The weather is warming and spring break is fast approaching. Looking to get outta dodge with the kids? Consider road-tripping to these destinations within a five-hour drive of the DMV.
Charlottesville, Virginia
You’re likely familiar with Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and a certain state school located here (hint: it’s UVA), but there are plenty of other activities to round out your visit. Kids up to age 8 may enjoy the Virginia Discovery Museum on the pedestrian mall, with hands-on educational and imaginative play spaces. Get out in nature with a batteau ride and step back in time on an 18th-century replica flat bottomed boat, try out the newest and largest park—Biscuit Run Park, or check out the three-acre nature playscape at Wildrock, where visitors can climb on a giant wooden salamander, explore the rock labyrinth and visit the bird sanctuary stations and barn center. Drive time from Arlington: about 2 hours.
Davis, West Virginia
Many people think of Davis as a skiing destination, given its proximity to the Canaan Valley and Timberline resorts, but there’s also plenty to do when the weather turns mild. Resting at 3,520 feet of elevation, this tiny mountain town offers a slower pace of life and multiple ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Known for its system of rugged mountain biking and hiking trails, it’s also home to an increasingly hip and thriving artisan community, with live music venues, unique eateries and craft brewpubs. (Neighboring Thomas is an equally cool and kid-friendly town.) Nearby, find camping, fishing, geocaching and an amber colored waterfall at Blackwater Falls State Park. A short drive away, at Canaan Valley State Park, play a round of golf, visit a wildlife refuge or go fishing. Drive time from Arlington: 3 hours.
Diggerland
You’re used to your kids tearing things up, so how about letting them loose behind the controls of a real bulldozer or excavator? At Diggerland, the nation’s only construction theme park, families can drive, ride and operate specially-engineered real machines. Kids 36 inches or taller can partake in the most rides at this fun zone, which also includes an amusement park, a zipline and, in summer months, a water park. Located southeast of Philadelphia, it’s worthy of a dedicated outing, or it could be a stop-off on a trip up to New York City. Drive time from Arlington: 3 hours 30 minutes. 100 Pinedge Drive, West Berlin, New Jersey
Dinosaurland
What started as a small gift shop 25 years ago is today a paved, walk-through theme park featuring over 50 life-sized dinosaurs. Dino lovers can get their fill of the these prehistoric creatures, expand their imaginations, and pick up toys and educational items. Entry is $7 for ages 2-10, $9 for 11 and up, and free for those under 2. Stop off here on your way to Massanutten, Luray caverns or Charlottesville and make the kids’ day. It’s open March 1 through Dec. 31. Drive time from Arlington: 1.5 Hours. 3848 Stonewall Jackson Hwy White Post, VA
Dutch Wonderland
Hop into this park and see it spring into bloom starting March 28. Festive fun such as puppet shows, scavenger hunts and meetups with Tuft, the Easter Bunny await. Choose from more than 35 rides, including Merlin’s Mayhem, a thrilling suspension coaster. Then visit Exploration Island, where dinosaurs come to life. Make it even easier when you stay right next door at the Dutch Wonderland Inn (formerly known as Cartoon Network Hotel), opening for the first time in 2026. 2249 Lincoln Highway, Lancaster, PA. Drive time from Arlington: 2 hours 45 minutes
Ellicott City, Maryland
Picturesque streets lined with 18th and 19th century architecture meet modern boutiques, cafes and eclectic shops. Head to the interactive, hands on Ellicott Mills Children’s Museum and learn about the history and culture of those who lived and worked in a 19th century mill town. Get up close with trains and even take a ride at the interactive B&O Railroad Station Museum. At Clark’s Elioak Farm feed goats, take a hay ride or ride a pony. Enjoy the warming weather and run out the wiggles at Centennial Park, which features a large lake and playgrounds, or Blandair Regional Park, A “Play-for-All” park with unique equipment and sensory zones. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour 40 minutes.
Frederick, Maryland
Hip meets historic in this small city just a short drive northwest of the Washington beltway. Downtown Frederick is a culinary hotspot offering a range of dining options, from casual brew pubs to celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio’s acclaimed Wye Oak Tavern in the historic Visitation Hotel on Church Street. Stroll the canal in Carroll Creek Park and check out a plethora of events, from outdoor concerts to beer festivals. Learn about Civil War events that occurred here by taking a driving tour along the Maryland Civil War Trail. Ride the Walkersville Southern Railroad‘s bunny train, meet the Easter Bunny and receive a surprise gift on board. Look at the Weinberg Center calendar for kid-friendly shows. Drive north of the city to the 50-acre Catoctin Wildlife Preserve, where you can see bears, wolves and jaguars and feed llamas and goats. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour 30 minutes.
