I am planning on doing a trip to see as much civil war battlefields,sites and museums that I can squeeze in in a week and was wondering if someone could give me some help in planning my stops. I will be driving and leaving from Michigan on Oct. 1st or if I fly I would land at Dulles. The places I would like to see are Sharpsburg (Antietam), Harpers Ferry, Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Appomattox Court House and the Shenandoah Valley. I have looked at maps of Virginia/W Virginia but feel overwhelmed with this task on trying to make all these stops work where I won't be backtracking and wasting gas. Do you think I can get all these locations in in one week? Also if there are any other things that you think would be good to see (Civil War) please let me know. I thougt of stopping in Richmond to see the Museum of the Confederacy but not sure of the traffic or parking in the city is it a easy city to navigate? Thank you in advance for any help you could give me.

Couple of opinions, for what it's worth... you left out Gettysburg, definately worth a visit, as it Antietam. Harpers Ferry I would probably leave out...interesting, but with your time constraints, there are better places to see. Appomattox C.H. also an excellent choice. Shenandoah Valley really doesn't have that much to see unless you just want a lay of the land. New Market is interesting, but again with the time restraints... Richmond is also worth a stop. Not only the Museum of the Confederacy, but the White House of the Confederacy is right next door. Might be a bit hard to find, but mapquest or yahoo would give you exact directions. Downtown Richmond is not that hard to navigate. Some one way streets, but the traffic is not necessarily that hectic. Parking for the Museum/White House is next door to the Museum at a parking deck used for the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University and your ticket will be validated at the museum. Worth the trouble, IMO. There is also a museum at the Tredegar Iron Works near Browns Island (on the James River) which supposedly does a nice job of explaining the CW from the points of view of the North, the South and also the slave. It's also a good place to get information on the battlefields around Richmond, Cold Harbor, Seven Pines, etc. In addition, there is also another museum in Petersburg/Dinwiddie south of Richmond, called the Museum of the Civil War Soldier (Pamplin Historical Park) which does an excellent job of telling the CW from the point of view of the individual soldier. I've left out Bull Run and Chancellorsville only because I haven't been to either.
For my money, I would go with Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Richmond, the museum in Petersburg/Dinwiddie and Appomattox C.H.

Neither of you mentioned Manassas which is less than 15 miles from Dulles airport. New Market would be only about 1.5 hours from Dulles airport, but still it would be a bit out of the way of the other sites.

Antietam is a well-preserved battle site in a rather pretty section of Maryland. It might especially be a beautiful place to visit in October when the leaves begin to turn.

I have been to just about every Civil War site in this area in the past few years, so I will add to the already superb advice you have been given. I also wondered why you didn't include Gettysburg, unless you have already been or wanted to squeeze more in. Your goals are very aggressive for a one week trip. Here are my favorite sites (not including Gettysburg, which I absolutely love) and how much time is recommended (by the way, I also recommend not including the Shenandoah Valley to save time - Sinehat was right about there not being a whole lot to see apart from New Market and Lexington).

Antietam - fabulous preservation; one day; if you really want to see Harpers Ferry, you could get a very early start at Antietam and make a short visit to Harpers Ferry in the mid to late afternoon). Allow at least 3-4 hours for Antietam.

Richmond-Petersburg - The battlefield at Petersburg is highly interesting, and there are great museums at the Museum of the Confederacy and White House of the Confederacy in Richmond and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier at Pamplin Park in Petersburg. 1 to 1/2 days. You can easily do one museum and the battlefield in the same day if you start early. Very hard to do all three in one day, but not impossible, on a first visit.

Fredericksburg - 2 days if you want to tour all the battlefields. Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville take some time, especially if you do the tape-guided driving tours, so devote a whole day to them. The Wilderness and Spotsylvania are not too time consuming, but you also can visit the city of Fredericksburg and Guiney Station (where Jackson died).

Appomattox - This is very interesting, not only because of its significance but also because it has a lot of things to see, tours, etc.

Bulls Run - Since you are flying into Dulles (despite the often heavy traffic), I would start here. Allow half a day to see it very well. You could do it in less. The museum is very nice. The battlefield driving tour will take 2-3 hours, and allow another half hour or so to walk around on Henry House Hill where you start.

If you haven't been to Gettysburg, please go!! Nothing else, not even Antietam, comes close.

As for getting around. Here's a possible plan (not including Gettysburg).

Day 1 - Bulls Run
Day 2 - Antietam (maybe Harpers Ferry)
Day 3 - Fredericksburg
Day 4 - Fredericksburg
Day 5 - Richmond
Day 6 - Petersburg
Day 7 - Appomattox

Option 1 - Instead of going to Harpers Ferry, drive by it and head through the valley on the way to Appomattox and go from there to Petersburg and Richmond.

Option 2 - Save Fredericksburg for last because you end up pretty close to D.C. for the return trip.

If you include Gettysburg, give it at least two days.

If you want to see photos of some of these places, I have a couple of hundred on my Web site at www.oneeyed.homestead.com

Not much in the Shenandoah Valley??
How about the Valley Campaign? Winchester? Battle of Cedar Creek, the new National Park (Belle Grove Plantation)? Strasburg? Meems Bottom where the covered bridge is? Mount Jackson?

Anyone coming to Virginia interested in the Civil War should contact the state tourism office in Richmond for the map "Civil War Trails" which list battlefields and byways.

