Things to Do in Martinsburg

It was 1955 when Fred and Evelyn Greenberg finally realized their dream of founding an outdoor camp for children, choosing the sweeping vistas of the Shenandoah Mountains as its home. They started with three camps, gradually combining them into one—Timber Ridge Camp & Resort. Today, they maintain a staff of directors, activity specialists, and counselors brought from university outdoors programs across the country to supervise children through the camp’s 45 onsite activities and programs.

Camp staff leaves coed attendees ages 6–16 free to choose their own activities. Campers team up in land sports such as beach volleyball, soccer, and basketball on hardwood courts or rehearse for inclusive theatrical productions and highflying trapeze acts to earn roles as Batman’s sidekick. They also take on nature itself with water-based excursions ranging from canoeing and tubing to waterskiing on the Shenandoah River or cavort under the watchful eye of Red Cross–certified lifeguards at the outdoor pool. On other adventures, they study animals at the nature center and petting zoo or arm-wrestle gravity into submission on a high-ropes course with a 40-foot climbing tower and 150-foot zipline. Staffers keep campers fueled for daily physical activity with regular themed dinner nights, each with kosher alternatives.

Rolling hills and meadows cascade toward the organic-farming grounds that surround Paris Barns, where red-roofed buildings and metallic grain silos stand as pleasant punctuations against the lush landscape. The Virginian soil hosts more than 1,500 tomato plants, as well as other seasonal vegetables and herbs. The grounds also act as a certified wildlife habitat for goats, lambs, and alpacas, as well as more exotic animals such as flightless emus, which entertain visitors with their aggressive posturing and spot-on Groucho Marx impersonations.

In addition to harvesting their crops, the zen-minded farmers share their passion for sustainable living with the community at events and workshop that dish the ins and outs of organic farming. When the weather turns warm, the staffers shear wool from the resident sheep and alpacas, demonstrate crafts, and sell fiber-based arts. Meanwhile, beekeepers raid rows upon rows of hives for pure, organic honey.

A massive figure floats across the sky, roars, and sends fire into the air as it elevates higher and higher. The creature soaring above the Shenandoah Valley isn't a common dragon—it's one of D&D Ballooning's hot air balloons. Since 1981, the company's steadfast pilots have welcomed children and adults into their floating baskets to feast upon views of lush forests and rolling mountainsides. D&D's colorful aircrafts take off just before sunset or sunrise, letting passengers gaze at a sky painted with rich reds, bright oranges, and pinks delicate enough to pad a princess's walls.

Sometime in 1952, Gilbert and Vernie Kingree stood in front of Stoney Creek Park—the combination grocery store and dance hall they owned—watching a friend skate up and down the street on his new roller skates. The Kingrees, the parents of five children, immediately saw how roller skates could entertain the whole family. They quickly decided to add a wooden roller rink to their facility, and that’s how Stoney Creek Roller Rink & Fun Center was born.

Since that day, the owners have continued to add new attractions in an effort to entertain familial units. These attractions include bumper cars, laser tag, and an arcade with more than 85 games, only half of which are actually sleeping robots. Visitors still glide around a classic roller rink on rented rollerblades or skates, but they can also putt on a nine-hole green-turf miniature-golf course. Smaller visitors hop inside a ball pit after navigating plastic tubes and slides in the indoor play area, and guests of all ages refuel with oven-baked pizza and hot wings served in an onsite restaurant.