The Greenbrier
One of the country’s oldest resorts (it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places), this stately property offers a scenic getaway from the bustle of Washington with a multitude of enticing indoor and outdoor activities. Try an aerial adventure course, explore the depths of the Greenbrier’s secret bunker-turned escape room, get up close and personal with birds of prey in a beginner falconry lesson or check the kids into the Adventure Zone for a day filled with programmed fun. If you’ll be there over Easter weekend, the resort also offers an Easter package. 101 Main St. W., White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Drive time from Arlington: 4 hours.
Legoland New York Resort
Let the kids build their own spring break adventure with amusement park rides, mazes and a water park. Located in New York’s Hudson Valley Region, Legoland New York Resort features seven Lego-themed lands. Kids can transform into a mini-figure on the Lego Factory Adventure Ride, master the art of Spinjitzu on Lego Ninjago the Ride and explore Lego-built cities in Miniland. The 250-room Legoland Hotel offers themed rooms, each with a separate sleeping area for the kids, a free breakfast buffet and an in-room treasure hunt and nightly entertainment. One Legoland Way, Goshen, New York. Drive time from Arlington: 4 hours 30 minutes.
Luray Caverns
Walk through the largest underground cavern in the eastern United States. Take a tour along lighted, paved walkways into cathedral-size caves with 10-story ceilings, underground lakes and towering stone formations. Afterward, included in the same ticket, see trains and toys from yesteryear at Toy Town Junction; visit the Shenandoah Heritage Village, a seven-acre re-creation of a 19th-century farming community; and take a spin through time at the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, home to more than 75 historic vehicles on display. Drive time from Arlington: 2 hours. 101 Cave Hill Road, Luray, Virginia
Massanutten Family Adventure Park
Climb, tube, zip and swim your way through this 6,000-acre mountain getaway. Ski-focused in the winter, the all-season resort switches to fair-weather activities come spring. Little ones will enjoy the challenge of a kids’ ropes course and climbing wall, plus the chance to fly down the zip line and bounce at Playland. If the weather is warm enough, check to see if snow tubing has switched over to summer tubing and take turns gliding down a grassy hill. The indoor water park offers enough slides, rapids and pools to occupy a full day. And coming soon: a new Mountain Mayhem Coaster that reaches speeds up to 25 miles per hour. The area also offers numerous treks and trails for hikers and bikers itching to get outdoors. Drive time from Arlington: 2 hours 30 minutes. 1822 Resort Drive, Massanutten, Virginia
Natural Bridge State Park
Get your steps in at this park 15 miles south of historic Lexington, Virginia. Once owned by Thomas Jefferson, the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Climb a 137-step stairway to view the 215-foot tall limestone bridge. Then explore six miles of hiking trails, including the Cedar Creek Trail that leads from the bridge to Lace Falls with a 30-foot cascade. Other activities in Natural Bridge include the Caverns at Natural Bridge, where you can venture 34 stories below the earth’s surface. Drive time from Arlington: 3 hours. 6477 S. Lee Highway, Natural Bridge, Virginia
Pennsylvania Dutch Country (and Hersheypark)
Discover the culture and lifestyle of the nation’s oldest Amish communities, where tens of thousands still live a centuries-old “plain” lifestyle without modern amenities. Take a tour through Amish farms, go for a horse-drawn buggy ride and visit the covered bridges of Lancaster County. Afterward, shop for handmade Amish crafts and feast on authentic Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. And if the pace of life gets too slow, stop off at nearby Hersheypark to ride the coasters and see how chocolate is made. Be sure to check the website for opening dates. Drive time from Arlington: 3 hours. Amish Visitor Center is at 501 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The amusement park is located at 100 W. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Please Touch Museum
Relax and let the kids do what they’re naturally inclined to do—touch everything—at this Philadelphia-area museum focused on learning through play. Hands-on exhibits encourage children to pursue their curiosity. Youngsters can throw on a waterproof smock and plunge their hands into a pint-sized Schuylkill River, where they can float boats and switch dams and locks to adjust water flow. Alternately, they can imagine themselves in a grown-up world behind the wheel of a bus or working at the Please Touch Garage. Then travel down the rabbit hole to Wonderland to navigate Alice’s hedge maze en route to the Mad Hatter’s tea party. (For more kid-friendly fun, check out the touchable exhibits and IMAX movies at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, one of the oldest science museums in the country.) Drive time from Arlington: 3 hours 28 minutes. 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pocono Mountains
Pennsylvania’s Poconos may be best known for winter skiing, but there’s plenty to do here when the weather is warm. Enjoy family hikes and fresh air at Bushkill Falls, known as the “Niagara of Pennsylvania.” Take a narrated train trip on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, and head to Pocono Rocks, to test your climbing skills on the indoor rock walls, and play in the bounce houses, slides and ninja warrior course. Get a taste of summer at three indoor waterparks: Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor, Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun and Camelback Resort’s Aquatopia in Tannersville, which also has plenty of outdoor options, including a mountain coaster, zip lines and off-roading UTV tours. If the spring rains hit, head indoors to their mega arcade, escape rooms, laser tag and a 7D Dark Ride. Drive time from Arlington: 4 hours.
