Claude Moore Colonial Farm

Address:6310 Georgetown Pike
McLean, Virginia
Tel: (703) 442-7557

A snapshot of life as it was in the late 18th century is preserved at the Claude Moore Colonial Farm in McLean, Virginia. The Claude Moore Colonial Farm recreates a 1771 farm from a tenant farmer's perspective, and offers visitors self-guided tours and educational experiences of the site.

In the late 18th century Virginia life was ruled by tenant farmers who grew tobacco to pay for rent and food. The Claude Moore Colonial Farm captures this aspect of Virginia life, as compared to Colonial Williamsburg, which only covers the upper crust of Virginia society. The Claude Moore Colonial Farm was established in the 1970's and named after Claude Moore, a local land developer whose large bequest at the time of his death made the Claude Moore Colonial Farm the only autonomous site in the National Park Service system.

The Claude Moore Colonial Farm offers the opportunity to learn all about pre-independence Virginian farm life, and the self-guided tour allows visitors the chance to interact with and learn from volunteer interpreters acting as a family from the era. On the third weekend of May, July and October, the farm is host to a market fair, with authentic food, drink, and wares from the time. Visitors can find plenty of restaurants in nearby downtown McLean, about a mile away, offering everything from Japanese to Italian cuisine.

To get to the Claude Moore Colonial Farm, take I-495 to exit 44, then continue for about two miles on Route 193. Visit the Claude Moore Colonial Farm and get in touch with the history of Virginian farming.