No place more vividly reflects the War's tragic cost in all its forms. A town bombarded and looted.
Farms large and small ruined. Refugees by the thousands forced into the countryside.
More than 85,000 men wounded; 15,000 killed--most in graves unknown.
Topics
African American Heritage
Animals
Archeology
Architecture and Building
Artillery
Battlefields
Birds
Birthplace
19 more topics
Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite
Cavalry
Civil War
Enslavement
Farming and Agriculture
Fish
Great Depression
Hospital
Infantry and Militia
Medicine
Military
Monuments and Memorials
National Cemetery
Plantations
Presidents
Reconstruction
US Army
Wars and Conflicts
Women's History
Thousands of visitors join us every year for our Memorial Day Illumination of the National Cemetery — NPS Photo
Alerts (3)
Park ClosureFredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center Closed, Store and Grounds OpenStarting November 20, 2025 the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center will be closed while updates are made to buildi… Read more
Starting November 20, 2025 the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center will be closed while updates are made to building systems. Front Desk operations including visitor orientation will move to the adjacent Fredericksburg Battlefield Bookstore. The Chancellorsville Visitor Center remains open to visitors 9am - 5pm all week.
InformationPhone Line
The park phone line is experiencing technical difficulties. To contact the park, please call 540-693-3241 or email frsp_info@nps.gov.
InformationParking lot striping beginning November 9, 2026Parking lots throughout the park will be re-painted during the week of November 9. Workers will close parking lots on a… Read more
Parking lots throughout the park will be re-painted during the week of November 9. Workers will close parking lots on a rotation as they complete the striping. Each location is estimated to take no more than a few hours.
Things to Do
7 experiences from the National Park Service.
Check details on NPS.gov before you go.
Chancellorsville Anniversary
View special programming for the upcoming anniversary of the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Become a Junior Ranger at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP! Our park has four booklets of activities available for kids of all ages. Complete all four booklets to complete your set of patches and…
The Fredericksburg National Cemetery Luminaria is an annual event featuring over 15,000 lanterns in the cemetery – one for each soldier buried in the cemetery grounds. This event takes place on the…
History at Sunset is an annual series that focuses on areas rarely visited, stories rarely told, or familiar sites seen through a different lens. Park rangers lead each History at Sunset event, which…
Join one of our regularly scheduled programs to explore deeper into the history of the park and tackle the tough questions surrounding the history of the Civil War and how we remember the war today…
Find visitor centers and other services available in the park. Check current hours and availability before you go.
Visitor Centers
Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center
Visitor Center
The Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center contains exhibits about the battles at Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House and a 22-minute film…
The Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center contains exhibits about the battles at Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House and a 22-minute film that plays every 30-minutes. Pick up park maps and talk to park staff about the battles and your visit.
Chatham
Visitor Center
Atop Stafford Heights, over 250 years of history blend with the present at Chatham. Constructed in 1771, the Chatham grounds hold stories of the horrors of slavery, the…
Atop Stafford Heights, over 250 years of history blend with the present at Chatham. Constructed in 1771, the Chatham grounds hold stories of the horrors of slavery, the establishment of the United States, conflict surrounding the institution of slavery and Civil War, Reconstruction, Colonial Revivalism and today, the continued struggle to come to terms with the country’s past. The Chatham gate is open 9 am to 5 pm every day.
Ellwood
Visitor Center
Ellwood is located on the Wilderness Battlefield. Ellwood was a slave plantation, a Civil War headquarters and hospital, and its small family cemetery contains…
Ellwood is located on the Wilderness Battlefield. Ellwood was a slave plantation, a Civil War headquarters and hospital, and its small family cemetery contains Confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's arm. The gate is open during the hours the house is open, but the grounds of Ellwood are open sunrise to sunset. When the gate is closed visitors may park next to, but not blocking, the gate and walk the grounds.
