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National Firearms Museum

4.5 (77 reviews)
Open 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Matt D.

FAIRFAX, VA. - Reopen after a lengthy pandemic closure, had never been. Wife and I went on a blustery Saturday morning. Is in a wing of the NRA HQ, Arrived as anti-gun protesters out front were packing up. Something like 2,000 firearms on display of all shapes, sizes, eras. Could do with more details/info in some cases, but definitely a lot to take in already. The organization seems a bit haphazard - here's this collection of this guy, then over here is guns thru history - and some of the displays make it hard to actually see what's on display, with these small windows you have to look through. Here and there the collection - like stuff taken from Hermann Goring - a bit distasteful. But overall worth going and worth the admission (which is free). Gift store seemingly permanently closed. A 3.75-star experience. Tons of parking. Security guard who buzzed you in quite pleasant and professional.

The Rifleman's rifle used by Chuck Connors. It's a Winchester 1892 with the big loop lever.
Mike M.

Upon arriving I was able to park out front and walked towards the buildings that house the NRA. The museum entrance is at the base of the South Tower and the door is kept locked. To enter, you must press a button and let security know that you are here to visit the museum. Upon the door unlocking you then walk into the lobby of the South Tower where the security desk is located. They will then answer any questions you have and provide you a map of the museum whose entrance is about 15 feet away. Inside the museum you see a vast collection of guns. Long guns, handguns, military and civilian, etc. from the earliest firearms to the most modern they are all here. I found the museum to be interesting and enjoyed one of the last sections the most which chronicled Hollywood's Guns. It took me about 90 minutes to go through it all. Some may be able to do it in an hour. Since the admission is free it really doesn't matter. This museum is worth your time to visit. I am only giving 3 stars because I found some of the display cases difficult to follow as the numbers on each gun did not correspond to the written nomenclature in the display case. Also some of the display case lighting caused glare and made it difficult to look at particular guns. All in all, it is an impressive display of firearms and shows how they played an important role in the development of our nation and our world.

Annie Oakley's guns
George C.

Great assortment of weird, wonderful and unique firearms! Really enjoyed the museum. We spent almost 3 hours there and didn't see everything. The staff member enlightened us on many facts on several of the exhibits. I really enjoyed the talk and assumed he knew something about everything in the museum. If you enjoy firearms and very special ones you have to see it. Enjoyed the movie room as well.

Manny M.

I've lived in this region for 11 years and wasn't aware this place existed. It's tucked away in a small area but it is a great find. They have a great show room (museum) filled with so much historic and priceless firearms on display. If you have any questions their are some tablet like screens that can provide more information on the firearm you're interested. Each weapon on display has a catalog number that can help you look when searching the tablet. The best part of it all, the entry is FREE!!! You can't beat that. Lastly, there is a museum store to purchase any souvenir you may like. I will say it's a bit pricey but I guess the FREE entry evens out the playing field. Highly recommend to anyone who may enjoy and or is interested in firearms.

Entrance
Israel G.

Super cool museum! Free to get in. I was thrown off a little bit by its location. But later found out it's part of the actual HQs, so that's why it seemed a little weird entering. I felt like I was driving up to a business when I arrived and not a museum. And it the parking lot was really empty, so that just added Timmy confusion! Anyways, they have a TON of guns!!!! A lot of antiques too. I had a few favorite area in the museum. Seeing all the guns and weapons and learning what they were used for was really interesting. The history of it all was great. I was hoping to see a little more current weapons the military uses; like the heavy guns, grenade launcher, automatics weapons, etc. I spent about 90 minutes in here, but could've stayed longer (the fam was getting tired), so we left.

Dueling pistols?
Patrick L.

