"Manassas National Battlefield Park~" Top 5 Page for this destination Manassas National Battlefield Park by Yaqui

Manassas National Battlefield Park Travel Guide: 61 reviews and 223 photos

Manassas National Battlefield Park~ - Manassas National Battlefield Park

The 300-acre tract bordered by Bull Run was the scene of two Confederate victories. The First Battle of Manassas, fought July 21, 1861, was the opening engagement of the Civil War and pitted Union brigadier general Irvin McDowell's unseasoned troops against ill-trained but spirited Confederates under Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard. The naive, unprepared troops would soon have their hopes of a short war dashed as they came face to face with the horrors and carnage of war. The Union attack was repulsed by Confederates inspired by Gen. Thomas J. Jackson and his Virginians, who stood against the enemy like a "stone wall," earning Jackson his famous epithet. By the day's end, nearly 900 men lay dead and dying on what the day before had been the peaceful farms of Northern Virginia.

Thirteen months later the same armies, now much larger and battle hardened, would again clash over the same ground. Second Manassas, fought on August 28-30, 1862, cleared the way for Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North. This time, the destruction would be far greater, more than 23,000 killed, missing or wounded. The outcome of the second battle would lead to the Southern army's first full-scale invasion across the Potomac River into Maryland. Surviving landmarks include the Dogan house, a Union snipers' nest in 1862; the Stone House, a Union field hospital during both battles; and the stone bridge, blown up in 1861 but reconstructed in the 1880s.

This park is free! We explored just before the sun went down since it had cooled off. There was so much more to explore, but the bugs were kind of eating us alive:)

Pros and Cons

Pros:Free

Last visit to Manassas National Battlefield Park: Jul 2012
Intro Updated Jul 24, 2012
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Reviews (20)

The Harris Pavilion - Manassas National Battlefield Park

The Harris Pavilion Things to Do (20)

The Loy E. Harris Pavilion is a beatiful structure the serves the community a variety of public and private events. We... more travel advice

Manassas Visitor Center - Manassas National Battlefield Park

Manassas Visitor Center Things to Do (20)

Built in 1914, the renovated Depot is now home to the offices of Historic Manassas, Inc., the Main Street organization,... more travel advice

Wartime Man~ “Fortifications of Immense Strength" - Manassas National Battlefield Park

Wartime Man~ “Fortifications of Immense... Things to Do (20)

This plaque reads: Wartime Manassas~“Fortifications of Immense Strength” During the Civil War, two railroads—the... more travel advice

Wartime Manassas “On to Richmond!” - Manassas National Battlefield Park

Wartime Manassas “On to Richmond!” Things to Do (20)

Located near the railroad track in the old downtown you can find more wonderful plaques of information. This one... more travel advice

Comments (6)

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toonsarah Oct 9, 2012 at 7:40 AM

That statue of Jackson looks very imposing against the sunset!
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  Yaqui Oct 10, 2012 at 7:25 PM
  
  Thank you for visiting. It is almost like he is guarding the park. It is a very imposed statue. The park is huge of course and there was so much we didn't get to explore. The bugs at sundown were relentless:)
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TheTravelSlut Oct 4, 2012 at 11:19 AM

This will be on my bucket list during my cross country road trip.
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Nemorino Aug 21, 2012 at 9:00 AM

More than 23,000 killed, missing or wounded in one day!
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hopang Aug 19, 2012 at 4:52 AM

Wonderful Manassas National Battlefield Park with numerous interesting landmarks - certainly wonderful to visit and explore. Those photographs certainly look great. Thanks for your virtual tour. Thanks also for visiting our Norway travel pages. ~ho & pang
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ncfg Aug 15, 2012 at 4:03 AM

Great updates Dee! THis is a great page with lots of interesting things to learn about. I hope all is fine with you. xx Nat
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Kuznetsov_Sergey Jul 27, 2012 at 10:24 PM

An interesting page with great historical background which attracts attention to the history of the USA. Having visited the Arlington cemetry three weeks ago I'm full of impressions and your page brings me back to those happy days... Thank you Dee for sharing!