Civil War Trail - Virginia / West Virginia

If any way possible, get Gettysburg into your plans. Start with the Visitors' Center; take a guided bus tour; then double back with the self-guided auto tour. For a different perspective read "When the Smoke Cleared at Gettysburg," which relates the inhabitants' experiences before, during, and after the battle. Awesome place to visit. Get a lunch at Dobbins' Springhouse Tavern.

Greenbrier SP in Maryland - just spent a few nights there to visit Harper's Ferry. etc. Nice park, about 1/2 hour ride to Harper's Ferry. ST

Here is a link to another website, Civil War Trails.org that has information on civil war sites and trails in several states.

Harpers Ferry and Antietam are the most interesting next to Gettysburg IMOP. Harpers Ferry, Armory and Arsenal established by George Washington in 1794. A great number of long guns used during the war between the states was made there. John Browns capture site, between 1861 and 1865, the area changed hands 14 Times. The largest surrender point.

Antietam battle field, greatest casualties in one day, 23,000, burnside bridge and the great battle of the sunken road.

Don't forget Lexington, VA. Virginia Military Institute has a nice museum and the area is beautiful. www.vmi.edu

Next to VMI is Washington and Lee University with the tomb of Robert E. Lee
https://www.wlu.edu/lee-chapel-and-museum

Sounds like a wonderful trip as I , too am a civil war buff. I would love to take that trip, especially thru the Shenandoah Valley. I have done Gettysburg and it was great. Also, Vicksburg, Ms. Bull Run (Manassas) Is right there too. I also hope the do gooders don't take away our rich history! Just down the coast is Charleston, Sc and we loved it. Revolutionary and Civil war both there. Several beautiful antebellum mansions.

I know I recently came across one of the Civil War Trail maps for Virginia. Our daughter lives there and had given it to us. I looked at the site briefly that was mentioned. I would order all those! LOL But was Appomattox Courthouse mentioned? Not sure. It is in southern Virginia and a short distance away is the Museum of the Confederacy. Very interesting. Actually, the original museum is in Richmond, VA, and still there. Thinking there is a third as well. But Appomattox Courthouse is worth a look. The setting is actually a "town" from the time period and much different that any "towns" we know now.

Enjoy!

Dale

As naturist said Harpers ferry, Petersburg, Appomattox Va. and some others offer places to review history and see some of the re-enactments.
www.civilwartraveler.com
is a great source to find reenactments and other activities if they dont all get shut down by the haters. This site list amny different get togethers from Gettysburg to the deep south.
Some groups are looking at shutting down to appease some of the activist groups, so some of the locations may become questionable since history is now a political hot button.

Edit add on.
Since you are looking at coming down to Va, add some revolutionary war and early colonial time. Williamsburg has been fully restored and much of Yorktown has as well. You also have the Jamestown fort recreated from 1607. And to keep it fun for kids, Busch Gardens is right there also.

I have not used them, but yes they are available. Here. And others can be found with google.

I don't know of such a trail, but a ton of sites related to the Civil War can be found all over the triangle bounded by D.C., Petersburg, VA , and Harpers Ferry, WV. Among them lots of battlefields, museums, cemeteries, and the surrender ground at Appomattox Court House. Plus, of course, there's the nearby Gettysburg, PA battlefield. This last, of course, gives a geezer like me a chance to recite the Gettysburg Address I had to memorize back in 8th grade and thus impress the grand babies.

Among other things, Richmond has a great museum and Hollywood Cemetery where several notables from the Civil War are buried, including Jefferson Davis.