How to Plan a Winter Day Trip from DC

Start by determining your kids' experience with—and tolerance for—long car rides. If they tend to do well with longer trips, the destinations towards the bottom of our list would work well. If they get restless in the car, stick with the closer destinations like the ones at the top of our list. Check weather forecasts, operating hours (many places shorten hours or close completely in the winter), and special events. Plan to leave in the late morning or early afternoon to avoid rush hour. Plan parking and make any necessary reservations before you leave.

Note: The driving times listed below are estimates from the DC city center. Your drive may be shorter or longer depending on traffic conditions and where you live in the DC metro area.

Winter Day Trips From DC for Families

1. Tysons Corner Center — Tysons, VA

Travel time from DC: About 25 minutes
Why this trip is great in winter: The largest mall in the DC area, Tysons Corner Center is home to hundreds of indoor shops, restaurants, and entertainment options that will keep families busy all day without needing to go outside in the cold.
Key activities for families: Toddlers can enjoy the immersive PEPPA PIG x CAMP experience at the CAMP store, then ride the train and blow off steam at the indoor play place. Bigger kids can make slime at CAMP's Slime Bar and build their own minifigure at the LEGO Store. Teens will love creating their own rug at Tuft Tuft (one of our favorite trending and out-of-the-box activities), then tackling over 50 real-world physical and mental challenges and games at Level99.
Insider tips: New experiences are always opening at Tysons Corner Center, so keep checking back! Keep an eye out for Hershey Super Sweet Adventure, an immersive experience filled with hands-on games, multi-sensory activities, and interactive fun. It's set to open on March 6, 2026.

2. Leesburg, VA

Travel time from DC: Less than 1 hour
Why this trip is great in winter: Want to enjoy the winter fun of skiing withour the cold temps? Leesburg's Inside Ski Training Center is kept at room temperature! Book a family alpine skiing lesson and practice skiing on the facility's synthetic, treadmill-like revolving slope.
Key activities for families: Historic Downtown Leesburg is so charming, it feels like a Hallmark movie with its quaint streets, unique shops, and cozy little restaurants. It's extra magical with a little snow on the ground! Leesburg Animal Park is open year-round and has indoor exhibits, and indoor play zone, a Discovery Room, and indoor educational shows.
Insider tips: Want to enjoy some adult beverages during your family day trip? Stone Tower Winery has a warm, child-friendly (and dog-friendly!) tasting room with a family restroom and changing facilities. The food menu includes some kid-approved items like pizza, fries, and a kids lunch box with a choice of a hot dog or PB&J Uncrustable, a juice box, and assorted snacks for only $10.

The Maryland Science Center has jaw-dropping presentations and exhibits for all ages. Photo courtesy of the center

3. Baltimore's Inner Harbor — Baltimore, MD

Travel time from DC: About 1 hour
Why this trip is great in winter: Baltimore's Inner Harbor has several kid-friendly attractions that are fully indoors and very close together, perfect for cold days.
Key activities for families: The National Aquarium is home to more than 20,000 marine animals across dozens of aquatic habitats, including dolphins, sharks, and jellies. Right next door is the Maryland Science Center, which has hands-on exhibits dedicated to dinosaurs, space, electricity, and beyond. And just a short walk away is the American Visionary Art Museum and its kooky gift shop with a working Zoltar machine.
Insider tips: Stay overnight or an entire weekend to enjoy the Port Discovery Children's Museum, the B&O Railroad Museum, and some of the other indoor places on our list of 50 fun things to do in Baltimore with kids.

4. Frederick, MD

Travel time from DC: About 1 hour
Why this trip is great in winter: Carroll Creek Park comes alive in winter with its Sailing Through the Winter Solstice event, where you can see individually designed lighted sailboats floating along the creek. It's dazzling! You can see the boats all day, but the lights turn on at sunset.
Key activities for families: About 15 minutes from Caroll Creek Park is Adventure Park USA, a family entertainment center with loads of indoor fun including an arcade, a ropes course, mini bowling, and a multi-level play structure. If you have older kids or teens, Fourth Dimension Fun Center is right in Frederick and has escape rooms, laser tag, bowling, an arcade, and a super-cool XD Dark Ride with laser blasters and some creepy themes.
Insider tips: If you have history-minded kids, stop by Mount Olivet Cemetery to see the gravesite of Francis Scott Key, who wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner."

5. Harpers Ferry, WV

Travel time from DC: Less than 1 1/2 hours
Why this trip is great in winter: Harpers Ferry is home to Snow Riders, the closest place to go snow tubing near DC (see our full list of snow tubing spots). It has a dozen tubing lanes that are nearly threee football fields long! You can also bundle up and explore Harpers Ferry National Historical Park without all the crowds, or take a warm drive through the park.
Key activities for families: Soak up the views in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and check out the historic buildings in Lower Town. If you don't mind driving home at night, visit Snow Riders in the evening for Downhill Disco, snow tubing that features music and multicolor LED disco lights.
Insider tips: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park closes at sunset, so I'd suggest visiting it before your snow tubing adventure. Get more tips in our guide to visiting Harpers Ferry with kids.