I must admit, the National Firearms Museum caught me by surprise and turned out to be excellent. So, I happened upon the NFM when I visited DC with my step-dad (who is a gun enthusiast and NRA member - we won't discuss politics here!) Anyhow, I promised to take him to the museum which was a 1/2 hour drive from where we were staying in Georgetown. Off we drove... I had hoped to find somewhere to eat lunch as we had been sightseeing all morning, but somehow ended up at the NRA Cafe. Wow, what a crummy place for lunch. It was really a gross cafeteria for the employees of the NRA...awful grub in a nondescript, dated setting. I think I saw the place in the movie The Falcon and the Snowman - a 1970's era cafeteria in a government office building. The NRA building is a dated 80/90's era building (my 16 year-old likened it to a Scientology building - some freaky cult-like haunt - things weren't looking up at that point.) I was quickly growing worried that the museum would be some whack-job paradise of weapons and propaganda set in a room of bad red carpet, cheesy brass hardware all displayed under dismal blue fluorescent lighting. Alas, we finished lunch and wandered next door to the museum. The friendly CIA agent, uh...security guard let us in to the lobby, welcomed us, directed us to the museum and explained that it was FREE...no charge, nothing. As we stepped in, I was instantly taken aback. The guns on display were works of art, pieces of history, intricately designed and detailed marvels. Seriously, I was blown away by the amazing collection of firearms and how nicely they were displayed for all to see. The Mayflower gun came to the new world on...you guessed it - The Mayflower! Annie Oakley's pistol was on display. There was a "Guns in Film/TV" room - Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry .357, Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop gun...really cool stuff. Military weapons (from Revolutionary to Civil to WWII to more current military conflicts) and even fantasy/art-like weapons called "Steampunk" - really weird, but interesting. The National Firearms Museum was...simply put - outstanding! I wasn't asked to join the NRA, there weren't any weirdos making me sign petitions and I didn't have to get fingerprinted to step foot in the museum. I was greeted warmly and invited to spend as much time as I'd like in the nicely lit, well laid-out museum. Honestly, I'd probably make the effort to drive there again from D.C. to take anyone interested in checking it out. I know, I know...there is so much gun angst in America...political posturing, right vs. left agendas, anti-gun movements - maybe rightfully so, but this museum is really well done and is a must-see for open-minded people who know firearms have a long history in the United States. ...just don't eat at the cafe :( 5 stars

Gold revolvers
Brian P.

Ever since I heard about this museum years ago, I've been dying to visit! It's an absolute must visit for any gun nut/lover/collector. Before coming here I had imagined a tiny showcase of firearms, mainly because this museum is FREE. Wow was I surprised 3 hours later when I was still inside! Firearms of all types and time periods are displayed here, even ones from the 1700s! There are also a few special collections including ones featured in Hollywood, used during wars such as WWI, WWII and Vietnam, and a whole exhibit on Teddy Roosevelt who was an avid hunter and collector. The museum is housed on the 1st floor of NRA headquarters in Fairfax, VA, just a few minutes outside DC. It does get a little confusing when navigating the museum at times because there's no specific order and is basically a giant room with display cases. Some of the display cases are so full, they don't have room for placards so you have to look up numbers at touchscreen kiosks placed throughout. I didn't look any up and was still inside the museum for over 3 hours trying to read all the placards! Parking and admission are both FREE, and they're open daily except Christmas. Be sure to come early because they close at 5 pm!

Sign along the road and a black and blue interpretation of the American Flag
Damon B.

