Not far from my house is one of the least known parts of the national park system here in DC,
Oxon Hill Farm at Oxon Cove Park. It's not its own unit in the NPS system, being part of "National Capital Parks -- East" along with Anacostia Park, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and many of the civil rights sites in the city.
With its location just off the DC beltway, it's likely passed by tens of thousands of people a day, but all you can see from the road is trees. But, if you go there, you'll find a pleasant little 1850's-era, 500-acre farm to explore.
They make it clear -- this is no petting zoo, and they'll be glad to put you to work. Each day the cows need milking, chickens need feeding, eggs need gathering, and pigs need feeding. On one visit with friends, we arrived at just the right time (9:30 am) to get to do all of these things in turn.
You'll also see horses, geese, and cats among the many barns. These barns also hold antique farm equipment on display. The central visitor station has special displays for kids, including puppets for a puppet show. The old farmhouse is still under renovation, but from the porch you can see the Potomac River into Alexandria.
This is perhaps the most kid-friendly park I've found for the 5-10-year old set. If they're burned out with museums and wandering the Mall, this would be an excellent break if you're in the DC, even if it's cold and rainy :-)
Not far from my house is one of the least known parts of the national park system here in DC, Oxon Hill Farm at Oxon Cove Park. It's not its own unit in the NPS system, being part of "National Capital Parks -- East" along with Anacostia Park, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and many of the civil rights sites in the city.
With its location just off the DC beltway, it's likely passed by tens of thousands of people a day, but all you can see from the road is trees. But, if you go there, you'll find a pleasant little 1850's-era, 500-acre farm to explore.
They make it clear -- this is no petting zoo, and they'll be glad to put you to work. Each day the cows need milking, chickens need feeding, eggs need gathering, and pigs need feeding. On one visit with friends, we arrived at just the right time (9:30 am) to get to do all of these things in turn.
You'll also see horses, geese, and cats among the many barns. These barns also hold antique farm equipment on display. The central visitor station has special displays for kids, including puppets for a puppet show. The old farmhouse is still under renovation, but from the porch you can see the Potomac River into Alexandria.
This is perhaps the most kid-friendly park I've found for the 5-10-year old set. If they're burned out with museums and wandering the Mall, this would be an excellent break if you're in the DC, even if it's cold and rainy :-)
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