Fredericksburg Battlefield Bookstore
Visitor Center
The park store stocks books, clothing, educational products, and souvenirs for visitors of all ages. The park store is managed by the non-profit partner America's…
The park store stocks books, clothing, educational products, and souvenirs for visitors of all ages. The park store is managed by the non-profit partner America's National Parks, a part of Eastern National.
Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center
Visitor Center
Inside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center are three rooms with exhibits about the Battle of Fredericksburg and its impact on the nation, a 22-minute park…
Inside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center are three rooms with exhibits about the Battle of Fredericksburg and its impact on the nation, a 22-minute park film, and an information desk where our staff can provide guidance on getting around as well as insight into the history of the battle.
Jackson Death Site
Visitor Center
Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson died in the farm office building of the Fairfield Plantation. Today, that office building is all that remains of the…
Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson died in the farm office building of the Fairfield Plantation. Today, that office building is all that remains of the former slave plantation situated near the critical transportation hub of Guinea Station. The Jackson Death Site grounds are open every day, sunrise to sunset but the building is open seasonally.
Plan Your Visit
Hours
Open 24 hours, daily· Park Grounds
Hours details
Park GroundsOpen 24 hours, daily
Park grounds are open from sunrise to sunset daily, with the exception of extreme weather incidents. Building hours vary by building and season.
Small Craft Advisory issued November 7 at 2:00AM EST until November 8 at 6:00AM EST by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
* WHAT...Northwest winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 25 kt.
* WHERE...Tidal Potomac River from Key Bridge to Cobb Island MD,
Patapsco River including Baltimore Harbor, and Patuxent River
to Broomes Island MD.
* WHEN...Until 6 AM EST Sunday.
* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
What to expect by season
The regional climate is characterized by mild winters and warm, humid summers. The mean annual temperatures is 56 degrees Fahrenheit. The average summer temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Daytime highs during the summer can reach the 90s, and nighttime lows are in the lower 60s. Daytime highs in the winter are typically in the upper 40s, and nighttime lows in the middle 20s. Precipitation is well distributed throughout the year, with the minimum amount in August and the maximum in February.
Upcoming Events
10 coming up
Nov7
Chancellorsville Walking Tours
Nov 7, 2026 ·
10:30 AM–11:30 AM · through Jun 5 Meet at the battle painting outside the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center.Free
About
Why did the US and the Confederate armies clash in May of 1863 and why does it matter? Join park staff to learn about the Chancellorsville Campaign and dive into some of the big questions surrounding this contested battle.
Nov7
Chancellorsville Walking Tours
Nov 7, 2026 ·
02:00 AM–03:00 AM · through Jun 5 Meet at the battle painting outside the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center.Free
About
Why did the US and the Confederate armies clash in May of 1863 and why does it matter? Join park staff to learn about the Chancellorsville Campaign and dive into some of the big questions surrounding this contested battle.
Nov7
Sunken Road Walking Tour
Nov 7, 2026 ·
10:30 AM–11:30 AM · through Jun 5 Meet at the battle painting outside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center.Free
About
Why did the Battle of Fredericksburg happen in December 1862? Join a guided tour of the one of the most iconic and recognized battlefield landmarks of the war. This walking tour will cover no more than 0.5 mile over mostly flat terrain.
Nov7
Sunken Road Walking Tour
Nov 7, 2026 ·
02:00 PM–03:00 PM · through Jun 5 Meet at the battle painting outside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center.Free
About
Why did the Battle of Fredericksburg happen in December 1862? Join a guided tour of the one of the most iconic and recognized battlefield landmarks of the war. This walking tour will cover no more than 0.5 mile over mostly flat terrain.
Show 6 more events
Nov29
Guiding Light: Honoring the History of the Holidays at Chatham
Join the Friends of Chatham, living historians, and park staff for an interpretive experience and a walk-up volunteer activity at Chatham on Sunday, November 29, from 1-4pm. Programs will share the complex history of Chatham as a plantation during the holidays and the arrival of the US Army in 1862. At 3pm, volunteers will place battery-powered candles in Chatham's riverside windows. Chatham will be open from 9-5.
