Activities for Kids

The Nearby Beach Town to Visit This Fall

Grab your outdoors-loving family and leave the monoliths of D.C. behind—trade them in for a bed-and-breakfast on Chincoteague Island.

By Ayren Jackson-Cannady September 25, 2014

About three and a half hours east of D.C., you’ll find the quaint town of Chincoteague, Virginia that’s a perfect getaway for a long weekend. The crisp fall air draws fewer crowds (and thankfully mosquitoes) but shops and wildlife on Assateague Island are still bustling. So grab your outdoors-loving family and leave the monoliths of D.C. behind—trade them in for a bed-and-breakfast on Chincoteague Island.

One small step for your little (wo)man

Just a 10-minute drive off the island, the Visitor Center of the NASA Wallops Flight Facility is the perfect stop for aspiring astronauts and land-lovers alike. Check out the handful of life-size replicas located on the grounds surrounding the visitor center, though it will be challenging to frame your tot and an entire rocket in a photo! Inside, let your explorers experience hands-on exhibits like touchscreen monitors, learn how an altimeter works, and see how high they can launch a soda bottle rocket! Special activities on Saturdays include puppet shows, craft and story time, and model rocket launches. Check out the Flight Facility’s homepage
to find when an actual rocket will be launched next.

Chincoteague Rd. (aka Rt. VA-175) (Wallops Island, Va)
757-824-2298
Open: Tue-Sat, 10 am-4 pm
Cost: Free
Online: nasa.gov

Have you ever visited Chincoteague? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.

—Lisa Ng

Photos courtesy of Lisa Ng