If you’re interested in the history of the American Civil War, the area around Washington, D.C. will fascinate you. Though the war occurred across a wide swath of the country, much of the most storied fighting happened within a hundred miles of the nation’s capital. This page highlights some of our favorite Civil War historic sites within driving distance of Washington.
Harpers Ferry, Antietam, and Gettysburg
For a great three-day tour of Civil War history, tour Harpers Ferry, Antietam, and Gettysburg. You’ll trace the paths of Robert E. Lee’s two major invasions of the North: the Maryland Campaign of 1862 and the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863.
Each stop is described in detail below, but we recommend the following itinerary. Start by driving about an hour and 15 minutes northeast from Washington to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Get a tour of the town and battlefield, and learn about John Brown’s raid. Spend the rest of your afternoon exploring the town, and spend the night at a bed and breakfast (specific recommendations below).
The next day, drive about half an hour north to Antietam. The Battle of Antietam took place only a few days after Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry was a strategic victory for the Army of Northern Virginia. The Confederacy’s capture of 12,000 Federal troops would remain the largest surrender by the United States military until World War II. Tour the battlefield, and then drive on about another hour to Gettysburg. Get dinner in Gettysburg and spend the night there.
The next day, tour the Gettysburg battlefield and explore the town of Gettysburg. Either spend another night in the quaint historic town or drive back to Washington that evening (about an hour and a half).
Harper’s Ferry
Harpers Ferry is famous as the site of John Brown’s raid. In 1859, Brown, an abolitionist, brought 22 men to seize a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. They intended to arm slaves and begin a revolt. A company of U.S. Marines retook the arsenal, and Brown was executed. Harpers Ferry was also the site of a important strategic victory for the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War in September 1862.
The best way to see Harpers Ferry is to hire a guide. We recommend the Harpers Ferry Park Association; their guides are excellent. Your guide will drive your car through the town, show you the battlefield, tell you about Brown’s raid, and customize the tour to your interests.
It’s worth pausing here to say that we generally think it’s worth it to do guided tours of battlefields. If you don’t have military experience (and sometimes even if you do), making sense of how a battle comes together can be very challenging without someone there to explain it to you. We feel we always get a lot more out of these sites with a guide; having someone there to point things out and answer your questions has added enormous value to these experiences.
In addition to the history of the raid and the battle, Harpers Ferry is a quaint town in a beautiful location. Seated on a spur at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, the town rises among beautiful hills. It’s spectacular to visit in the fall, when the trees on the hills are changing to red, yellow, and orange. The downtown area also features a number of historic buildings: taverns, shops, museums, and an historic candy company.
Some options for dinner include The Anvil Restaurant, the Potomac Grille, the White Horse Tavern, and Kelley Farm Kitchen. Consider spending the night at the Jackson Rose, the Lily Garden Bed & Breakfast, or the Stonehouse B&B.
Antietam
The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, is known as the bloodiest day in American history. Though the battle was tactically inconclusive, it resulted in about 22,000 casualties, including about 3,600 killed. As with Gettysburg, you should start at the visitor center and check out some of the activities offered, including the museum, introductory film, and ranger-led battlefield talk. If you want a more thorough private tour, hire a guide through Antietam Battlefield Guides.
Gettysburg
Gettysburg is perhaps the war’s best known battle due to its strategic importance (it marked the end of the Army of Northern Virginia’s last offensive of the war), brutality (approximately 50,000 casualties), and the Gettysburg Address (Abraham Lincoln’s speech to dedicate the military cemetery about four months after the battle). It’s also one of the best national historic battlefields in the National Park system and a beautiful spot in the rolling hills of southern Pennsylvania. And it’s only about an hour and a half from DC.
Your first priority should be to learn about the history of the battle, even if you’ve read or seen some (or all) of the many books, movies, and documentaries about Gettysburg. Start at the visitor center where you can get information about the park and visit the museum (entry is $9; its $15 if you want to watch the cyclorama). You can take a self-guided drive through the battlefield that follows the action, but if you have the time and cash, we highly recommend hiring a licensed guide through the Gettysburg Foundation. Your guide will meet you at the visitor center and drive you in your vehicle, stopping at important spots, so you can focus on learning and taking the battlefield scenery. Your guide will tell you all about the battle, customize the tour to your interests, and answer your questions along the way.
