We found ourselves on a rural Great Falls road in an attempt to buy something from someone via Facebook Marketplace. Really beautiful and quaint area. Along the way, I saw a sign for a general store and we decided to check it out on the way back home. We love antiques and figured it might be interesting. As expected, once you step through the threshold, you feel as if you're transported back in time. Old fashioned canned goods, souvenir drinkware, old artifacts, various candies and even my childhood fave Cracker Jacks. My girl grabbed a roll of some caramel candy and I wanted the Cracker Jacks. I love that the box was the old fashioned - didn't love that it tasted like it was from the 1930's. When I say this $2.50 box of Cracker Jacks was stale, that would be the understatement of the decade. I practically needed a jack hammer (see what I did there?) to get the stuff off my teeth. As a consolation, the four peanuts were tasty. Bottom line: Cracker Kenny was not happy with the Cracker Jacks. Quaint General Store but the Mill was not open when we visited. Worth a quick visit if you're in the area. read more

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We did a tour as part of the FCPA family events. So much fun! It's perfect for 7yr+ kids. The guys (they were all men) that showed us the mill were so engaging and answered ALL the questions little kids have. Such a fun gem in Fairfax! read more

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This site is a local hidden gem. Great for hikers, photographers, families, and more. They host events year-round (especially for school-aged children) and it's one of the few working mills in the area. There's ample parking, a general store (circa 1800's, 1900s), live demos, etc. read more

A few weeks ago I was perusing the Yelp events calendar and saw that Colvin Mill was having a maple syrup boil. Colvin Mill is a place we have always driven by (it's right off of route 7 in between Tyson's and Sterling) and admired from afar; so I thought "why not?" and off we went. The demonstration itself cost $3, and the tour of the mill cost $7 per person. They offer tours every hour on the hour, and we just happened to get there right as one was starting: perfect! Kim, our tour guide, was awesome! It was just me/the hubs and a woman with two little girls in our group and she made sure to keep the girls entertained as well as teaching us adults about the place. She really did a great job of keeping the pace going and seemed very passionate about the site and its importance in Virginia history. Fun fact: the land was once owned by George Washington! Although the mill isn't currently in operation during the winter, it was really neat to learn about all the different components. We will be back when it warms up and I can't wait to see the place again after the renovations are slated to be done in November. The maple syrup demonstration itself was pretty cool too. The presenter was very informative and it was nice to sample some of the mill's cornbread with maple syrup (although not from the site: their trees don't make enough sap). There was also a blacksmith set up outside talking about his craft who I was fascinated by. This was such a great experience. read more

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Why don't more people review local parks? I mean, really? *sigh* Colvin Run Mill is a stone mill that was restored to its original function and beauty in the 1980s. We visited on a day when free milling demonstrations were available, which happens most weekends during the summer and for which there is a small fee. (Call ahead to confirm.) The miller and docent did a superb job of explaining the history of the mill itself and the family that operated it, including a detailed tour of the mill. Our kids really enjoyed learning and seeing how the 20-foot-diameter water wheel generated power that drove a fully-automated operation to create corn flour. You can also visit the miller's house, which is quite cute, and the mill shop in which you can buy the just-made corn flour and many other related products. (We used ours to make a peach crisp that afternoon. Yum!) There was also a wood carving demonstration during our visit, but sharp implements and 5 year olds don't mix, so we gave that a miss. Colvin Run Mill isn't a run-about-and-yelp kinda park but it's a great place to spend an hour or two in beautiful surroundings. You might even learn something. And, even if you don't, you can buy freshly-ground flour to take home and enjoy! read more

The hubby and I ventured out to Great Falls, VA, on a Sunday to spend the morning at Colvin Run Mill and, in the afternoon, viewing waterfalls at Great Falls National Park, which are only 15 minutes apart. If you visit the mill's website and check the calendar of events, you can see what cool things are happening - like mill demonstrations (very educational), ice cream churning, etc. My husband and I actually spent the morning absorbing a free wood-carving lesson, where we both whittled 2 love birds. Very sweet. The mill itself is rather small. We did the tour in about 15-20 minutes. It is a great piece of local history, and I love the fact that it is being protected. The special events like wood carving are what made the trip worthwhile. To make a whole day of your trip to the mill, pair it with viewing the waterfalls at Great Falls national park (www.nps.gov/grfa/index.htm) read more

