Sunken Road and Marye's Heights
A stone wall where Union brigades were cut down in repeated charges in December 1862.
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Battlefields
Four major battles in eighteen months, among them Chancellorsville and the Wilderness, around a handsome colonial town.
The Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center is closed for building work, with its front desk in the bookstore next door. The Chancellorsville Visitor Center is open.Checked November 2, 2026 · Latest
No part of America saw heavier fighting. Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House were all fought within about 15 miles of each other between 1862 and 1864, with some 100,000 casualties.
Old Fredericksburg, George Washington's boyhood town, is a good base, with its own colonial houses and a river walk.
- Best Time
- April–June and September–October
- Time Needed
- 1 day
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Grounds open every day
- Getting There
- About an hour south of Washington, DC, by car or Amtrak; an hour north of Richmond.
What to See
3 of 4 are freeChancellorsville
Lee's boldest victory, and the place where Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by his own men.
Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle
Almost a full day of hand-to-hand fighting in the rain in May 1864.
Old Fredericksburg
Colonial streets with Mary Washington's house and Kenmore, home of George Washington's sister.
Know Before You Go
- The sites are spread out, so you need a car.
Where to Stay
Stay in old Fredericksburg.
Where to Eat
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Go Next
If You're NearbyRichmond
Virginia
Virginia's capital on the James River, where Patrick Henry cried for liberty and the Confederacy had its capital, now a city of street art and great beer.
Full Guide
Must-SeeWashington, DC
Monuments, the Capitol and the world's largest free museum complex, all on one great lawn.
Full Guide
If You're NearbyAppomattox Court House
Virginia
The quiet Virginia village where Lee surrendered to Grant in April 1865 and the Civil War began to end.
Full Guide
Last checked 2026-11-01. Part of the Mid-Atlantic list.