A thirty minute cruise along I-495 will take you to Virginia’s Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts just outside of Vienna, and you’ll be in for more than a treat. It is one of the area’s premiere performance spaces for music, plays, acrobatics, comedians and so much more. There is guaranteed to be something for everyone with over a hundred events in three performance spaces, nestled in 130 acres of lush national park space.

Filene Center
As the main performance art space of Wolf Trap, the acoustically enhanced interior space and widespread lawn seating can fit over 7,000 people at events all summer long. Officially a national park since 1966, the Filene Center is named for founder Catherine Filene Shouse. Rebuilt twice since the original structure caught fire and later burned down completely, the modern amphitheater features a state of the art sound and lighting system for one of the best performances you’ll ever see and hear. Tickets can range from under $25 to over $100, depending on the event and tickets sell out fast, so pick a show or two before it’s too late.

Children's Theatre in the Woods
When children are exposed to the arts at a young age, studies show they do better in school and think more creatively. Take advantage of Wolf Trap’s family friendly shows all summer long at 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Plays, musicals, puppet shows and more are geared toward children ages 3 and up, and tickets are required. Take your child to explore the world of creativity and imagination for only $8 a show.

The Barns
This indoor, casual performance space is a made up of adjacent naturally acoustic barns and is Wolf Trap’s only completely indoor performance facility. With shows all year round and seats for over 350 guests, visitors can enjoy Wolf Trap even in winter. Built in 1981 as a gift from the founder, The Barns has hosted performance greats and will continue to be one of Northern Virginia’s best indoor performance spaces.