Leesburg Animal Park

If you’ve got kids who can’t decide between a zoo trip and a playground day, this place basically splits the difference. The slides and play train keep the little ones entertained when they need a break from the animals, and there’s a genuine farm-like feel that’s hard to find this close to the DC suburbs. Benches are scattered around, so parents actually get to sit down for five minutes — a small thing that makes a big difference on a long afternoon. It works for a pretty wide age range, from toddlers just waddling around to older kids who are still weirdly into feeding goats.