Essentially the Fort Ward Park consists of two parks in one. A community park and the other is a historical site with a museum and a bastion which is restored. Fort Ward Museum and Park in Alexandria, VA is a 40+ acre historic park. Its located at the west end of
Old Town Alexandria. From 1861 to 1865, this land was used as a union fort, in order to defend Washington DC, during the civil war. The Fort was named after the first United States Naval Officer, who was killed in the Civil War, Commander James Harmon Ward. If you walk around the grounds, you'll come across underground bombproofs, cannon, and quarters that have been reconstructed. These quarters are of high ranking soldiers. The Fort Ward Museum has various exhibits on display. These exhibits are on civil war topics, as well as on historical activities that had taken place. There is also a library in the museum and the surrounding grounds are often used for Revolutionary and Civil War enactments.
Admission is free, and you can avail of a free guided tour, if you reserve in advance. You can also avail of bus tours, lecture and video series and other educational and interpretive programs. Free parking is also available on the premises.
The park also features an Amphitheater. Here musical concerts and other special events are held during certain times of the year. There is also a playground, two park shelters, a dog exercise area and around eight ore more picnic areas located here. The picnic areas can also be reserved for a special fee and is commonly used for weddings, reunions and other community events.
