Manassas National Battlefield Park near Washington DC
Wander through the hotly contested fields and hills, admire the monuments to the past and relive the glory and the fear of two of the fiercest battles fought in the Civil War at Manassas National Battlefield Park near Washington DC. Learn about the history leading up to the events and about the battles themselves at the Henry Hill Visitor Center on Sudley Road or follow the trails yourself. The 5000 plus acres of Manassas National Battlefield Park provide an educational and invigorating outing. Start your visit off with a film. You can watch the movie on the battles- Manassas: End of Innocence, at the Visitors' Center. It runs hourly from the opening of the park to the final rays of daylight mark the closing. Here, you can learn about the basic history of the two battles at Manassas: First Manassas in 1861 and Second Manassas in 1862. This will prepare you for an informed tour of the park. There are several tour options open to you. You can walk the park, visiting the sites and monuments, looking at the cannons and memorial structures. This can be done on your own. There is a self-guided tour with interpretative signs and tape recorder of Henry Hill, a mile-long loop trail. This provides you with a look at First Manassas. You can also take a 5-mile long trail to cover the First Manassas Battle Field or another 5-mile trail to look at the second skirmishes battlegrounds. Another option is a ranger-guided tour. This is the Henry Hill Walking Tour and covers the First Battle. The length of this tour is 45 minutes. If this does not suit you, you can opt to drive a portion of the park. Your 13-mile route will only cover the Second Manassas and 11 prominent sites. After your tour is finished, you can sit and picnic at the tables at Stuart's Hill.
