The Best Family Destinations in Four Regions of Virginia

We love exploring Virginia, especially the closer regions to where we live. Here we’ll focus on destinations in the Northern and Eastern regions of the state, including those within the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and the Coast.

Northern Virginia

Great Falls National Park: The first time we visited Great Falls, it was gratifying to hear our children catch their breath at the first view of the falls, when they had initially been less than excited about visiting. They really are majestic, and all the outcropping of rocks make it look and sound quite dramatic and different. Some people do go white water rafting there, and it looks frankly terrifying. While the viewing area for the falls can be crowded, there are also a number of beautiful trails which are less crowded.

Not far from Great Falls is a lesser known but lovely park called Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, where you can take a fun and family-friendly hike out to another beautiful, albeit smaller, waterfall. The hike is fairly short and easy and cylindrical stepping stones create whimsical bridges across the river in a couple of places. Crowds are typically lower during the week though weekends in the summer it can get crowded and parking can be an issue. There is no cost to enter the park.

There is a lot to see at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, between the Museum, the home, the farm (where you can find lambs in the springtime), the many outbuildings (the smokehouse, bathroom, stable, storage houses, etc.), and the somber place where our first president is buried. Looking at the view from the back porch, overlooking the Potomac River, one can certainly understand why he chose to live there – a gorgeous view and the often pleasant, mild Virginia weather. The house itself contains many artifacts of what life was like, as well as the style, and even the character of George Washington. Older children will especially enjoy this attraction.

Arlington National Cemetery is an excellent place to help instill a deep respect for those who protect our country if your children are old enough to appreciate it. Visitors enter through the Museum and Visitor’s Center, which offers a lot of great information. From there, most monuments are walkable, but a tram is also offered. The Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier should be visited, along with the Amphitheater.

Meadowlark Botanical Garden: This lesser known attraction in Fairfax, VA, is a beautiful place of wide sloping hills, a meandering stream, and a wide variety of neatly labeled plant and tress, as well as quite a lot of turtles and fish to be seen from a little bridge and gazebo. A trail through the woods is especially quiet (just the way we like it) except for the crunching of your feet on the leafy path. It is especially picturesque in the spring when the cherry trees are blooming.

The National Museum for the United States Army is just south of DC in Fort Belvoir, VA.  It is very large and very well done, with several displays specifically for children to play in while learning at the same time. You can find displays on all of the different wars which are very interesting, but more than we were able to see in one visit. Our kids also really enjoyed the film shown in a surround sound immersive theater – the seats shake and the film comes to life all around you. The whole museum is free, and we ate in the café, which was reasonably priced.

Towns of Northern Virginia

There are many charming historic towns in Northern VA. One such town is Alexandria, VA, which has a lovely waterfront that is often blocked off to traffic on weekends so that families can explore it easily. Old Town Manassas is also worth seeing, with its pretty old churches and the old Town Hall, as well as some interesting boutiques. If you’re a history buff, visit Manassas National Battlefield Park, which includes a small but interesting museum. The park memorializes the beginning of the Civil War with the battle of Bull Run, with a driving tour with 12 points of interest along the way.

Another town to see is Occoquan, VA, on the Occoquan River.  Visit the tiny Occoquan Mill House Museum for friendly and knowledgeable staff who can tell you all about the mill and house, the river and goods historically provided to the world through this tiny town and river.  From there, there are also several beautiful parks such as Pohick Bay Regional Park, which includes a playground, a lovely Bay view, clean restrooms, vending machines, boat rentals, camp ground, fishing docks, and more. Another nearby park is Neabsco Creek Regional Park, which has a unique boardwalk trail that goes out over the wetlands, as well as a playground.

Central VA

The city of Richmond is always a fun place to visit (and happens to be the home of my alma mater). Carytown is worth a visit, as it is a unique and interesting place to shop where you’ll find quirky, one-of-a-kind boutiques and cafes, and few chain stores of any kind. It’s also known for its historic movie house, the Byrd theater, where you can still sometimes see a movie for $5.