This is a real testament to sticks that propel projectiles. If you are into that, I don't see how you could find a better place. I am not really into guns and I'm less into guns after visiting this place, but it was very nice, the staff was incredibly nice, and I just cannot give it less stars than 5 (reluctantly, but they earned every star). You should know that this is not a great place to take kids. All the glass is pressure sensitive and alarms go off if you touch it. The guards were really nice about it, but they were also incredibly on top of things. After looking through this place, I really think that if you've seen one gun you've seen them all. I had to listen to other people talk to figure out what they enjoy about seeing so many of the same thing: a stick that propels a projectile. It sounded like a lot of the visitors were excited to own replicas of guns on display in the museum, even older models that were totally obsolete (like a flint lock). Some of the guns have carvings, some require you to build the bullet into the barrel rather than having a fully packaged, ready to fire bullet. Some guns were from interesting places. There was some impressive woodworking and metal work/carving. And an entire room is devoted to guns from Hollywood--which of course were visually the most impressive specimens on display. The other museum visitors creeped me out. It's a swath of generally who you would expect to see here, I'll leave it at that. The NRA employees who are not public facing are also a special group. To park, you can either proceed to the lot right in front of the building. Or if you need a handicapped entrance, you can go under the building to the back lot. This place is not ADA friendly and I'm actually surprised they passed inspection. Once you are inside it's fine, but getting in was challenging. It seemed like you could arrange a tour. Everyone else in the museum had a tour guide except for the large number of Germans wearing tank tops, who happened to be there at the same time as me. I think you could spend all day here if you are really into guns. Every single gun has a story, and those stories are pretty long and complex in a lot of cases. The simplest ones were things like "m16 from vietnam" or "gun used in Scarface the movie", and even those had a story to tell.

Steve L.

Wonderful museum, and an excellent indoor shooting range to boot! This was one of the highlights of my road trip! Thank you, NRA! Join the NRA to protect your Second Amendment Rights!

Michael O.

Bar none . . . this is probably one of the best non-government sponsored curated museums in the area that's FREE! The place, which is funded through generous donors is pristine and the museum pistols/rifles/shotguns are in immaculate condition. They have several exhibits that take you through the history and evolution of firearms. I especially liked the hollywood props area, WWII area, as well as the modern area showcasing the popular Glocks and such. In fact, I plan to take my dad here in the Spring.

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3 years ago

A must see museum if in the Fairfax, VA area. The collection is incredible. The location is convenient. There is no fee.

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6 years ago

Badass. Awesome. Magnificent. All Americans need to go to this museum and earn about guns. The history is amazing and educational.

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Review Highlights - National Firearms Museum

The museum is housed on the 1st floor of NRA headquarters in Fairfax, VA, just a few minutes outside DC.

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Children's Science Center

Children's Science Center

3.8(65 reviews)
1.2 mi

Since my last review, I ended up purchasing a family membership to the Children's Science Center…read moreand it is the BEST purchasing decision I have made all year. It's close proximity means that I have a go-to spot to bring the kids on school breaks, rainy days, cold days, or whenever we simply have nothing to do. While there are a few standing exhibits, the staff does a really good job at changing things up (and keeping things topical) so each visit feels special. And the best part... SLIME. We've made slime conductors, spider slime, fluffy slime, snowflake slime, glow-in-the-dark slime .. basically alll the slime. The experiment lab always has a slime option and it is a highlight of every visit. My eldest daughter went from barely reading and needing help at the beginning of our membership to fully reading and creating experiments on her own. It is so much fun to see. For the littles, there is a small playroom with building blocks, magnatiles, books, and those large blue fort/construction material building materials. My two-year old loved spending time in this room but now that she is three she likes making her own hovercrafts and setting them sail in the wind tunnel. The staff is SO kind, SO helpful, and so passionate about what they do. I love how they offer volunteer/internship opportunities to teens and will also set up special traveling science labs to Title I schools. If you are a member you also get discounted or free visits to children's science museums all across the United States which has made this membership 100% worth it for our family. If you are looking for an experience gift to give a little one this year, I highly recommend the Children's Science Center!

Had a great time with my toddler today. She's not quite two so her admission was free and there's a…read more$2 discount for purchasing tickets in advance. I was worried there wouldn't be enough activity for her age but she had a blast playing with exhibits and blocks in the interactive room. She also made "play dough" as an experiment. The staff were all friendly and helpful, we will definitely be back.

