Teatime in Leesburg, Va.
At Oatlands Historic House and Garden, afternoon tea comes with a “helping of history,” said Debbi Wilgoren in The Washington Post. This Victorian-style plantation, nestled amid the rolling farmland of Leesburg, turns back the clocks to a time when manners mattered more than anything else. Constructed in 1798, the National Historic Landmark preserves a rich history of two American families: The Carter family, once the largest slaveholders in the county, lived there through the Civil War. After losing their fortune, they were forced to sell, and the Eustis family resided there from 1903 to 1964. Though the “rooms are mostly for looking,” families can explore the manicured grounds, which include the Potting Shed, a brick greenhouse turned gardening store that dates to 1810. Youngsters can hold class in the one-room schoolhouse. And for an extra $25, children can experience high tea, complete with scones and finger sandwiches. “Voices hush, eyes grow wide, and table manners improve dramatically” when history comes to life.
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