Top Reasons to Go

Colonial Williamsburg: Escape to the 18th century in the world's largest living-history museum. Virginia's capital from 1699 to 1780 and Britain's largest, wealthiest New World outpost was restored so "That the future may learn from the past."

Celebrate early American history: Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Washington's momentous 1781 Revolutionary War victory at Yorktown secured the country's independence.

Water, water, everywhere! From the James River and Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, get in or on the waters of Tidewater Virginia. Surf the waves, steam past the world's largest naval station, sail on a schooner, or sup on a ship.

Immerse yourself in nautical and military history: Don't miss the Mariners' Museum, the MacArthur Memorial, the Virginia Air and Space Center, and the world's largest naval base at Norfolk Naval Station.

Visit plantations and historic homes: Visit America's oldest plantations and historic homes, including Shirley Plantation, chartered in 1613 and continuously occupied by 11 generations; and Berkeley Plantation, home to presidents, and claiming to have celebrated the first Thanksgiving.