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Centreville is a large community in western Fairfax County, Virginia, about 25 miles west of Washington, D.C. It began as a small crossroads town in the late 1700s on the road to the Shenandoah Valley, and during the Civil War it sat between the two battlefields of Bull Run, serving as a Confederate winter camp ringed with earthwork forts in 1861 and 1862.
Today Centreville is mostly suburban, with a diverse population and a well-known Korean food scene along its main roads, but it keeps a lot of green space. Ellanor C. Lawrence Park protects woods, ponds and the historic Cabells Mill, and Bull Run Regional Park has a campground, a water park, trails and a popular holiday light show. Historic Centreville Park preserves a remnant of the old village and its wartime earthworks.
Nearby, Sully Historic Site and the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly make easy half-day trips, and in autumn families head to Cox Farms for its fall festival.
A large Fairfax County park of forests, meadows and streams with miles of trails, Walney Pond and the Walney Visitor Center, which has nature exhibits and live animals. Trails follow Big Rocky Run past old farm ruins. Pick up a trail map at the visitor center and wear sturdy shoes.
A large regional park along Bull Run with a campground, picnic areas, sports fields, disc golf and the Bull Run Atlantis water park in summer. It is also the starting point of the long Bull Run-Occoquan Trail. Pay the entry fee at the gate, and book campsites ahead on summer weekends.
A restored 19th-century mill on Big Rocky Run inside Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, set among lawns and old trees. The mill building is used for events and weddings, and the grounds are a pretty stop on a park walk. Pair it with the trails from the Walney Visitor Center nearby.
A small county park on the ridge in old Centreville that preserves part of the historic village, including Civil War earthworks built when Confederate troops wintered here in 1861 and 1862. Signs explain the town and wartime history. It is a short stop, best combined with nearby historic buildings.
The 1799 home of Richard Bland Lee, Northern Virginia's first congressman, in nearby Chantilly, with original outbuildings, gardens and a reconstructed home of the enslaved people who lived there. Guided house tours run several times a day. Check the schedule and allow about an hour.
A long natural-surface trail that follows Bull Run and the Occoquan River from Bull Run Regional Park toward Fountainhead Regional Park, through forest, creek crossings and bluffs. Hike a short out-and-back section or plan a shuttle for longer stretches. Expect mud after rain.
A seasonal drive-through holiday light show in Bull Run Regional Park, with more than two miles of lit displays and a holiday village with treats and activities at the end. It runs from mid-November into early January. Buy tickets online and go on a weeknight to avoid long lines.
A family farm known for its busy autumn Fall Festival, with hayrides, giant slides, a corn maze, farm animals and fresh pumpkins and cider. It is one of the most popular fall outings in Northern Virginia. Buy timed tickets online and go early on a weekday for smaller crowds.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's huge companion site near Dulles Airport, with the Space Shuttle Discovery, the Enola Gay, an SR-71 Blackbird and hundreds of other aircraft in giant hangars. Admission is free but parking is charged. Climb the observation tower to watch Dulles planes.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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