One of my favorite places in Richmond is Maymont, which once belong to a wealthy couple who left their home to the city. You can visit their mansion for a glimpse of what life was like for the very rich during the Gilded Age. The 100 acre property is a lovely (and free) place for a walk, and includes Japanese gardens, a petting zoo, a nature center and an arboretum.

Just south of Richmond past the Marlboro headquarters, you can visit the Lewis Ginter Botanic Gardens, which is especially lovely during the holiday season. Then you can find the memorial to this prominent Richmonder (Lewis Ginter) at Hollywood Cemetery, a place worth visiting if you like history. It was established in 1847, and several presidents are buried there. It also happens to be a beautiful place to wander, with manicured gardens, park space and an arboretum. Guided tours are also available.

If you are interested in American presidential history, visit the Charlottesville area and tour three presidential homes: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, James Madison’s Montpelier, and James Monroe’s Highland.

Coastal Virginia

Drive the epic Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (over 17 miles long) and stop at First Landing State Park, the most visited park in VA. The park includes over a mile of beach on the Chesapeake Bay, and over 20 miles of trail through habitats that include cypress swamps and maritime forests. It is named for the first English colonists’ landing in 1607 and is a National Landmark and Historic Place.

Also visit Virginia Beach, which includes 29 miles of Atlantic coastline, and is well known for its wide sandy beaches, long boardwalk, and charming lighthouses.  If you’re looking for a less bustling and quieter feel, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge may be more to your taste. That is, unless you are there for the annual pony swim, when visitors gather from near and far. Chincoteague was made famous by the classic book Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry, and there are still tributes to Misty the pony there. The wild ponies are quite beautiful and can be seen on both the Maryland and Virginia side of Assateague Island, year round.

Williamsburg Area

Finally, be sure to visit Williamsburg and the historic triangle. Colonial Williamsburg is perhaps the most well known of the points of the triangle, and is the largest living history park in the US.  Even without buying tickets, there is a lot to see, so check the schedule online before you buy. We got to enjoy a fife and drum performance by our colonial troops, carriages passing back and forth, and our girls in the stocks at the courthouse.  We ate dinner there at Chelsey’s Tavern, which was pricey (but the going rate) but delicious, and we were even serenaded by a Colonial guitarist.

The other two points of the triangle are Jamestown and Yorktown. The latter is a national park and includes a Visitor’s Center and Museum (separate from the American Museum of the Revolution, which is also a popular point of interest in Yorktown). It includes a drivable trail with various points of interest highlighted along it, such as a cemetery of unknown (and some known) soldiers, redoubts and areas that played a strategic role during the revolutionary war. The waterfront at the town of Yorktown was also quite cute.

Jamestown was my personal favorite point of the historic triangle. There was so much to see!  The museum had a lot to look at, but even better were the Powhatan Indian village where we could see inside the dwellings, and the historic ships where we could go on board and explore what life was like living on these vessels.  And, of course, there was the settlement where there were some living history actors and many facets of colonial life could be seen. We also got to see some musket shooting, and a few farm animals.

Finally, this area is the home of “America’s most beautiful theme park,” Busch Gardens. The rides are fun, but I absolutely loved watching the shows, and just seeing all of the different areas, which are based on various European countries such as Germany, Italy, and Ireland.

Shenandoah Valley

Shenandoah National Park is one of the most beautiful destinations in Virginia, and is broken into three sections, each with it’s own entrance – the Northern District with the Front Royal entrance; the Central District with the Thornton Gap (northern side) or Swift Run Gap (southern side) entrances; and the Southern District with the Rockfish Gap entrance.

Luray Caverns is near the northern end of the park, which is a popular and fun family destination to explore. Front Royal is the town that has grown up around the northern entrance of the park, and is a fun place to stay – Dinosaur Land is a strange, fun little spot to visit in Front Royal if you have the time.

Natural Bridge State Park is another natural wonder that is great to explore with young kids. It includes about a mile long trail that goes under the natural bridge, and leads to some other, smaller points of interest including a small waterfall, a saltpeter cave and a lost river. There are also a zoo and caverns to explore in the area of Natural Bridge so you can spend several days there.