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Children's Science Center
Children's Science Center
Children's Science Center

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Fairfax Station Railroad Museum

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum

4.7(11 reviews)
4.3 mi

This is a fascinating little railroad museum in a lovely tree covered setting at Fairfax Station…read more Originally the 1903 local train station, the building was moved to this site and restored in 1980. Today, the museum is opened on Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00, but offers special tours for groups and scouts. Admission is modest ($5) to tour the building. The railroad had historic importance for commerce across North Virginia in the 1850's. During the Civil War, the line was used to bring wounded troops to this location, where they were nursed by Clara Barton. The line also carried supplies. Outside is a 20th century caboose that visitors can look inside. There is also a train car for the 1950s. The parking lot holds about a dozen cars including several handicapped spaces. There are a few picnic tables under the trees to have a snack. The grounds are immaculate and beautiful. This is a great place to bring the kids or you favorite history buff for the afternoon.

Cool free museum from the outside…read more Inside pay a nominal donation for an indoor exhibit. Location: Hidden in Fairfax County VA off Ox Road. Built in 1852; was a depot built by Irish immigrants--Fairfax Station!! Typically, open on the weekends. Mainly Sundays. Check the schedule on the website. For kids -- toy trains to play with inside. Build a toy train track, plenty of toy trains. Parking -- free. With overflow parking across the street.

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Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
Fairfax Station Railroad Museum - Water tank inside caboose

Water tank inside caboose

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum - Railroad motorcar

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Railroad motorcar

Fairfax Museum & Visitors Center

Fairfax Museum & Visitors Center

3.6(14 reviews)
2.3 mi

This museum is an awesome hidden gem! Admission is free. It is built on an old small school…read morebuilding in Fairfax City. It's located directly across from Ace Hardware. When we went, they had a small exhibit on communism on the bottom floor. It was minimal. However, the top floor had way more and it was all on local Fairfax history. It was fascinating and I learned a lot! Even as a resident my whole life, I was able to uncover a plethora of local history. As an added bonus, we did their scavenger hunt upstairs and each won a small prize! This museum is such an amazing and valued local gem! They accept donations as well. 100% worth a visit!

This is a well maintained small museum, with some good exhibits. I will give it a modest…read morerecommendation if you don't want to spend any money. Some of the Civil War exhibits are exceptionally well done. It also doesn't batter you over the head with woke exhibits and politically correct exhibits, despite being in a solid blue area, politically. There is some of that: it regretfully acknowledges the displacement of Native Americans, but the displacement of historic European stock (after four centuries of settlement) is addressed with a casual shrug. "No different than what Anglos did to the natives," is the message at the end of the exhibits, when some of the changing demographics resulting from massive Third World immigration are presented. To look at the group photos of the children who once attended school in the building that now houses the museum is to see what America once was and what has now also vanished. I remember some of the remnants of that beautiful world, and the losses were significant ones. The passing of "elaborate" (their word) Native American societies is to be mourned, but the passing of the world created by European ancestors is no biggee. As if, without the arrival of Old Stock Americans, this would all be anything except a wilderness sparsely populated by primitive nomadic tribes. How do we know that would be the case? Because nothing had changed here for the residents for 20,000 years prior to the arrival of Europeans. The "land acknowledgements," the bereavement of slavery (it existed all over the world, and all over the U.S.; give us more credit for ending it), the loss of beautiful farmland via urbanization -- such things are largely liturgical acknowledgements today, wearying lip service for the politically correct. Lay off it some. In any event, there is -- perhaps blessedly -- not the usual abundance of "LEW" museum exhibits: "First Lesbian Eskimo in a Wheelchair to serve on city council," "First Lesbian Eskimo in a Wheelchair to serve as school superintendent," etc. Remarkable, again, considering the left-leaning sentiments of most of Fairfax County. Some of the exhibits were missing bits and pieces, and none of the videos were functioning the day I stopped by. The staff was friendly and welcoming and reasonably knowledgeable. The artifacts were of good quality and interesting. The gift shop was nice and the restrooms were clean. I'm glad I stopped by. But I won't stop by again. Even though the impression is to a lesser extent, like many other American museums today it's like visiting houses where you lived as a child; you get the feeling after a while that you're there in the capacity of an unmourned ghost.

