Colonial Williamsburg, a restored historical downtown of Williamsburg, Virginia can be beautiful in the summer and early fall. Every year thousands of tourists flock to this little piece of America, restored to closely resemble Williamsburg as it appeared in colonial times, and every year all these tourists face the same problem – there is almost no parking in downtown Williamsburg. In this article, I offer you a local driver’s advice on how to park in Williamsburg.
First, I will begin with where not to park. There are many tempting places, such as the College of William and Mary and some of the various businesses in downtown Williamsburg, that seem tempting. The College and many of the businesses cater primarily to students, and are somewhat empty during the summer. However, most of the tempting lots downtown, at places like Mama Mia’s, Wawa, and William and Mary’s lot at Zable Stadium, are privately owned, and the signs posted there mean business.
I have personally witnessed cars towed from Wawa which have been there less than 4 hours, and without the proper decal, the W&M; parking police will not hesitate to hand out severe tickets and use boots. I have a friend who mistakenly parked in a W&M; spot labeled “Faculty and Staff Only.” He was there for less than two hours, and his ticket was over $100. I have also seen many booted vehicles around campus.
There are, however, many lots downtown which are owned by the city, and are not so strictly enforced. For example, there is a lot directly behind the downtown Barnes & Noble (which also serves as the College Bookstore), on the corner of Prince George Street and N. Henry Street which is owned by the city. Positioning of the lot makes it look like it belongs to the Barnes & Noble, but however much they’d like to, the bookstore owners cannot have you towed from that lot.
Parking there is sometimes difficult to get at peak times, and is limited to two hours. This lot, however, is not a bad bet if you’re planning to stay in Colonial Williamsburg all day for two reasons: 1) it is sparsely patrolled. I’ve parked there for eight hours before and not been ticketed, and 2) the ticket is only $10 (when I was finally ticketed, I had been parked in a two hour zone for almost 18 hours). The lot is also only enforced 8 AM to 6 PM, so it’s always possible to get lucky and catch a spot there a little after 4, and be able to park there for free all evening.
I would offer as a warning, however, that once you get a ticket at the bookstore lot, you should stop making a habit of parking there – your second ticket in 60 days is more like $60 than $10. There are two other lots that work on the same principle as the bookstore lot, but are limited to one hour. One of these lots is located directly across North Henry from the bookstore lot, and the other is a little farther down North Henry, past Duke of Gloucester Street (which locals and W&M; students called “Dog Street”), and on the right. Also, parking on either side of Richmond Road is legal in the downtown area, limited to two hours. A ticket there is $15.
There is a paid parking garage a block over from the bookstore lot. This lot is a great improvement to the downtown parking situation. It costs $1 per hour to park there, with the first thirty minutes free and a maximum charge of $8. No overnight parking is allowed in this lot. I would also point out that this lot has a somewhat strange method of payment: when you drive into the lot, you take a small ticket, like you would in any parking garage.
However, when you are planning to leave, you can’t just drive out with your ticket. First, you walk to a large vending machine, stick the ticket in, and pay the machine. The machine then marks your ticket so that it will open the exit gate. I mention this because I’ve seen many people with unmarked tickets holding up traffic as they try to pay the exit gate.
Williamsburg also has a very excellent public transportation system. Bus fair is only $1.50 per one-way trip, so if you don’t feel like negotiating the hectic parking situation downtown, just locate the bus stop nearest your hotel and make sure you bring some quarters.
For a map of downtown Williamsburg, click here.
Legal Notice: I assume no responsibility for any fines, damage to vehicles, towing of vehicles, or theft from vehicles, etc. that may result in actions taken after reading this article. I in no way encourage you to park illegally; I merely present data, gathered from personal experience with regards to parking downtown. Also, I am not responsible for the way in which Williamsburg police handle parking violations, and their policies may have changed since this article was published.
