Discover Falls Church

Falls Church combines historic sites, diverse culture, and trails through green landscapes. Those planning a trip with a variety of interests will find opportunities here for historical visits, culinary discoveries, outdoor activities, and special events. When choosing your holiday rental, you can therefore focus primarily on which of these aspects of the town should be the main focus of your trip.

Experience History at Specific Sites

Cherry Hill Farmhouse is one of the notable historic destinations. It was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and opened as a historic house museum in 1976. The property includes a Greek Revival-style house and a barn dating from the mid-19th century. Tours and educational programs convey the history of the site. Important for your planning: The house is accessible exclusively as part of a guided tour.

The Falls Church also reaches far back into the past. The brick church standing today dates from 1769; in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud on its steps. In Tinner Hill, the Zig Zag Monument commemorates the original course of racial segregation in Falls Church. Tinner Hill is also considered the place where the first rural branch of the NAACP in the United States was founded. These stops are suitable for visitors who want to understand historical developments not only in the abstract but also at specific sites.

The History Panels at South Washington Street Plaza offer further insights. They trace the development of transportation in Falls Church through eight different eras. The Falls Church History Room's collection includes more than 120 oral accounts from contemporary witnesses. The accounts were recorded by H. H. Douglas and the Falls Church Historical Commission between the late 1960s and 1981.

Markets, Local Cuisine, and Cultural Diversity

For a trip with a culinary focus, the Falls Church Farmers Market is a destination in its own right. More than 50 vendors offer seasonal fruit and vegetables, meat, cheese, baked goods, flowers, plants, and specialty products. During the monthly Chef Series, local chefs present recipes and tastings featuring ingredients from the market. This makes it possible to combine a market visit with new culinary impressions without requiring every day of the trip to follow the same rhythm.

The Eden Center adds another cultural dimension. Its clock tower is an exact replica of a clock tower in the center of Saigon. The center is home to more than 120 family-owned restaurants, shops, supermarkets, jewelry stores, and travel agencies. A Tết festival and a Mid-Autumn Festival are held there every year. This combination of architecture, food, shopping opportunities, and festival traditions makes the Eden Center a destination for a varied stay.

Trails, Parks, and Outdoor Art

The Washington and Old Dominion Trail runs east to west through the northern part of Falls Church and offers opportunities for hiking, skating, and cycling. Those who want to include physical activity in their daily itinerary can make the trail one of the focal points of their trip. Howard E. Herman Stream Valley Park complements this aspect of the town with a densely wooded area crossed by a stream.

Shorter cultural discoveries can also be included in your plans: The Falls Church Art Walk is a self-guided tour featuring more than 40 public art installations. In Fort Taylor Park, a historic trail with interpretive panels about Fort Taylor and Taylor's Tavern leads through the area's history. Music enthusiasts may be interested in The State Theatre. It opened in 1936; restoration in the late 1990s turned it into a venue for live music and private events.

Choose the Right Base

Falls Church is accessible via two Metro stations. This may play a role in your planning if you want to combine different interests and do not want every excursion to follow the same pattern. For a holiday rental or holiday home, the desired mix of historical visits, market and restaurant stays, walks, bike rides, and cultural events is therefore a useful point of reference. When making your choice, consider which experiences are essential to your trip and which daily rhythm suits your group.

As an additional reference, you can also visit Falls Church. Other destinations in the same overview include Harrisonburg, Wise County, Franklin County, Floyd County, Patrick County, Suffolk City and Amherst County.

For the higher-level travel overview: Virginia.