My wife and I were visiting our daughter who lives in northern Virginia. We were looking for a place to visit during our stay and she found Oatlands on the Internet. It was a short drive from her house. It was early August and very hot. The guided tours began on the hour. Please note that the house is not air-conditioned. Fortunately, we had a small group and a very knowledgeable tour guide. She gave us a detailed history of the family, mansion, and the history of the area around the mansion that dated back to the colonial era. The mansion is more than 200 years old and the greenhouse is the second oldest in the United States. Unlike many historic homes, various families occupied it well into the 21st century. Please note that because of damage from the earthquake earlier, portions of the upstairs were not accessible. The mansion foundation has maintained the grounds and flower garden meticulously. Do not forget to have your picture taken with “Rusty” in the garden. In spite of the heat, we spent another hour or so touring the terraced gardens. Beautiful! Oatlands has a gift shop but no restaurant of café. You can buy soft drinks at the gift shop. If you are interested in history, this is a must see. Check in advance of your visit. It can get very busy when there is a wedding or other event on the grounds.

Taking the scenic route on Hwy. 15 through Virginia, I noticed a sign saying Oatlands, House, Gardens, gift shop open today. Thinking that any place big enough to support a gift shop might be worthy of a stop. What a great surprise to discover this historic home and gardens, built at the turn of the 18th century. The large home was well furnished, with a docent-led tour. Being a gardener, I was blown away by the terraced large gardens, which had been well tended, with plants blooming long after their normal time, due to the walled configuration. A couple of Japanese maples are a must to see. In fact, ask for the brochure showing the important trees on the property beforehand. I highly recommend a stop if you're in this area.

Take a trip back in history with a visit to the Oatlands Plantation. It's a must see for anyone new to the Leesburg area or anyone with out of town visitors.

Our tour guide wasn't great I didn't feel like I got a great detailed story of the two families that lived there. The inside of the house was nice. The gardens were beautiful. Maybe a little overpriced. If you are wanting a good tour and story than go to Morven Park over this one. This was just ok.