Shaped by landscapes of historical plantations, Civil War-battlegrounds, and Colonial American homes and landmarks, Fairfax County is a rich symbol of the nation’s past. In nearby Alexandria, visitors can experience Mount Vernon, the plantation home of George Washington. One of the oldest settlements in the area, the Neoclassical Georgian style mansion is open daily for tours. Weapons and clothing owned by George Washington are also on display at Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon George Mason, who, along with James Madison, is called the "Father of the Bill of Rights," built his Gunston Hall home in southeast Fairfax County. This eighteenth century Georgian mansion is open daily for tours. For outdoor exploration, Fairfax’s 24,000 acres of parks offer a perfect combination of history, sports, and nature. Some features of nearby parks include a working farm, equestrian center, nature center, golf course, dog park, and campgrounds. Visitors can enjoy recreational activities such as hiking, picnicking, and a world-class view of the Potomac River’s Great Falls at the scenic 800-acre Great Falls Park.
Fifteen minutes outside Washington, D.C., travel into the city is commonplace for residents of Fairfax County. Some highly-frequented places in the city include: the National Mall & Memorial Parks, the Washington Monument, the National Museum of American History, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the Lincoln Memorial, the United States Capitol, and the White House. Travel into the city from Fairfax County is provided by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Metrobus and Metrorail. While Washington, D.C. is a leading center of business, over 100,000 people from the D.C. Metro Area travel to work in Fairfax County’s Tysons Corner, the largest office market and suburban business district in the United States. Located near the city of McLean, Tysons Corner is accompanied by Tysons Galleria, which attracts thousands of shoppers every day.
McLean is also home to USA Today, the most circulated newspaper in the nation. For outdoor entertainment, Wolf-trap National Park, the only national park for the performing arts, is not far from Tysons Corner.