9 am-5 pm Chatham Open1 pm-4 pmLiving History on the Chatham Grounds
Drop by and visit living historians, including members of the Scandalous Women of the Civil War Guild, to reflect on what the holiday season meant to people at Chatham over its long history.
2 pmRanger Talk (25 minutes)“There was a Great Big Christmas Tree in that Room”: Holidays at Chatham Throughout History
How did people experience the holidays at Chatham? Were those experiences the same for everyone? How did they differ during the Civil War or peace time? Join park staff for a short program that seeks to answer these questions. Meet by the riverside entrance to the main house.
2:30 pmLiving History Talk (25 minutes)
Historical interpreters depicting formerly enslaved people and U.S. soldiers will demonstrate what the holidays entailed for the diverse groups who encamped on the Chatham grounds in late 1862.
3 pmVolunteer Activity with Friends of Chatham
Join Friends of Chatham and prepare battery-powered candles in the summer house and then place them in the main house. Walk-up volunteers welcome!
Dec12
"A Battery Cannot Live There!": Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Dec 12, 2026 ·
02:00 PM–03:30 PM Meet at Hurkamp Park in the city of Fredericksburg (intersection of Prince Edward & George Streets). Participants should either plan to park at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center area and walk to Hurkamp Park or park near Hurkamp Park and plan on walking back to their vehicles at the end of the tour.Free
About
This tour will follow the route of Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, which deployed to an advanced position within a few hundred yards of Confederate defenses on the Sunken Road. Park rangers will share stories of the unit's members and exploits along the way. Expect to walk approximately ½ mile on paved surfaces.
Walk will begin at Hurkamp Park in the City Fredericksburg and end at the Sunken Road.
Dec 12, 2026 ·
10:30 AM–11:30 AM Meet at the battle painting outside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center.Free
About
On December 13, 1862 Union soldiers assaulted Confederate defenses surrounding the town of Fredericksburg. Why did the Battle of Fredericksburg happen? How do we remember this battle today? This tour will walk along the battlefield in the Sunken Road area, up Marye's Heights, and into the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. This walking tour will cover about 0.5 mile over terrain that includes a gravel road and a hill.
Dec12
Innis House Open
Dec 12, 2026 ·
11:00 AM–03:00 PM Free
About
Step inside the Innis House on the Sunken Road. This small home was caught in the crossfire of the Battle of Fredericksburg and still bears scars from that conflict.
Dec 13, 2026 ·
10:30 AM–11:30 AM Meet at the battle painting outside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center.Free
About
On December 13, 1862 Union soldiers assaulted Confederate defenses surrounding the town of Fredericksburg. Why did the Battle of Fredericksburg happen? How do we remember this battle today? This tour will walk along the battlefield in the Sunken Road area, up Marye's Heights, and into the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. This walking tour will cover about 0.5 mile over terrain that includes a gravel road and a hill.
Dec 13, 2026 ·
02:00 PM–03:00 PM Meet at the battle painting outside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center.Free
About
On December 13, 1862 Union soldiers assaulted Confederate defenses surrounding the town of Fredericksburg. Why did the Battle of Fredericksburg happen? How do we remember this battle today? This tour will walk along the battlefield in the Sunken Road area, up Marye's Heights, and into the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. This walking tour will cover about 0.5 mile over terrain that includes a gravel road and a hill.
The Sunken Road on the Fredericksburg Battlefield is one of the most popular walking spots in the park. — NPS Photo
1 more photo
Getting There
120 Chatham Ln Fredericksburg, VA 22405
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park manages 4 battlefields and multiple historical sites across multiple counties. The park is located approximately 50 miles south of Washington DC.
Full directions
Different battlefields and historical sites are accessible via I-95 and VA Route 3. For directions and physical addresses for each of our sites, please visit the Directions & Transportation section of our website.