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Fairfax Museum & Visitors Center
Fairfax Museum & Visitors Center - 2nd floor

2nd floor

Fairfax Museum & Visitors Center

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Sully Historic Site

Sully Historic Site

4.2(27 reviews)
6.0 mi

This is a nice little historic site from Richard Bland Lee. There is a small gift shop/visitor's…read morecenter, a couple of outer buildings, then the main house. Our tour guide was great at explaining the history of the house and all the people who lived here. She explained the uses of each room and what was authentic. There was a small, old-fashioned classroom (since they educated local children) and an upper floor with a bunch of spinning equipment they show off more on field trips. Our tour group had about 6 people, so it was quiet and easy to ask questions if we had them. It was a nice little site and window into life in the 19th century.

If you are visiting the Air and Space Museum by Dulles Airport and find yourself with a little time…read moreto kill then this is a nice park to visit. It is a historical site that was the plantation home of Richard Bland Lee, Northern Virginia's first Representative to Congress, and his wife Elizabeth Collins Lee. It was built in 1794. It is a huge complex, covering 65 acres. It is an adequate parking lot and is well maintained. The site has a bookstore/visitor's center/gift shop. There are some picnic tables near this building where you can sit, eat, and or relax, some of which are shaded. You will also find some building structures at the site that that include the main house, a smokehouse, which you will see fake meat hanging from the overhead, and a replica slave quarter. If you are driving here, there are two parking lots for you to park. You will find a ton of green space, some trails, and additional picnic tables by the main house. I like that this site does not shy away from its slavery past. It faces it head on and pays tribute to those that were enslaved. I like this site. It provides a bit of a history lesson through informational placards placed along the grounds. Gives hikers an opportunity to explore and work out, and is also a place of peace and relaxation. The site has a decent event schedule that includes: Dairy Days-Ice Cream Making & Butter, Peaches and Cream, A Visit With Santa, Colorful Pumpkins, Making a Scarecrow, classic car shows, and various scout merit badge opportunities. In addition to all of that, they offer tours. There is always something going on here. It was pretty chill and laid back during my visit. There were not a lot of people there. This is a neat place to check out. You could spend about 2 hours here exploring.

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Sully Historic Site - Summer outdoor movie

Summer outdoor movie

Sully Historic Site
Sully Historic Site

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Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center

Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center

3.5(12 reviews)
2.3 mi

This is incredible. Much like the "Graffiti House" near Culpeper, if you're a civil war history…read morebuff, add this to your list. City of Fairfax has done well with this. The Blenheim House is the main attraction, as it was used as a makeshift hospital by US and confederate soldiers. On the walls are signatures of it's residents, and some of them are quite funny. You will see US or confederate soldiers writing crossing out one another's, or a regiment definitely showing you "we were here." This is good for all ages. The property is stunning. I love the wood fences, and the grounds has plenty to explore. Once a year is civil war day. By all means a complete recommendation, as cannon demonstrations, and living history type of events. This is a gem of northern Virginia. By all means spend time and learn really interesting information.

I'm not sure why I have never thought to review Blenheim before, but this came up on my Yelp…read moreactivity as a 3 star place, which is simply not true! I would like to describe my very personal experience. Five years ago I got married here. I toured countless venues in Fairfax county and Fairfax city. This was the first place I went to that I couldn't really see myself being married at, and the price was right. As a wedding venue, there are great indoor and outdoor spaces, and it is especially beautiful on a fall day. The staff went above and beyond with professionalism. Kaveh, who works for the city of Fairfax, was the person who ran the show, and he could not have done a better job. The wedding had about 100 guests and I would say that it's absolutely perfect for that size. As mentioned in previous reviews, this historic property changed hands during the Civil War several times. It was primarily used as a union encampment/hospital. The most interesting aspect is the preserved building with around 115 Union soldiers' signatures inscribed in it. If you choose to get married here, you can even have a tour aspect to your wedding as an add-on, which certain family members like my grandfather loved. This is a beautiful property and the staff work very hard to preserve it and share it with others. As a wedding venue, I thought it was perfect. It's also a nice place for a picnic and the grounds are open when they don't have events.

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Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center
Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center
Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center

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National Firearms Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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