner Alliance was their favorite part of our Historic Triangle trip, making it well worth the money.
Cost: There is a ticket price for each person. See the Schooner Alliance website for current availability and ticket prices.
Walk Historic Yorktown
Yorktown is full of history. If you like viewing historic houses, there are several lovely ones in historic Yorktown.
Cost: Free to explore
Visit the Yorktown Victory Monument
The Yorktown Victory Monument is a spectacular historic piece. Built between 1881 and 1884, it commemorates the victory at Yorktown when British General Cornwallis surrendered, a significant turning point in the Revolutionary War.
Cost: Free
Drive the Yorktown Battlefield Auto Tour
To finish up our day, we headed to the Yorktown Battlefield part of the Colonial National Historic Park. We purchased tickets and received a map at the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center. The driving tour takes about 2 hours, especially if you stop like we did and walk the trails. We downloaded an app that provided a self-guided tour. If you do not want to get out and walk, this makes a great rainy day activity. About one hour into our tour, rain set in. We only missed out on exploring the last house, but overall this tour could be done on a dreary or rainy day.
Cost: The kids were free; we only had to pay for myself and my husband. We saved our receipt and received a discounted admission when we visited nearby Jamestown, VA.
These 5 places to visit in Yorktown in 1 day are great for the whole family! Check out other southeast travel ideas for the family here.
