National Park Service Site · Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
Organization Confirmed · last verified 2026-09-12 · What this means
An authorized representative of the organization has confirmed the listing, or an editor has confirmed it from a first-party source.
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania, this is America's battleground, where the Civil War roared to its bloody climax. 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.
Visiting
- Designation
- National Military Park
- Owned or managed by
- National Park Service
- Address
- 120 Chatham Ln, Fredericksburg, VA, 22405 · Map and directions
- Hours
Park grounds are open from sunrise to sunset daily, with the exception of extreme weather incidents. Building hours vary by building and season.
Wednesday: All Day · Monday: All Day · Thursday: All Day · Sunday: All Day · Tuesday: All Day · Friday: All Day · Saturday: All Day
- Getting there
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. 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.
- Periods interpreted
- American Civil War, Reconstruction
- Official page
- https://www.nps.gov/frsp/index.htm (opens nps.gov in a new tab)
- Official contact
- https://www.nps.gov/frsp/index.htm/contacts.htm (opens nps.gov in a new tab)
Current alerts from the source
- Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center Closed, Store and Grounds Open (Park Closure) — 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.
Visitor centers
- Fredericksburg Battlefield Bookstore — 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 Nat
- Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center — 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
- Fredericksburg Battlefield 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 film, and an information desk where
- Chatham — 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 Sta
- Ellwood — 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" J
- Jackson Death Site — 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 nea
Programs and events
Avenues to Freedom: The USCTs
Dates: Sept. 12
Join Park Rangers and living historians for a discussion of the United States Colored Troops and the enslaved man from Chatham that joined the army to fight for the freedom of others. This program is a partner event in collaboration with the Slave Dwelling Project as a part of Voices of the Past: A Slave Dwelling Project Weekend. A shuttle will be availble. Visit the event website for a full listing of weekend programs.
Chatham Laundry Open House
Dates: Sept. 12
Step inside the Chatham Laundry featuring the story of enslaved laundress Ellen Mitchell.
Community Canvas Children's Activity Tent
Dates: Sept. 12
Drop by for a craft activity with the partner group Community Canvas from 3 pm to 5 pm.
Slave Dwelling Project Weekend: Living History
Dates: Sept. 12
Drop by and join living historians during this special Slave Dwelling Project Weekend event. Laundry Demonstrations: Visit a living history "suds row" and learn about the laundresses who performed critical and often grueling work. 23rd United States Colored Troops: Learn about the soldiers who claimed their freedom and then fought to keep it.
Sparking Freedom
Dates: Sept. 12
Meet at the Chatham garden-side entrance. Resistance to enslavement took many forms at Chatham. Discover stories of this resistance and learn about the people whose actions challenged oppression. This program is a partner event in collaboration with the Slave Dwelling Project as a part of Voices of the Past: A Slave Dwelling Project Weekend. A shuttle will be availble. Visit the event website for a full listing of weekend programs.
Sunken Road Walking Tour
Dates: Sept. 12
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.
The Story of Ellen Mitchell
Dates: Sept. 12
Laundry Demonstrations and the Story of Ellen Mitchell Saturday, September 12, 2026 3 pm Join park rangers and living historians for laundry demonstrations and to learn the story of laundress, Ellen Mitchell, who fundraised for her freedom. This program is a partner event in collaboration with the Slave Dwelling Project as a part of Voices of the Past: A Slave Dwelling Project Weekend . A shuttle will be availble. Visit the event website for a full listing of weekend programs.
Voices of the Past: A Slave Dwelling Project Weekend
Dates: Sept. 11–13
Join park staff and historic sites across Fredericksburg and Stafford to experience sites and stories associated with slavery in partnership with the Slave Dwelling Project organization. This is a collaborative event that Fredericksburg City has selected as a signature America 250 Event. This weekend brings together historic sites, descendant communities, scholars, and the public to explore the full and often underrepresented history of the area. Through immersive programming—including overnight stays in extant slave dwellings, living history demonstrations, campfire conversations, and public events—the program activates historic spaces as places of dialogue, reflection, and connection. Central to this work is the intentional inclusion and elevation of descendant voices, creating opportunities for individuals and families to reconnect with ancestral spaces while helping to shape how these histories are interpreted and shared. Visit the Voices of the Past: A Slave Dwelling Project Weekend website for the full list of events, event descriptions, and registration information. Programming at Chatham Saturday, September 12, 2026 Drop-In Events, 1 pm-5 pm Visit the Chatham Laundry: Step inside the Chatham Laundry featuring the story of enslaved laundress Ellen Mitchell. Laundry Demonstrations: Visit a living history "suds row" and learn about the laundresses who performed critical and often grueling work. 23rd United States Colored Troops: Learn about the soldiers who claimed their freedom and then fought to keep it. Community Canvas Children's Activity Tent; 3 pm-5 pm Drop by for a craft activity with the partner group Community Canvas from 3 pm to 5 pm. Sparking Freedom Walking Tours; 1 pm & 2 pm , 45 minutes Meet at the Chatham garden-side entrance. Resistance to enslavement took many forms at Chatham. Discover stories of this resistance and learn about the people whose actions challenged oppression. The Story of Ellen Mitchell at 3 pm, 30 minutes . Learn the story of laundress, Ellen Mitchell, who fundraised for her freedom in this joint program with a park ranger and living historian. United States Colored Troops at 4 pm, 30 minutes. Join living historians for a discussion of the United States Colored Troops and the enslaved man from Chatham that joined the army to fight for the freedom of others.
Civil War Book Group: Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South: Elizabeth Varon
Dates: Oct. 7
Welcome to the Civil War Book Group! After years of conflict over the institution of slavery, the Civil War would be the turning point that set the course of the United States into the 20th century and beyond. Join us on the first Wednesday of each month as we explore the meaning of the Civil War and how the past has shaped who we are today through a diverse selection of narratives, novels, and histories. In partnership with the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. October 7, 2026 Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South: Elizabeth Varon 6pm-7pm Meet at Fredericksburg Library Branch (1201 Caroline St., Fredericksburg) James Longstreet became one of the most famous Confederate generals of the Civil War. After the war, though, Longstreet became a focal point of resentment among former Confederates with his support for Reconstruction and close relationship to Ulysses S. Grant. This award-winning and highly lauded biography by Elizabeth Varon dives into Longstreet’s postwar career and actions. For a talk by the author, see here.
Civil War Book Group: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: James Swanson
Dates: Nov. 4
Welcome to the Civil War Book Group! After years of conflict over the institution of slavery, the Civil War would be the turning point that set the course of the United States into the 20th century and beyond. Join us on the first Wednesday of each month as we explore the meaning of the Civil War and how the past has shaped who we are today through a diverse selection of narratives, novels, and histories. In partnership with the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. November 4, 2026 Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: James Swanson 6pm-7pm Meet at Fredericksburg Library Branch (1201 Caroline St., Fredericksburg) Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the efforts to track John W. Booth reads like an action-packed novel in this non-fiction book by James Swanson. Swanson’s narrative brings readers along from the streets of Washington, D.C., to the area outside of Port Royal where U.S. troops finally caught up with Booth. For a talk by the author, see here.
Recent past events (4)
- Sparking Freedom — 2026-09-12
- Sunken Road Walking Tour — 2026-09-12
- Chancellorsville Walking Tours — 2026-09-12
- Chancellorsville Walking Tours — 2026-09-12
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