Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience. A magical,…read moreinteractive OUTDOOR experience for fans of the Wizarding World and Harry Potter. Bundle up, bring your wand (or buy one onsite) and perform spells as you follow the trail through the forbidden forest. You must follow the directions (extending your wand over a specific spot) for the spells to work. You will also have an opportunity to discover your patronus, duel with your friends or family and encounter magical creatures and characters from the films, including some of the more frightening ones (Aragog and his spider descendants, Death Eaters and Dementors to mention a few), but it's all atmosphere - there are no "jump scares" or costumed cast looking to scare. In fact, cast members are uniformly cheerful and helpful, ready to show you how to work spells, take group photos and generally enhance the experience. We are big Potter fans and to us the experience was worth every penny! Other stuff: There's food and drink for sale at the entrance village (don't miss the Butterbeer!) as well as a large gift shop with a good selection of officially licensed merchandise at prices similar to what you would pay at Universal theme parks. There is another, smaller, food stand at the half way point of the trail. Portable toilets are at the entrance village and the halfway point. Tickets are timed entrance, so make sure you buy your entire groups' tickets at once if you want to go together. Parking is also available in advance. The Forbidden Forest experience is located on the grounds of Morven Park and accessed via gravel roads with speed bumps at multiple points along the entrance and exit.

This was my first time visiting Morven Park. It's a beautiful park with a garden and a historically…read more protected mansion. I went here to take some scenic pictures with my wife and daughter. We were hoping to see some blooming but it's still a little early in the season to see its full glory. There were two beautiful magnolia trees in full bloom and that was worth the visit in itself. There are some picnic tables next to the public parking lot which makes for a nice place to have a picnic. There's an equine center in the park and I'm sure it's awesome for horse enthusiasts. I'm looking forward to coming back and enjoying a nice walk with my family.

Very nice tour and house of George Marshall. Tickets are not required in advance, and as I wasn't…read moresure when I'd be in town, we just called to confirm they were open for a tour, and that worked out. Just look up the address of where to park (as it's in the back on a different street) and you're good to go. The tour starts off with an informative movie. The house stayed with Marshall's family until it became a public historical site, so all the rooms were just as he left them. The tour guide had a lot of good stories about the private life of Marshall, which was really interesting to hear about. I'm glad the house was preserved, despite it being in rough shape when the last family member sold it. It's a gem of a site. There is a very small gift shop section. The tours are a bit over an hour and totally worth it to visit.

Dodona Manor is the former home of General George C. Marshall, who served as Chief of Staff of the…read moreU.S. Army, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, among other positions. I visited Dodona Manor (also called the George C. Marshall International Center) this past Friday when I was in Leesburg, and I'm so glad I made time to stop by. They offer tours Friday through Sunday, and you should check the online schedule, because the hours vary depending on the day. I was the only person on the 1pm tour last Friday, so I got a private tour from Kerry, a guide at Dodona. The tours are 75 minutes (which includes a short video that provides some context for the rest of the tour), and I learned a lot. I knew the name, but I didn't remember much of what I'd learned about Marshall in school. Kerry was a great guide, and I really learned so much about Marshall's accomplishments, his life, and the house (where Marshall and his second wife lived from 1941-1959). The house has been beautifully restored to the way it looked when the Marshalls lived there, and much of the furniture and collections are original (Marshall's actual possessions, photographs, books, etc.). If you're interested in American history, include Dodona Manor on your itinerary for a visit to Leesburg!

Beautiful, well-cared for property. We thoroughly enjoyed hiking the trails and wandering around…read morethe grounds and gardens!

Love this place. Mansion is fun. I have cross country schooled here, and attended Polo in the Park…read more So much to see and do at this venue.

Great spot to spend a few hours with your toddler! The museum is small but perfectly sized for…read moresmall toddlers that need to burn energy on a hot or rainy day. The woman at the front desk was incredibly nice and helpful. The play areas were clean and creative. There farm area and general store were our toddler's favorite! Would definitely recommend and we will be back soon

The Heritage Farm Museum is one of my favorite ways to entertain a toddler on a rainy / hot / snowy…read moreday! You can spend a full morning here, running around, playing, and exploring all the different exhibits and not get bored. The general store is a personal favorite and my kiddos love putting on an apron, stocking and restocking shelves, and pretending to purchase bread and potatoes. There is also a little interactive farm, one room school house, and recreation of an old timey kitchen that are a big hit with our toddler set. In nicer weather days, they have actual farm demonstrations and lots of tractors and other wheeled contraptions for kids to look at. The cost of a morning of fun? $5 for adults, $3 for kids, and FREE NINETY NINE for the two and under set. You can tire your kiddos out, grab lunch at nearby Ridgetop Coffee (which has an indoor playroom), and have a peaceful car nap home. Truly one of the best hidden gems for families here in Nova.

Love this place! Came for the gardens, which are gorgeous! Definitely will be back…read more Have not toured the mansion...yet.

Oatlands is a beautiful house that merges the history of the 18th-century Carter owners and the…read more20th-century Eustises, who donated the house to the public. The house was beautifully decorated at the holidays. The tour guide seemed not to like or want to focus on the history of the house or the objects inside unless asked. It felt like she was bringing a lot of personal biases to her perspective, which made the experience a lot less enjoyable than it could have been otherwise. She took us through the first-floor rooms and then announced the top floor is self-guided only. At the admission price, that detracted from it being a better experience. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is the new manager of the site, and they bring a historical interpretation to the site that some visitors may not find as valuable as the tours given by the previous volunteer staff. There is a garden, a greenhouse, and a nice-sized gift shop. It's a beautiful house, and I did like getting some information on the inhabitants and the long history of the property. The presentation itself needed improvement, but the site was worth preserving.

What a cool place to play for kids! Came here for a kid's birthday party, and my son had such an…read moreawesome time! This is one of the coolest children's museum play spot that I've ever been to. The details inside are so cool!

Came to check out this amazing spot for families and the kids loved it! Large space with plenty of…read moreareas for kids to explore. Entire space was very clean and staff were attentive . Cute front room with great toys to purchase. Also another private room area for parties. Plenty of parking available in the shopping center. Will be back for more fun!

I forgot I even went to the Aldie Mill. Bored at home. Took a ride. Stopped in here. The outside…read moreself tour is one grassy area at the back of the mill and a short 200 yard path over a creek to the FD. The building looked great but not much to report on. Oh. I did find a 1/2 inch screw in the gravel driveway and also when coming out of the mill onto the road (50 West) there's not a good view of oncoming traffic. Hold your breath and gun it.

Our homeschool group did a field trip here and the kids loved it. We were still in the parking lot…read morewhen my 7 year old asked when we are coming back. The staff was so kind and Informative. They really took their time to explain everything to the kids. The mill and grounds are beautiful and very well kept. Highly recommend.

I was driving to see the McKee-Beshers sunflowers when I stumbled upon this gem…read more This Seneca Schoolhouse Museum was built in 1865, and is a historic one room schoolhouse which is now used for educational programs and event space. I didn't get to really go explore the grounds since the gate was close. They did offer a history board about the building and the grounds from outside for people to read about it. I checked out the website, and it would seem this gets frequented by elementary school kids for a field trip back into time. I think it's great! It really is well preserved and well located for the what it was used during its time as an active school house right near the C & O Canal. If in the area - come visit and take yourself back into time.