Sesame Place
Sweep the clouds—and the stress—away in a life-size Sesame Street world outside of Philadelphia. Little ones can meet Elmo, Big Bird and Abby Cadabbi, see them in shows and parades, and enjoy rides scaled for every kind of visitor, from gentle amusements for wee ones to thrilling coasters for the older set. In the warmer months, pack swimsuits and splash in a water park with tot-friendly slides. Drive time from Arlington: 4 hours. 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Virginia Capital Trail
Roll from the present to the past—and back again—on this 51-mile fully-paved cycling trail with dozens of attractions along the way. Bring your own bikes or rent them at one of the many nearby rental shops. The trail connects the Commonwealth’s past and present capitals of Jamestown and Richmond, and more than 400 years of history. Stop-offs of interest to families include the Science Museum of Virginia, the Virginia State Capitol, Jamestown Settlement and Powhatan Village and the Belle Isle Bike Skills Course which includes a pump track and beginner course to practice mountain biking. Find more than 50 places to dine along the trail and check out a list of planned itineraries, from gentle 2-mile rides for beginners to excursions stretching 31 miles or longer. Drive time from Arlington: about 2 hours. Various locations, Richmond, Virginia
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
The captivating sea creatures in this Virginia Beach aquarium include sharks, barracudas, sea stars and multiple species of jellyfish. Interactive exhibits highlight why cuttlefish are the magicians of the sea, how disco clams produce light, and more. Kids can watch veterinarians at work in the animal care center (push a button to ask questions). Outdoors, an enormous science play area gives visitors an opportunity to learn about rivers, bays and oceans in creative ways, including water experiments to see how rivers shape the land and pretend play as marine scientists. Kids can also have fun alongside North American river otters on a cleverly designed slide adjacent to a viewing window. The aquarium is also home to an Adventure Park with 17 climbing ropes courses and 33 ziplines. Drive time from Arlington: 4 hours 30 minutes. 717 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Safari Park
Get up close with sloths, penguins or rhinos and see larger animals from the safety of your own car at Virginia’s only drive-through safari park. The 180-acre drive-through zoo celebrated its 25th season last year. It’s home to more than 1,000 animals including giraffes, white rhinos, cheetahs and Bengal tigers. Stroll through the village and head up a wheelchair-accessible ramp to feed the giraffes, feed and pet goats in the petting zoo and step inside the aviary to feed tiny, colorful parakeets. Drive time from Arlington: 3 hours. 229 Safari Lane, Natural Bridge, VA
Williamsburg and Busch Gardens
Enter this 18th century city, referred to as the world’s largest living history museum, where costumed interpreters portray everyday life as it was in Colonial America via an immersive experience. For more history, drive to nearby Jamestown and visit two museums that explore life in the 17th and 18th centuries. Climb aboard replicas of ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607 and take a peek inside a re-creation of the colonists’ fort. Both museums can be visited in one day. Then shoot back into reality as you blast upside down at nearby Busch Gardens theme park. Littles will enjoy attractions in the Sesame Street Forest of Fun area. Kids ages 3-5 get in free with a Preschool Pass, but you must register and visit before June 1. Drive time from Arlington: about 2 hours.