Things to do in Sterling
Arlington National Cemetery Tour
Arlington National Cemetery Tour begins at the visitor center on Memorial Dr.; tickets are available at the Arlington National Cemetery Tourmobile ticket booth. The tour includes the Kennedy gravesites; the Tomb of the Unknowns for the Changing of the Guard ceremony; and Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial. Call (202) 554-5100 for more information.
Arlington, VA, Arlington, VA 22211
Great Falls Park
Great Falls Park is w. on SR 193 to Old Dominion Dr. Here the Potomac River plunges a total of 77 feet in a series of picturesque falls and thundering rapids. One-mile-long Mather Gorge is walled by irregular palisades. Biking, cross-country skiing and kayaking are among the possible recreational activities. Within the 800-acre park are remnants of a skirting canal constructed about 1785 by the Patowmack Co., of which George Washington was founder and president. The canal had a series of locks that enabled boats to re-enter the river after having bypassed the falls. There is no direct access between the Virginia and Maryland sides. The Maryland side is part of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
9200 Old Dominion Dr., Mclean, VA 22102
Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum
Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum is 2 mi. n. on SR 28, 1 mi. e. on Church Rd., then .4 mi. n. on Cascades Pkwy. to the Claude Moore Park entrance. Some 300 years of agricultural history unfold at this facility tracing the ventures of 10 generations of Loudoun County residents. Much of the original Waxpool General Store, in operation 1890-1946, has been reconstructed inside the museum. Kids also can dress up and play farmer for the day in an interactive exhibit area. Call (703) 421-5322 for more information.
21668 Heritage Farm Ln., Sterling, VA 20164
National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is at 14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., near Washington Dulles International Airport. This facility allows the public to see the 80 percent of the Smithsonian’s air and space collection that is not on loan or displayed at the museum’s building on the National Mall. Until the center opened in 2003, a majority of these artifacts had never before been on display. Hundreds of famous air- and spacecraft, and thousands of small historic artifacts are displayed, including a supersonic Concorde; the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb during WWII; Global Flyer, the first airplane to be flown solo, nonstop around the globe without refueling; and the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the only real space shuttle on view anywhere. Free realistic space shuttle and Mission Control simulations can be enjoyed. IMAX films are shown on a five-story theater screen, and various immersive flight simulator experiences are available. Call (202) 633-1000 for more information.
14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., Chantilly, VA 20151
The Falls Church
The Falls Church (Episcopal) is near jct. US 29 (Lee Hwy.) and SR 7 (Broad St.) at 115 E. Fairfax St. Founded in 1732, the first church building was erected in 1733 near a road that led to the falls of the Potomac River—hence the name that later was adopted by the town. The present building, completed in 1769, served as a recruiting station during the Revolution, and in the Civil War it was used as a Federal hospital. Renovations to restore the structure to its 18th-century appearance were completed in 1959. Call (703) 532-7600 for more information.
115 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church, VA 22046