Colvin Run Mill is located in Great Falls, VA on Colvin Run Road right off of Leesburg Pike (Route 7). Open: 11am to 4pm on Wednesdays to Monday and closed on Tuesdays. There is free admission to the site with an fee ($6-what I paid as a student,$7 adults, $5 children/seniors) for a guided tour (every hour, last one is at 3pm), which allows for an indoor tour of the mill. I had a great tour and I would highly recommend the tour as the tour guide really made the experience that much better and showed me how the mill worked and how it was run from the inside. Was able to see the different grinding wheels that were used for grinding wheat and corn and the guide showed how the equipment worked and the entire process of the mill from when farmers brought in the materials to the final products. Otherwise, guests can see the mill and the water wheel from the outside, which is still very interesting. The site is for those who not only want a place to relax (many nice shaded areas with benches and outdoor tables), but those interested in the history of the Great Falls/Fairfax area before the major roadways and modernization of current times. Gives a wonderful step back into history letting one experience what working at a mill would be like in the 19th century and on. Another great reason to come is to see the mechanical engineering side of how a mill and water wheel is run. Finally, learned about Oliver Evans who really took off the milling industry and turned it into what it is today. (Never read about Evans in school textbooks!) Besides the tour of the mill, there are events that are run such as: grain grinding demonstrations, wood carving lessons, and blacksmith demonstrations. On site there is the historical mill and the water wheel, the house where the family owners lived, 1900s general store and a barn with a blacksmith on the exterior. The rest of the area is an enjoyable park offering plenty of seating around the grounds with the the best seats by the water wheel. Visited the park and the mill on July 22, 2016. I gave the Colvin Run Mill a 4/5 stars because I learned about history about the mill and area that I did not know about even though I've lived in this area for my entire life. The tour guide was great and happily welcomed further questions about the mill and how everything worked. I would certainly come again and recommend for others to do the same for other demonstrations or just to enjoy the outdoors (or the tour). read more

Colvin Run Mill Historic Site - Parks Near Me - Great Falls, Virginia

Site's Website: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/colvinrunmill/ Site's Mission: To maintain, develop and interpret the site's historic buildings, collections and resources for the enrichment, education and enjoyment of Fairfax County residents and visitors. Interpretation of History: The path from the parking lot leads you across the porch of the General Store. This late 19th century building once stood across Colvin Run Road from the mill. Storekeeper Mark Cockrill stocked general merchandise for the farming community of Colvin Run and for patrons of the mill. Today, examples of merchandise that would have been sold during the years the store operated, from the 1890s to the 1940s, are displayed on the top shelves and hung from the ceiling. The general store continues as a mercantile establishment, selling grain ground at the mill, "penny" candy and sundries. How Visit Went: My visit was during an aftermath of snow so the site was deserted. Since I went when the mill wasn't in working condition because of the weather, I decided to spend most of my time in the general store. Location: 10017 Colvin Run Rd, Great Falls, VA 22066. Fee: Admission to park is free except for some special events. Target Audience: The site is for anyone interested in how mills work and watching it happen right in front of you. Also for anyone looking to buy fresh homemade flour. Site: The site is a collection of historic buildings. Attended: I visited March 17th, 2017. Rating: I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars because even though I didn't go on a tour or see the mill working, it was still interesting. read more

I went to Colvin Run Mill in Great Falls Virginia on May 3rd! I went on a tour and it cost $6 for me with my student ID, only $1 cheaper than the usual price! Colvin Run is a restored mill that was built in 1811! The site consists of the mill building which was run by the Miller family and their children until 1934! It also has a scaled down farm which shows what farmers and mill people would've used at that time. The site was created to inform people about what life was like for farmers and mill operators at the time of Colvin Run's active usage. It totally exceeded my expectations and went above and beyond with various scheduled activities that are historical, informative and fun! I gave the Mill 5 stars because of its involvement in the Great Falls community and its active outreach to bring people in! read more