6. Liberty Mountain Resort — Carroll Valley, PA

Travel time from DC: About 1 1/2 hours
Why this trip is great in winter: Liberty Mountain Resort is the shortest drive if you’re looking for a day trip to hit the slopes. The resort has 16 trails, 35 percent of which are beginner level and 40 percent intermediate.
Key activities for families: Private and group ski lessons, as well as group snowboard lessons, are available for kids ages 4-12. Families can also go snow tubing, then warm up with a hot drink and meal in the lodge.
Insider tips: You must purchase lift tickets ahead of time to ski or snowboard. While advance tickets are not required for snowboarding, it is recommended that you buy them ahead of time to ensure availability, as tubing is only available Fridays - Sundays and on holidays.

Lay back and float along the lazy river at Great Wolf Lodge. Photo courtesy of GWL

7. Great Wolf Lodge Perryville — Perryville, MD

Travel time from DC: About 1 1/2 hours
Why this trip is great in winter: The largest Great Wolf Lodge location and the closest to DC, Great Wolf Lodge Perryville has tons of indoor attractions for families all under one roof, including its crown jewel—the 126,000-square-foot indoor water park with 22 slides, a lazy river, and lots more.
Key activities for families: An arcade, a ropes course, mini golf, a mirror maze, and the resort's signature MagiQuest scavenger hunt game are just some of the indoor fun for kids. They all cost money, but there are several free activities as well, including arts and crafts and lobby shows. There are also a bunch of food options right on site so you don't need to leave in bad weather.
Insider tips: Both full-day and half-day water park passes are available on weekdays in the winter, but on weekends, you can only buy full-day passes—and they're expensive($90-$100 per person at press time). So, visit during the week if you can! If weekends are your only option, it's nearly always cheaper to stay overnight because the water park is included with your stay for your whole family. I shared more insider tips in my review of Great Wolf Lodge Perryville when it opened in 2023.

8. Massanutten Resort — Massanutten, VA

Travel time from DC: About 2 1/2 hours
Why this trip is great in winter: This sprawling family resort offers winter sports for those who enjoy snow and plenty of indoor activities for those who prefer to stay inside and keep warm. The resort offers day passes for most activities.
Key activities for families: The Massanutten indoor water park features slides, a lazy river, a large water play structure, and other fun features and is kept at a balmy 84 degrees. If you'd rather play outdoors, there's skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and ice skating.
Insider tips: Book activities as far in advance as possible so they don't fill up, especially on weekends and holidays. Our guide to visiting Massanutten Resort and Water Park with kids will tell you more about visiting in other seasons.

9. Busch Gardens Williamsburg — Williamsburg, VA

Travel time from DC: About 2 1/2 hours
Why this trip is great in winter: Busch Gardens hosts its fun Mardi Gras event from late January through early March (January 30 - March 8 in 2026). It features jazzy live music, yummy Cajun food, fun shows, and rides for all ages.
Key activities for families: Some of the park's most popular roller coasters, family rides, and kid-friendly play areas are open during Mardi Gras. Families will also enjoy Carnaval Imaginique, a cirque show in the Globe Theatre.
Insider tips: Busch Gardens is only open on Fridays from 3-8pm and Saturdays, Sundays, and Presidents Day from 12-6pm during Mardi Gras. Buy tickets online ahead of time to avoid standing in line at the gate. Not all rides are open, so download the app to see which ones are. Get more tips in our guide to visiting Busch Gardens Williamsburg with kids.

10. Hershey, PA

Travel time from DC: About 2 1/2 hours
Why this trip is great in winter: While Hersheypark is closed in winter after the holidays, many of the sweet attractions surrounding it remain open. Most of them are fully indoors, and in winter, you'll likely experience thinner crowds.
Key activities for families: Take a FREE Chocolate Tour ride, shop at the world's largest Hershey's store, and make your own candy bar at Hershey's Chocolate World. Enjoy hands-on exhibits and experiences at the Hershey Story Museum. And while much of it is outdoors, Hershey Gardens tickets are discounted in winter, and you can warm up at the indoor, tropical Butterfly Atrium.
Insider tips: If you're willing to bundle up, the animals at ZooAmerica are most active in the colder months, so you'll likely have an exciting visit. There are also plenty of indoor exhibits to warm up in. Our Hershey, PA visitors guide has even more fun things to do.

FAQs for Family-Friendly Winter Day Trips Near DC

Which winter day trips near DC are good for outdoor activities?
Snow tubing and skiing resorts like Liberty Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania or Massanutten are perfect for families who want to spend time outdoors.

What are good indoor winter day trip destinations from DC?
Great Wolf Lodge is perfect with its massive indoor water park and plethora of indoor activities all under one roof. Baltimore's Inner Harbor is also a great trip because it has many kid-friendly museums and indoor attractions very close together.

How should kids dress for a winter day trip from DC?
Dress in warm, easy-to-layer clothing, including thermal base layers, sweaters, waterproof jackets, snow pants for outdoor trips, hats, gloves or mittens, warm socks, and waterproof boots. Pack an extra set of gloves and socks and a change of clothes, just in case.

Are these winter day trip spots open year-round?
The indoor destinations are open year-round. Skiing and snow tubing are seasonal, typically operating from late fall through early spring, depending on the weather.

What should families pack for a winter day trip?
Snacks, water, a first-aid kit, hand warmers, a phone charger, and tissues are all great to have on hand. For longer road trips, pack some entertainment for the kids—our list of top travel games for kids has some great ideas!