Things to Do in Dale City

The Osprey’s Golf Club at Belmont Bay maintains a splendid, 5,577-yard, par 70 course that fosters fore-hollering fun for golfers of all abilities. Bordered to the east by the flowing waters of the Occoquan River, the Audubon-certified course pleases the senses with cool, riverside breezes, scenic tree lines, and flagsticks that hand out perfume samples. Experienced instructors stalk the Club’s verdant grounds, helping keep swing’s sharp with private and group lessons and imparting advice about golf equipment at the pro shop. Osprey’s Landing awaits golfers looking to unwind after a day at the links or treat high-performing sand wedges to a dinner date with a menu of fresh seafood, sandwiches, and other locally inspired fare.

The Metropolitan Fine Arts Center, a multidisciplinary performing-arts organization for children and adults, fosters choreographed skills and creates performance opportunities in dance, music, and theater. Its students have gone to perform on Broadway, at The Juilliard School, and in highly esteemed companies, such as the Mark Morris Dance Company, The Washington Ballet, and Microsoft. Youth programs include musical-theater and fine-arts workshops, as well as ballet and other half-day dance camps for children as young as 3. Adult classes range from basic to advanced, including ballet, jazz, and tap lessons, plus yoga and ballet-barre fitness workouts.

A whir emits from the skee-ball machine as a long string of tickets emerges from its depths. With his parent’s help, the child counts them off, eager to see if he’s won enough for the coveted prize at the counter, or at least enough to trade with his sister for the window seat on the way home. At Majestic Fun, kids of all ages dive into an 8,000-square-foot spread of games, rides, and food. As Maximillion the Dalmatian and Ellie the Elephant wander around to give birthday kids high-fives or to steal a french fry, friends race each other at driving games or compete in furious rounds of air hockey. Tykes can put gravity in time out on the moon bounce or savor rides on the pintsize carousel. Between games, players find nourishment at the snack bar, munching on pizzas, sub sandwiches, and mozzarella sticks.

As the Potomac River flows in the distance, George Mason’s historical Georgian mansion overlooks sprawling gardens, hiking trails, and a 250-year-old boxwood tree. A senior statesman, Mason laid the foundation for this site in 1755, building his new family home just yards away from the site of his grandfather’s house. Though the original 18th-century carriage roads, tree banks, and wide vistas have since disappeared, experts have reconstructed much of the property’s original splendor through archaeological digs; the written memoirs of George’s son, John; and the testimonials of kidnapped time travelers.

Today, trained guides and museum docents lead guests on tours across the grounds, as well as through an exhibit of more than 50 pieces of art and furnishings detailing the life of the politician, his wife Ann, and their family. As guests learn about Mason’s role as the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and as an advocate of freedom of the press and religious tolerance, they walk through opulent halls and rooms designed in French modern, neoclassical, and Chinese styles. In addition to tours, the house and grounds host seasonal events such as an old-fashioned candlelit Christmas celebration, a spring kite festival, and an autumn séance to summon the Great Pumpkin.