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Fields marking where the Confederates defeated the Union in the first major fight of the Civil War.
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Reviews — 8
Interesting, historically accurate and moving. Gazing upon the area you can feel the spirit, the camaraderie and the dedication of the brave soldiers who lost their lives fighting for freedom.
We walked the 5.2 mile First Battle of Manassas Trail Loop. On the AllTrails app, it suggests the average walk time is 2 hours. Allot more time to stop and read the informative signs at the waypoints. It makes the trip more robust when you can understand what things are and the battles that were fought in the very place you are standing. The trail is well maintained, there are shortcuts along the way if you choose not to do the full loop, the bridge crossing Bull Run is out so we crossed through the water on rocks, and about half is in the woods (shaded) while the rest is out in the open. Be aware: the small parking lot was almost full when we arrived.
This is a nice simple park to spend time at. There's a lot of history associated with it and they play a movie in the visitor center. The staff is friendly and there's a big parking lot. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here but if you're in the area, it's certainly worth a visit. Would recommend!
I hadn’t visited the battleground in many years but am sure glad I decided to return. The park ranger that gave the talk at 11 am on the day we were there was a fantastic storyteller. He brought the events of the first battle of Bull Run to life right in front of our very eyes, demonstrating how the lay of the land had everything to do with battlefield advantage and outcomes. Those poor soldiers (on both sides) had no idea what they were getting themselves into. What a nightmare it had to have been. Now, a hundred and fifty some years later, the pastoral setting among the rolling hills leading to the Blue Ridge mountains belie the human suffering and tragic loss of life that occurred here. Definitely worth a visit on a clear sunny day.
Manassas Battlefield Park is beautiful maintained. The Visitor Center is excellent. Highly recommend the movie prior to touring the Battlefield. Very clean restrooms. The gift shop has an excellent variety of books. Recommend doing the driving tour if this is your first visit. Recommend a visit to Mathew Hill to see the two naval 12 pound howitzers that was used during the battle.
Took the kids and got there early, did the educational film (45 min) in the visitor center, stamped passports etc and did the first Manassas loop. Took us about 2 hours (with kids) to do 4.5 miles so not bad. So much to see along the way, and the stone house was open so we got a nice little break to look around, talk to the rangers, and get their ranger pins.
We took the grand kids to explore the battlefield. The guided tour was terrific. The ranger was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the battle, especially the context (our tour covered the 1st Battle of Bull Run). The visitor center has a great museum and the movie about the battles was extremely well done. I would caution that the scenes are very graphic and parents may want to discuss the movie before/after if your kids are 14 and younger.
