The Ellanor C. Lawrence Park is located in Chantilly, Virginia and offers 650 acres of fun for families of all ages. The park has a history that spans 8,000 years. The park’s habitats include forest, streams and a pond, and it is home to many species. Inside the Walney Visitor Center, you will find live animal exhibits, historical exhibits, children’s activities, a greenhouse, classroom, and sales area. The park’s grounds are open daily from dawn until dusk. The park has a natural area, picnic tables, ballfields, and extensive hiking trails. Given below are a few attractions to the park.
Walney Visitor Center
Walney Visitor Center is a public park facility that offers educational exhibits, programs, and information to more than 30,000 visitors each year. The center is in a converted 1780 farmhouse, and it has an information desk, restrooms, a sales area, live animal exhibits, historic exhibits, a children’s touch table area, a greenhouse, and a classroom.
Middlegate and Cabell's Mill
The Middlegate Complex and Cabell’s Mill are near the meadow along Big Rocky Run and Walney Road. It is believed that the mill was built as early as 1769 but no later than the early 1800s. There are records indicating that there was another mill near Cabell’s Mill. That mill was built by Willoughby Newton around 1746. Middlegate served as the miller’s house and was probably built in the early 1800s. At various times, the mill was used as a grist, sumac, and sawmill.
Middlegate Complex
The Park Authority renovated Cabell’s Mill and Middlegate in 1979-80. The mill became a rental facility of the agency's Historic Properties Rental Services. Middlegate is used for park administration and maintenance offices and includes a caretaker’s apartment and a maintenance shop. Middlegate is closed to the public.
Playground
There are two playgrounds next to Ellanor C. Lawrence Park’s athletic fields. The playgrounds feature climbing walls, slides, steering wheels, monkey bars, and jumping pegs.
Athletic Fields
The park’s synthetic athletic turf field complex includes soccer, baseball and softball fields, fitness stations and trails. Synthetic turf fields are considered state-of-the-art facilities. Synthetic turf provides a high-quality playing surface and can be used throughout the year. The fields are a partial solution to the county’s field space issues and provide great playing conditions with minimal maintenance and superior site drainage.
Ellanor C. Lawrence Park Playground
Hiking Trails
The park has approximately four miles of trails for hiking, bird watching, jogging and walking in upland and bottomland forest and along meadows. Bicycles are permitted only on Walney Road and Big Rocky Run Stream Valley Trails. Trails are accessible from the Walney Visitor Center, the Middlegate/Cabell’s Mill complex and Walney Pond.
Maryam N. is a Senior Writer at Nesbitt Realty. She is an expert on Fairfax County. Maryam has also worked previously as a geologist. She is a foodie and enjoys cooking and exploring new restaurants.
