With an abundance of Fall activities, festivals and outdoor adventures, Prince William County and Manassas should be on the top of your travel list this season. October is packed with dozens of must-do family friendly activities, including pumpkin patches, corn mazes, Civil War reenactments, ghost tours, canoe trips and bird walking guides.
Fall foliage, they got it. Civil War history, you bet! Outdoor adventures that take advantage of the beautiful weather, absolutely. Combine the three for the perfect time to visit northern Virginia, be outside and learn a little something too.
Only 30 miles from DC and an easy hour and a half drive from Richmond, Prince William County and Manassas are a fun day trip away.
Here are our top things to do in Prince William County and Manassas this Fall:
150th Anniversary of the Battle of Bristoe Station Commemoration–
Besides the beautiful hiking and biking trails, Bristoe Station Battlefield Park commemorates the 150-year anniversary with tours and special events October 12-14. This free event takes visitors through the park and nearby attractions ‘in-time’ to show traditional and time period details of the battlefield and what life was like at that time. There will also be historical walking tours and musical performances to show and teach visitors about Virginia’s part in the Civil War. If you visit on October 12, make sure to join the Nature Tour at Brentsville Courthouse Historic Center, which is about a five minute drive away, to learn about the plants and animals that call this area home.
Pumpkin Picking and Corn Maze–
Get ready for Halloween by picking your pumpkin right off the vine! At Yankey Farms Vint Hill Road stand, you and your family can walk through the corn maze, ride on the cow themed tracker ride, pick your own pumpkins and even take a pony ride.
All Hallow’s Eve at Rippon Lodge–
This family friendly event on October 12 takes kids through the history of Halloween with fun games, pumpkin cravings and scarecrows. For parents, the setting is at Historic Rippon Lodge, the oldest known house in Prince William County, and the 30 acre park is perfect for a picnic lunch and letting the kids run around until the sun goes down.
Haunted Museum Lock-In at Weems-Botts Museum–
Are you a ‘sensitive’? Have you ever wanted to experience a paranormal activity? If so, this tour is for you. Arriving at 9pm and staying over night with the ghost until 6am, you are entertained with numerous ghost stories about families and soldiers that lived in the Weems-Botts Museum. The staff gives you special ‘ghost hunting’ techniques to help aide you in your own ghost experience. Reservations required.
Haunted Heights Ghost Walk-
If the thought of spending the night with ghosts is a little too much for you, consider one of the Weems-Botts museum’s nightly Haunted Heights Ghosts walks instead. This walk is on Friday and Saturday nights through October and mixes the history of Dumfries with the ghost sightings in the town center. This walk is better for teenagers or families with kids over 10 who want a taste of the ghost experience but not the whole night.
Departing from Leesylvania State Park and organized by the PWC Historic Preservation Division, this boat tour is perfect for people who want to learn more about Civil War and US history with gorgeous views of the Potomac, Virginia and Maryland coastline. The guides point out specific events in the Blockade of Washington from 1861-1862 as you pass by them, providing an up close and one of a kind learning experience. Besides just an oral description, the guide brings along packets of information (that you are able to keep) about the route and historic events so you can see examples of the events and people he is talking about. Sandwich lunches are also served from a nearby deli that are really tasty too. (Our favorite was the BLT with avocado.) The next available tour is November 7, so make your reservations now.
This post is brought to you by Travel Mindset and Prince William and Manassas.