In addition to your tour, you should be sure to check the park service’s Things to Do Page, which will tell you about living history activities, ranger programs, battlefield walks, and more. These activities are often free.
Once you’ve seen the battlefield, you should see some of the sights in and around Gettysburg. The town of Gettysburg is a charming historic town dotted with neat shops and restaurants. A little bit outside of town is Battlefield Brew Works, a brewery and distillery where you can try tasty beers and spirits. Our favorite restaurant in town is the Dobbin House. Now a bed and breakfast and restaurant, the Dobbin House is Gettysburg’s oldest home, dating to 1776. It’s full of history; it was a station on the Underground Railroad and was a hospital following the battle.
You can see Gettysburg on a day trip from Washington, but if you’re not in a rush, it’s a pleasant place to spend a night or two. Our favorite place to stay is the Baladerry Inn. It’s about a ten minute drive out of town, but it’s beautiful and incredibly peaceful. The hosts are fantastic, and the inn is an historic building dating to 1812; it served as a hospital during the battle. If you want to stay in town, try the Brafferton Inn or the aforementioned Dobbin House.
Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg is a beautiful Virginia town with lots of character and overflowing with history. The town is full of historic sites dating to the Revolutionary War era. It’s close to the Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Wilderness battlefields.
The Battle of Fredericksburg took place in and around Fredericksburg. When the Union Army crossed the Rappahannock River on pontoon bridges on the first day of the battle, it was the first amphibious assault undertaken while under fire in U.S. military history. The battle’s history is complicated and made more difficult to trace by the fact that much of it occurred in areas that are now part of a town. As a result, we highly recommend hiring a guide to teach you about its history. Hallowed Ground Tours offers customized private tours of battlefields in the Fredericksburg area. Fredericksburg Tours is another option.
The town of Fredericksburg also offers a number of historic sites, some dating to the Revolutionary War era. Most provide guided tours. We enjoyed the Mary Washington House, Rising Sun Tavern, Hugh Mercer Apothecary, Kenmore, and Chatham Manor (which may be part of your battlefield tour). If you like whiskey, A. Smith Bowman Distillery is worth a stop. The tour (offered on the hour) is a lot of fun (includes a tasting), and, in addition to their delicious whiskies, A. Smith Bowman makes a delicious caramel bourbon cream liquor that’s hard to find anywhere else.
If you haven’t had enough Civil War history, Chancellorsville National Battlefield is only about a twenty-minute drive west of town. A major victory for the Confederacy, Chancellorsville was also where Lt. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson was fatally wounded by friendly fire. The visitor center offers a small (free) museum and frequent ranger talks (also free). Civil War history buffs will want a guide to show them around the battlefield, but Chancellorsville took place over a smaller area, so it’s easier to see on your own. The National Park Service offers self-guided tours that work quite well.
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought later in the war during May of 1864, took place only about a ten-minute drive west of Chancellorsville. The Wilderness was the first major battle of Ulysses S. Grant’s Overland Campaign of 1864. It doesn’t have its own visitor center, but Hallowed Ground Tours and Fredericksburg Tours offer tours, and the National Park Service provides a free self-guided tour. The Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, the second major battle of the Overland Campaign, is about 25 minutes southeast of Fredericksburg. Again, you can arrange a private tour or follow the self-guided tour.
There are some great options for dining in Fredericksburg. If you’re in the mood for barbecue, we highly recommend Billiken’s Smokehouse. For coffee, snacks, and pastries, you can’t go wrong with Agora Coffee Shop. La Petite Auberge offers more upscale French and European fare. Kybecca is a restaurant and bar offering new America cuisine and a great wine and cocktail selection. Cork and Table, Foode, and Ristorante Renato also come well-recommended.