National Zoo Free Admission/$25 parking, FONZ memberships perks include free parking, special events, unlimited carousel rides, discounts, and more. Daily programs will keep you informed on what’s happening, where, when, and how you can take part. The Zoo offers classes, camps, and snore and roar sleepovers for all ages. Watch for seasonal events like Boo in the Zoo and Zoo Lights. The Zoo is home to 2700 animals representing more than 390 species. A new bee themed playground for the kids is located near the farm area and Parking Lot D, will allow the kids to burn energy. Food is allowed in the Zoo, save money, pack lunch, snacks, and water. Note that some exhibits and the carousel may close before the Zoo closes.
Roer’s Zoofari $ Fee/Free for 2 and under, food to feed the animals is also available for purchase, this is a small-scale zoo located in Vienna, VA, that appeals to younger kids that allows you to let them walk around and feed the animals, zoofari rides are available to take you to see the additional animals. Limited snacks are available for purchase, so make sure to pack lunch, snacks, and plenty of water.
Leesburg Animal Park $ Fee/Free for kids under 2, Closed Mondays, Pony Rides, Wagon Rides, Animal Petting & Feeding, Live Animal Shows, Indoor & Outdoor Playgrounds, Camel Rides- select weekends, and Exotic Animal Exhibit. Food is allowed in and there are a few snacks available for purchase.
Oxon Hill Farm FREE, a great place to let kids explore and learn. Participate in daily cow milking, chicken feeding, and take a free wagon ride around the property. They also offer Storytime with a Ranger and other special events.
Visit the Kid’s Activity Corner in the Visitor Barn. Children (and big kids) can color, read books, do puzzles, and play with barnyard toys and games. All of these activities are centered on agricultural themes. There is also a bookstore and exhibits in the Visitor Barn for kids and adults.
The Mount Welby historic house has exhibits on the history of the property and its inhabitants. The house is only open Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. A number of historical placards are also available throughout the park.
Hike, Bike, Walk, or Jog. Venture beyond the farmyard and explore Oxon Cove Park’s 512 acres by strolling along the lower fields or riding the bike path along Oxon Cove. There are two trails in the park: The Hiker-Biker Trail is 1.6 miles from the parking lot, through forest and fields, and around Oxon Cove. It is open to pedestrians and bicyclists, and has paved surface and moderate hills. The Woodlot Trail is a moderate half mile trail located in a forested area of the park.
Become a Junior Ranger. If you between the ages of 9 and 13 you can become an Oxon Cove Park Junior Ranger. Pick-up the booklet at the Visitor Center and complete the activities in the booklet.
Picnic tables are available near the parking lot, visitors are also welcome to spread out a blanket on a grassy area in the park. While there are a variety of restaurants and grocery stores within a mile of the park, there is not any food available for purchase within the park.
Frying Pan Park FREE, there is a fee to ride the carousel and wagon. Meet draft horses, chickens, peacocks, rabbits, sheep, goats, cows and pigs at Frying Pan Farm Park’s working farm of the 1930s. Take a wagon ride and watch the farm hands at work. Take a tour to see how farm families lived in the 1930s, or just sit on the porch of the Kidwell Farmhouse. There are tractors to play on and a playground located near the General Store. They also host special events, 4-H Fairs, carnivals, and more.
Piscataway Park entrance fee per car/passes available, home to bald eagles, beavers, deer, foxes, ospreys, and many other species. To complement the surroundings, the park has, in addition to a public fishing pier and two boardwalks over fresh water tidal wetlands, a variety of nature trails, meadows, and woodland areas. The Park is also home to National Colonial Farm.
Claude Moore Colonial Farm $ FEE/Under 3 FREE, a living history museum that portrays family life on a small, low-income farm just prior to the Revolutionary War. This privately funded and operated National Park site, located in McLean, Virginia. Market Fairs are held May, July, and October. More information to come.
Capital Explorers 