Well, of course there is a lot in the Shenandoah Valley, but the actual Civil War sites do not compare to others in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania (with the possible exceptions of New Market and Lexington). They do not have the same to offer in the way of museums, monuments, etc. Now, the scenery itself, mountains, caverns, small towns, is well worth the trip. That is one reason I suggested a drive southward through the Valley as one option, and doinu may decide to make brief stops along the way if time allows. Of course, there are other things to see, for example Winchester, but the sites still don't compare to ones in Central Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania for a trip such as doinu is planning. Cedar Creek does have a good reenactment, which is in mid-October. For similar reasons, I did not suggest seeing the battlefields around Richmond (interesting but not as good as others). Then again, if doinu has a particular interest in Stonewall Jackson, the Valley, Lexington, and Guiney Station are musts.

A few thoughts from an amateur.If it's not too late, consider using BWI and beginning the tour in Gettysburg and working south down the Rte. 81 corridor.Be careful-you're talking about leaf watching season. From Gettysburg, it's an easy drive to Harpers Ferry for a short visit and then down 81 to New Market.It's not Civil War stuff but the history along Skyline Drive and the Shenendoah Valley is fascinating. You could drive a leg or 2 of the Drive and then onto Charlottesville and Monticello.Consider 2 nites at each site and fill in day trips from your many great suggestions.

Last suggestion. As you stare at the VA map, keep in mind that Rte. 64 from Charlottesville to Williamsburg is very manageable.

Doinou did not mention going to PA.

Would just like to say thanks for everyones suggestions and your right... I didn't mean to forget Gettysburg, I had meant to mention that I have been there 6 times! and would go back in a minute but I thought it was time to expand my Civil War exploration. I can see that for me to see everything in Virginia I may have to do a couple of trips there, but what' not to like about Virginia. Ken Burn's is the one who gave me this Civil War bug and I can't get enough of it. I've switched from reading romance novels and true crime to anything about the Civil war. So now I will take everyone's suggestions and try and put some kind of trip together. Thank again.

Wow, you do like Gettysburg! I think it does take a couple of trips to get in the main sites of Virginia. I am lucky in that I live in northern NC, so I can easily make day or weekend trips when I don't want to take vacation. I would hit the absolute most significant sites this time and go for more on the next trip. To me, Bulls Run is nice, and the Shenandoah Valley and Harpers Ferry are beautiful, but you can't miss Antietam, Fredericksburg, Richmond/Petersburg, and Appomattox. Certainly it is not easy to completely leave out the Valley in October, but the leaves may not be changing all that much by the time you are going (depends on the year). Antietam is one of those places that beckons for a second or third visit, kind of like Gettysburg, and the battlefield is fairly easy to understand, like most of Gettysburg. Bulls Run is a more confusing battlefield, even when you do know quite a bit of the background. Have a great trip, whichever sites you pick.

www.civilwartrails.org
You can order and/ or download the maps, all the routes are listed very clearly. ABSOLUTELY go to the National Park Service Tredegar Iron Works visitor center in Richmond. Parking is difficult at the Museum of the Confederacy and the White House, but very worth the trip, even if you have to walk 5 or 6 blocks to the museum!

Pamplin Historical Park is awesome! Very moving. You get to pick a soldier and follow him (through his narration) through the war. At the end, you find out if he survived or was killed. They also have a re-enactment area.

www.pamplinpark.org
Lots of info about special events--

Just got back from a weekend in Gettysburg. It was so inspiring and amazing. Hubby had been there with our sons quite a few times but his was my lst trip. I suggest that you see the electronic map prior to going on the tour of the Battlefields, it certainly gives you a great overview of what you will see. We bought the 3 hr. self drive CD and that worked out really well, got lost once and did stop at the Alleghany Brewery to refresh ourselves prior to going out again. We at the the Dobbins Tavern both nights, had enjoyed it the lst night so we went back. As far as Richmond, VA. We have had three children go to school there, even though we are from NJ so have come to know the town really well. I love Richmond for all its history. Definitely go to the Confederate Museum and do not miss Hollywood Cemetary, definitely a must.
Enjoy and soak up all the history.

We've visited all the sites mentioned here and agree that they're all worth a trip! We're planning on attending a meeting in Atlanta in mid-October and are contemplating flying into Nashville and driving down to Atlanta to see the Sites....any one out there made this short trip and would recommend particular Civil War Sites along the way? Thanks!

I have not visited the sites in that area yet but do have some knowledge of what there is to see, especially since I am planning a similar visit in the not too distant future. If you don't mind going quite a bit out of the way, Shiloh in Tennessee should be on your list. More directly in line with your journey, I would include Franklin, Tennessee and Chickamauga/Chattanooga in Georgia. From what I have read, Kennesaw Mountain is about the best around Atlanta. There is a museum in Atlanta, but unfortunately I didn't get time to see it when there on business last year.

I wouldn't leave out Harper's Ferry, it is a very cool place and they have a shuttle bus that will take into town from a huge parking area, as there is very limited parking in town. If you are up for a hike, the Maryland Heights Trail that starts on the maryland side of the river, gives a the best vantage point of the town and the river. It is pretty sterenous but worth it. Anteitam which is also Sharpsburg is not far away. Bull Run, I think is Manassas, have not been there yet, but make sure to avoid the congested mess of the Washington Beltway and Interstate 66. Gettysburg would be a good choice. Shenandoah Valley, I would leave out unless you are going to Shenandoah National Park.

Hi

I've been trying to remember my history here but if memory serves me right the battle of Bull Run (in Yankee talk) is the battle of Manassas (in Confederate talk).