I came to visit this memorial museum because I have a friend that is a Marine that actually…read moresurvived the bombing in Beirut & was featured in the exhibit. This exhibit will take a day or two to get through if you want to really understand & get educated on how important our Marines are & continue to be as they protect WE the People & the Unite States of America.Very informative concerning wars that were fought & a Marines day to day life. The museum & the tour was VERY impressive. I'd go again, it was a pleasure seeing it & all the history.I would highly recommend anyone who is thinking of joining the Marines to take a trip to see this museum & some of the other monuments/memorials.

Wow!!! This is one of the most amazing museums I have ever visited. It is pristine, well laid…read moreout, and incredibly informative of our military history. The exhibits are realistic and make you feel you are a part of history. It is truly a national treasure. The docents are knowledgeable and very helpful. The gift shop offers lots of interesting items. The cafeteria has decent food and we were told the restaurant has excellent service and food. I highly recommend a visit to this museum. You begin to understand, in your soul, the sacrifices the people in the military have made to keep our country free.

A group of us went to Haunted Hollow on opening weekend, and it did not disappoint. The tickets for…read morethis haunted trail were only twenty dollars because it was so early in the season. I have been to a lot of haunted houses and trails at the beginning of October, and many places tend to be understaffed. Haunted Hollow was fully prepared and had tons of actors scattered throughout the trail and scares at all different levels (crawling, jumping down from a height, hiding behind props, etc.). They did a good job of keeping groups spread out through the use of a timer. We didn't encounter any other groups until we got closer to the end and made a wrong turn in one of the mazes. In the waiting area, we noticed they had a giant fire pit. Since the weather was nice, it was not in use, but will be great for cooler fall nights. It would be nice if they would add some things to the waiting area since it was somewhat dark. Maybe some additional lights and photo spots would be nice. The trail itself has some uneven spots and steps up or down that can be difficult to see so wear good shoes. It would be great if they marked these spots with glow in the dark paint or reflective tape so no one falls. If you're looking for a reasonably priced haunted trail that isn't far off from NOVA, Haunted Hollow is worth the drive.

Absolutely loved my experience. I will definitely go back next year. They did an amazing job!…read moreHighly recommended

This is one of the best kept secrets in Loudoun County. This is a phenomenal place all the way at…read morethe end of Loudoun County Parkway and has numerous walking trails and activities for kids and adults. We hosted an annual picnic here and had a great time. This is highly recommended for morning nature walks and evening relaxation.

It would be a nice place to visit if there was more to see, that admission is not so ridiculously…read morehigh, and the grounds were better kept. We really felt that we're offsetting owners' costs by helping them get a tax break in addition to the shamefully expensive entry fee for tickets for an art festival that was, sadly, not really a festival. Probably less than 10 vendors and only 2 food trucks. No music. No party- or festival-like atmosphere. It just felt like we were walking the grounds of some wealthy people who charged us a ridiculous amount to be there for an hour or two. Bathrooms are in portable trailer, so if you're not a fan of portables, you'll want to hold your bladder. Their 250-year old house of which there was much pride sounded more interesting than the gardens, and a tour of that would have made the visit slightly more of a value. But like others have said, if this was run as a non-profit organization, it may have made the high entrance fees slightly more easy to swallow. I can't see their current business model being a successful one unless only very wealthy people take an interest in visiting, financing, and renting their facilities. They have taken landfill & turned it into a pretty place, but for the average family, it's too expensive and not sufficiently entertaining or educational to make a trek out to visit really worthwhile. BLUF: Skip it unless they put some amazing work into the property, reduce entrance fees significantly, and let the public visit more often.

This is a really cool spot, right in the middle of downtown. You can find so many unique gifts here…read morefrom paintings, carvings and unique items you just won't find anywhere else in town. The prices are very reasonable, with each purchase supporting local artists. We've come here in the past, and love the special events and open houses they offer of the space. Even if there isn't a special event happening, this place is well worth the visit. You'll find so many beautiful pieces and a wide variety of crafts.

Love the Art exhibit by Dr. Smalls thanks for hosting and I can't wait to come back to experience…read moremore Art and the dinner theater

The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area uses the Caleb Rector House as its headquarters. They often…read morehave events here teaching the history of the area. The circa 1801 stone house has seen over two centuries of history pass by its front door and happen in its parlor. For centuries, the Ashby's Gap Turnpike (modern U.S. Route 50) has carried farmers taking their goods to market, slave coffles bearing their unfortunate victims for sale to the Deep South, Civil War armies, and modern travelers. At the time of the Civil War, Caleb and Mary Ann Rector owned the home that now bears their name. John Mosby officially formed his first company of the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry in the Rector's parlor on June 10, 1863, and Confederate cavalry commander J.E.B. Stuart called the home his headquarters during the Gettysburg Campaign. The house also served as a hospital for wounded Union cavalrymen in the winter of 1864.

This is a pretty small model railroad museum in what used to be an old train station along the W&OD…read moreTrail. *** Note: They are only open ONE Saturday per month from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Check their website to see when they will be open next and plan ahead to go for a visit. *** My two boys and I actually really like this place. The only reason I downgraded it to 3-stars was due to their very limited open hours, and it's a pretty small place. It'd be nice to be able to bring friends to visit, but there's only been once when we've had friends visiting coincide with the weekend they were open. However (comma) it's DEFINITELY worth a visit. If you're a local, then plan ahead and go check it out. Next to the building, they have a real red caboose you can climb through. Inside the building, you can watch the model trains running. There's a little trolley model train that the kids can operate and earn their own "engineer's license." You probably won't need more than an hour to visit, but it's a neat thing to get out of the house and see with your kids.

The Mattawoman Creek Art Center (MCAC) is located inside of Smallwood State Park. A little gravel…read moreroad leads one through the woods down to the art center and the Potomac River. The MCAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes and supports the arts and artists. Inside the MCAC are several gallery-like rooms with lots of space for displaying artwork. They also offer a variety of art classes in various mediums - as well as exhibits and other events. I stopped in earlier on a Sunday afternoon for a look-see around. Lots of interesting framed art pieces were on display throughout the art center. Cool little place! #MattawomanCreekArtCenter

In addition to the museum at Fort Ward there is also the park. And it is a nifty little park. There…read moreare rifle trenches and bombproofs and historical stuff like that going on. Then there are practical things too, like a 0.6 mile loop paved looped that goes around the park that sees a decent amount of foot traffic - walkers and runners getting some exercise in. They also have pavilions for picnics and an amphitheater. They often have free events at the amphitheater (like a Jazz show over Memorial Day). The park section also has a dog park. According to websites online, the dog park is the grassy area to the east side of the entrance. It is large and semi-fenced. But don't bother to look for signs that specifically designate the dog park area when you are there. I lived close by and was there almost every day and never found any signs that designated the dog park. Regardless, it is a good place to take your dog to play fetch and allow for a nice space to run. Of course you have to trust your dog off leash because it isn't totally fenced and it is right along Braddock Road. There are typically people coming in and out with dogs. Not normally many, but during nice weather, particularly on weekends, the whole outdoor park can get a bit busy with people. There is also free and easy parking access. I recommend the park at Fort Ward as a nice place for a stroll (with our without your dog), a picnic, some relaxing, & enjoying good weather.

I was not too keen at first to be taking a group of 50 odd 8th graders to see a fort. And neither…read morewere they. I was presently surprised! While there isn't much left of the fort walls themselves, they have a good stock of military instruments and displays that are interesting reminders of the struggles our country has faced. And the kids ended up pretending that they were back in the Civil War fighting! =P Its worth the trip out as a nice outing for kids.