To start the young man at the front desk was very welcoming, professional, and knowledgeable. The…read moregrounds outside were well kept and extremely clean. Closed toed shoes for walking around the park is a must, I went unprepared with flip flops. The restrooms inside were also clean. There's a gift shop and a library as well. The exhibit was very well done and I absolutely loved how interactive it was, it's also handicap accessible and self guided! I definitely recommend checking out the wildlife drive across the street at blackwater refuge, we saw the statue of Harriet Tubman catching a muskrat to then seeing one at the refuge!

Beautifully done. This National Historical Park is well maintained and full of interactive…read moreexhibits. The space is handicap accessible and most exhibits include easy to read fonts and braille. I would definitely recommend this educational experience to learners of all ages.

Beautiful place. It's a part of American history of which this area is full of. Excited to see…read moreother historical places such as George Washington's childhood home, down the road.

I had never been here before and didn't realize how close it was to Stratford Hall. It is free to…read moreenjoy on the outside grounds. It was very easy to find close to Colonial Beach VA in the same area where other famous people were born. Its close to George Wasington Birthplace also. The Visitors Center and actual House now museum was closed due to Covid-19 but the Grounds and park was open. There is plenty of signs and its a very very nice park to check out when visiting the area. Great to learn history with the kids and walk around the hiking trails!! Beautiful area! Highly recommend and impressed!

We arrived at Thomas Stone National Historic Site with about 30 minutes before the afternoon tour…read morebegan. The visitor center volunteers greeted us warmly. We spent a few minutes talking with them before watching the park film, which gave a great overview of the site's significance. Afterwards, we walked the grassy path from the visitor center to the historic house, Haberdeventure. The path led us past the family cemetery, where old gravestones marked the resting places of generations. The Stone family lived on this estate from the 1700s to 1936. Their contributions to Maryland and the nation were remarkable. The ranger met us at the house for our tour. As we stepped inside, he explained that this was considered a mansion by colonial standards. He shared stories of the Stone family and pointed out original pieces. His wealth of knowledge enabled him to answer all of our questions. After the tour, we spent some time exploring the grounds and taking photos.

If you're into history, the Thomas Stone National Historic Site is worth visiting, but you need to…read morego into it with the proper mindset- one of mourning. The property is well preserved and managed by the National Park Service. There's a parking lot with a dirt path leading to the actual house dating back to 1771 where Thomas Stone, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, lived with his family. In fact, the property stayed within the family until 1936. However, you must know that the grounds were a plantation and enslaved people. It would be wrong to enter the space without acknowledging that tragic fact and grieve as you visit. It's a sad testimony to why systemic racism still exists and it should push us to fight for justice for all today.

On the side of the road near where Greenbelt Road crosses the Beltway is this historical marker…read moresign denoting the Taoping Castle (circa 1750). It is on Walker Road. It reads: On this site, Isaac Charles and Nathan Walker erected a large white oak log house named for their ancestral stronghold in Scotland which the three brothers had fled after the failure of attempts to unseat George I, King of England, as ruler of Scotland. Isaac permanently settled here and obtained land grants for 188 acres. He and his three sons served in the Revolutionary War. The graves of Isaac and his son Nathan are north of here. Taoping Castle was the birthplace of Samuel Hamilton Walker (February 24, 1817 - October 9, 1847). Lt. Colonel of the Texas Rangers and Captain of the US Cavalry, he left home at age 19 to fight Indians and later became a leader and hero of the Rangers. His suggested changes to Samuel Colt's revolver resulted in Colt's success as an arms manufacturer. 1000 Colt-Walker pistols - the first, heaviest and longest revolvers ever issued to American forces - were purchased for the Texas Rangers during the Mexican war. Walker was killed in that war at the Battle of Hua Mantla, Mexico. The family cemetery is all that remains of the Taoping Castle estate.

Must see and must do site on the PWC- Fauquier County line. While the site itself was closed on the…read moreday I visited, I walked the nature trail and was able to see the mill and the all the ruins on the trail. The train still runs by and the water from Broad Run make a spectacular scene. Good for families, solo hikes, or a date. Really special place and important historical site.

I was driving down the interstate and all of a sudden I see this massive structure. I knew it was…read morehistoric. I flew on by realizing it would be painful trying to get there when I was on the same side as it was on my way to Shenandoah. On my way back, I managed to figure out what this place was. It was an old 5 story stacked stone structure built in 1742 that had survived several wars and milled food through all of them. in 1998, it was victimized by arson. The roof is gone, and the building has remanence from the fire. Currently, the mill is blocked off from being accessed. According to their website, they are making updates to the road. I accessed it by the railroad that runs behind the building, but as mentioned, the fence does prevent from access. It was really neat to see and I really wish it wasn't blocked off so I could get closer. It's definitely worth a stop if you're in Broad Run and into history.

