8 Best Sights in Richmond, Fredericksburg and the Northern Neck, Virginia

A welcoming, hands-on complex for children and families, this museum is a place to climb, explore, experiment, and play. The museum is divided into sections like Art Studio, Tree Climber, Town Square, and Backyard, each with its own activities. The museum also offers classes in painting and music, and hosts special events on holidays. Exhibits and activities are geared toward younger children. The museum has four locations in the Central Virginia area.

If it hadn't been for the outcries of historians and citizens, a Walmart would have been built on this site, the boyhood home of our first president. The land was saved by the George Washington's Fredericksburg Foundation, and the megastore found a location farther out on the same road. Recently, archaeologists have uncovered the original fireplaces and four cellars from the house where Washington was raised, as well as thousands of new artifacts. Ferry Farm, which once consisted of 600 acres, is across the Rappahannock River from downtown Fredericksburg, and was the site of a ferry crossing. Living here from ages 6 to 19, Washington received his formal education and taught himself surveying while not chopping a cherry tree or throwing a coin across the Rappahannock—legends concocted by Parson Weems. The mainly archaeological site also has an exhibit on "George Washington: Boy Before Legend." The ongoing excavations include a summer program for children and adults, "Digging for Young George." Ferry Farm became a major artillery base and river-crossing site for Union forces during the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Visit the home of Pocahontas and the second successful English settlement in the New World. Costumed interpreters reenact the lives of Virginia's Native Americans and English settlers who helped create the nation we know today.

Visit any time of year to witness the beauty of 50 acres of gardens while exploring the historic property's various dining and shopping options. The domed conservatory, referred to as the "Jewel of the Garden," is the only one of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic, and houses ever-changing displays, tropical plants, and more than 200 orchids in bloom. The rose garden, one of the many themed gardens on the property, features 80 varieties, with more than 1,800 roses and a pavilion for special events, including wine tastings and evening jazz concerts. A Children's Garden offers a wheelchair-accessible tree house—fun for kids and adults—an Adventure Pathway, sand and water play areas, as well as the "International Village," with playhouses modeled after homes from around the world, like the traditional Ethiopian tukul. The Dominion Gardenfest's annual light display is a holiday tradition. Dining options include the Garden Café and the Tea House. The Garden Shop offers unique botanical gifts.

On this 100-acre Victorian estate, one can explore the lavish Maymont House museum, a carriage collection, and elaborate Italian and Japanese gardens. A true family attraction, Maymont's complex includes the Nature Visitor Center, native wildlife exhibits, and a children's farm. Kids love the pair of playful otters in the aquarium and the waterfall above the Japanese garden. A Bald Eagle Habitat and Raptor Valley are popular additions to the wildlife areas of the park. Take the hop-on, hop-off tram for $3 to see this huge park and its exhibits. Guided mansion tours are on the hour and half hour until 4:30 pm. A café is open for lunch. Carriage rides are also available for $15.

This living-history complex has programs, exhibits, and interpretive demonstrations of the life and culture on a working farm in 1860. On weekends, costumed interpreters work in the fields, the barns, the doctor's office, the blacksmith forge, and the farmhouse, offering a glimpse into the daily activities of original owner Dr. John Mosby Sheppard and his family. Special activities for children include storytelling days, Civil War lantern tours, and harvest-picking parties. To boot, these programs are free.

Located in Doswell, part of Hanover County, this 400-acre amusement park offers a full array of rides and attractions and hosts special theme days for Halloween and other holidays.

Aerospace, crystals, and the Foucault pendulum are just a few of the things you can learn about here. Housed in a former train station, the museum features live demonstrations and "Giant Screen Movies" in the Dome, a planetarium, and an interactive lifestyle exhibit called Boost!, which tests your strength and memory. You can visit the café or gift shop without paying admission fees.