This summer, a family trip to Colonial Williamsburg is not only a great bargain, but more fun than ever.

Kids and parents alike will love The Revolutionary City, an interactive theater experience that takes you through the streets of Williamsburg to different scene locations.  Families can experience the story of the Revolution along with the actors, yelling and cheering in turn.  The Get-Revved!! program puts the play in context for young children, and advises them on how best to participate and enjoy.   

Colonial Williamsburg’s Art Museums are kid-friendly too with their weekly hands-on programs.  Tuesdays at 4pm, children can become spies and crack the code that George Washington used during the war; Fridays at 1:30pm, they can take a tour and look for magical creatures.

During the summer of 2009 the best time to visit is between June 22 and August 23, the dates of Colonial Williamsburg’s Kids Summer Program.  Downtown, kids can stop by shops to try old-fashioned careers with the silversmith, carpenter, apothecary, and wigmaker; explore an old house; take a Mother Goose Riddles and Rhymes tour; and pretend to be children of the Revolutionary Era at the Goaler house. Uptown, kids can play 18^th century games; help out at the Colonial Gardens; create a portrait; visit the courthouse and stocks; or learn to be a wheelwright, weaver, gunsmith, or shoemaker.  They can even visit a working farm, learn to dance, or join a theatre troupe.  You’ll never run out of old-fashioned family fun. Check the Colonial Williamsburg website for a downloadable Kids Summer Program brochure with relevant scheduling information.

If parents need a break, the Colonial Kids Club offers full- and half-day programs, where kids can do crafts, go on scavenger hunts, and visit historical sites.

Ready to go back in time to this historic location? Colonial Williamsburg hotels offer two budget family packages to make the stay reasonable.  The Summer Saver package offers a 5-day, 4-night vacation for $599 for a family of four.  Accommodations include daily breakfast, Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area and museums admissions passes, a $200 resort credit, and discounts at evening programs.  Be sure to book before September 3, 2009. 

Or, for $292 per night for a family of four, try the Lodge Bounce package.  Available for a 3-night minimum stay, the Lodge Bounce includes deluxe accommodations, and passes to Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, and Water Country USA.  Plus, you’ll get free Colonial Kids Club admission, with access to lawn bowling, tennis clinics, and more.  Be sure to book online to get an extra 20% savings on hotel rates!

Those on a budget will also appreciate the Stroke of the Day, a complimentary summer program open to all Colonial Williamsburg hotel guests.  June through September, athletes of all ages can take 30-minute tennis and golf clinics twice a week, with previous reservations. Online, hotel guests can also get a discount on the Governor’s Key-to-the-City: 1-Day Plus Pass, which offers admission to many Williamsburg attractions.

For ore resort information, visit www.colonialwilliamsburgresort.com, or call (757/229-1000).