A great museum for the kids, and it is very well done. There have been several Calvert County…read moremuseums that are much nicer than I expected, and this one is awesome! The Drum Point Lighthouse is so cool and a lot of fun to explore. But honestly, the stars of the show... the otters!!!

I love this place and all it has to offer. I loved digging in the sand pit and looking for shark…read moreteeth!

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Probably one of the more interesting hikes that I have done in awhile. The hike will be quite…read moreshort, but you got hills and steps to get your work out on. I think the feel of the place is supposed to be spooky, unfortunately, I picked a spring break day to do it and there were enough teenagers running around here like savages (just kidding, they were all really sweet) it doesn't really have a scary feel to it at all. To explain the ruins, it was Roman Catholic school in Ilchester, Maryland. The ruins are near Ilchester and Bonnie Branch roads (so the Yelp location is pretty straight on). It was called hell house in the 70s after it was abandoned and vandalized and rumors have it a strange cult started living there. It also had an over zealous caretaker who had a gun and some dogs and would assault vandals. He was displaced after the school was set ablaze by arsonists. Hell House altar structure that most people take pictures of is at the top of a very steep hill, about a mile in. It used to have a large metal cross, and it is a very unique place for a photoshoot. For easy access, park in the lot for patapsco state park (right past the train tracks) where the trailhead is and start coming up to the left of the train tracks.

What a great historical place to visit. Absolutely worth the stop if in the area. The NPS staff…read morewere amazing and David, gave us a great tour and history lesson on George, his family and the area. Thank you, David. We had a great visit.

Pretty substandard NPS. Reasonable location to preserve but the interpretative execution is…read moreextremely antiquated. (Eg park film is from mid 70s.). Friendly rangers. Nice junior ranger program. Would not go out of way to visit this park.

Most of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was buried in a Lexington, Virginia, cemetery that now…read morebears his name, but he was so famous at the time of his death that his amputated left arm was spirited away to its own separate grave. It was just after dark on May 2, 1863. Jackson had just launched a devastating attack against Union forces at Chancellorsville. Returning to his own lines with several staff officers, Jackson, ever the aggressive soldier, decided to conduct reconnaissance in the area. As he and his staff rode through the woods near Confederate lines, a North Carolina regiment, unable to see who was riding up on them, opened fire. Jackson was struck by three bullets, two of them shattering his left arm. The general was evacuated from the area and given medical treatment, but the arm couldn't be saved and was amputated. Pneumonia set in, and on May 10, 1863, the South lost its most effective tacticia. Thinking that the limb of so great a solider was too precious to simply throw on the regular body part trash pile, Jackson's unofficial company chaplain, Reverend Tucker Lacy wrapped the arm in a blanket and took it to his family cemetery. The reverend gave the limb a standard Christian burial and placed a marker above the site. Supposedly Stonewall Jackson's arm was dug up and reburied numerous times in the ensuing years and there is no concrete evidence that it still resides in its original burial space, but the simple gravestone remains.

"Jackson has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right"…read more -General Robert E. Lee Jackson's last words were apparently, "Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees." It seems like a lot of words for a dying man. If, however there is truth in this story, then the resting place of this limb seems fitting. The lone tombstone sits quietly among a small group of trees on the Virginia countryside. The picturesque views were once covered by war field hospitals and now is the resting place of the left arm of one of America's most famous Generals. A little history: Stonewall Jackson's arm was destined to be buried along with other amputated limbs until Jackson's Chaplain, Reverend Lacy, retrieved it from a macabre pile of appendages and eventually buried it on his own plantation, Ellwood Manor. The limb was buried several days before Jackson's death as a way for his staff to pay tribute to the man that they had followed through battle. It's probably the least they could do considering that his own men accidentally shot him. I'm just sayin'. The story of a buried arm is surreal, but a little research makes the story a little more humane. Even if Jackson fought on the wrong side of history, every body (or body part) should be so lucky to be buried in a place so serene. Verdict: Great for Civil War buffs, the curious and people spending a little time in nearby Old Town Fredricksberg. Or Cross it off your Weird Virginia (book) list. Weird tidbits: The arm has been dug up a few times in the past, but has always made it's way back into the ground. It seems that the curious return it to it's resting place after learning that there REALLY is an arm buried in the ground. FYI: The last time I attempted a visit, the grounds were closed contrary to the information found on the website. If in doubt, it's best to call.

Super cool landmark…read more As per the plaque: Constructed in 1860, the Gatehouse was designed by the Baltimore firm of Thomas and James M. Dixon. Built in Tudor Revival Style, it provided for two living units, one on each side of the archway. The Gatehouse resembled a Swiss chalet and became a trademark of the Sheppard. The neighborhood children viewed it as the home of Hansel and Gretel. A tenant alwavs lived in the Gatehouse until 2005. The beautiful Rhododendron Drive was historically entered by driving through the Gatehouse. In 2002 the entire Charles Street entrance was reconstructed and cars no longer entered through the Archway.