Best of Arlington 2015

Editors’ Pick

Best Time Travel

Claude Moore Colonial Farm

What was Virginia like just prior to the Revolutionary War? To find out, look no further than McLean’s Claude Moore Colonial Farm, a living-history museum that portrays family life on a small tenant farm in 1771. Supported by volunteers and private donations, the privately operated national park maintains the same animal husbandry and agricultural practices that were common 250 years ago (it raises livestock and grows tobacco and other crops) and is staffed by historic re-enactors in period garb. Live demonstrations cover a broad gamut of 18th-century chores, from soap- and candle-making to threshing rye, splitting fence rails and turning flax into linen. The farm is open Wednesday to Sunday, April through mid-December, and plays host to seasonal events, including a semiannual market fair and a holiday gift shop (through Dec. 21).

Claude Moore Colonial Farm, 6310 Georgetown Pike, McLean, 703-442-7557, 1771.org