Shenendoah Valley top spots

If you had one day in the northern Valley, which battlefields/museums are the best to visit. I've been to Harpers Ferry, but the rest is fair play. Id say from the VA border to Harrisburg is my range for the day.

Cedar Creek, 3rd Winchester and New Market are all great choices. Kernstown as well but I think it is only open on weekends so I would check first.

stu613 said:

Cedar Creek, 3rd Winchester and New Market are all great choices.

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Probably have to pick 2 of those 3 if you only have a day. Tough choice. From what I remember, 3rd Winchester and New Market would probably be more bang for the buck in one day.

Lexington, Va., -- not a battlefield site per se but it does have the VMI museum and other structures (Stonewall Jackson House, Washington & Lee campus, and many more) of Civil War military interest.

I would certainly stop in Winchester, VA and explore that area.

First, in downtown Winchester you have the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation's (SVBF) wonderful Old Court House museum. There is a parking deck that is relatively reasonable and you can find on street parking in the area, however, the Old Court House Museum is on Loudoun Street which is now several blocks of lovely pedestrian walkway from Piccadilly St. on the northern end down to W. Cork St. at the southern end. The Court House is near the middle, so you have to park and walk to it. I usually park at the parking deck (The Old Town Parking Garage) at the intersection of Amherst and N. Braddock streets. That leads me to access the Loudoun street walkway at the famous Taylor Hotel - which is technically a Civil War site itself. It is in various ACW pictures and is where my great grandfather was taken when he was captured June 15, 1863. The Court House is less than a block south of it. There are a lot of shops on Loudoun Street. Restaurants, antique shops and all sorts of novelty shops. I would start at the Court House because you can get maps and directions to many of the other sites around Winchester.

Second, just a few blocks north on Braddock Street you will find the Stonewall Jackson Headquarters Museum. That is also a must-see museum to me. Actually, actress Mary Tyler Moore's ancestors' home, it is where Jackson stayed during his 1862 campaign. It is loaded with Civil War artifacts including the largest Jackson collection anywhere, many unique flags, a collection of Turner Ashby artifacts and much more.

A bit farther South of downtown, off of Route 11 (Valley Road), is the Kernstown Battlefield site. It is on the Pritchard Farm where the second battle of Kernstown occurred and artillery for the first battle was set up. It has a Visitors Center/Museum and they are restoring the historic Pritchard home. They have much I haven't seen. An artillery museum I believe, and lots of walking trails over the battlefield with interpretive signs.

Then, heading back north off of Route 11 you can stop at Fort Collier and taking Red Bud Road off of Route 11 just past the northern intersection of Rt 11 and I-81, you will find the SVBF Third Winchester Battlefield Visitor's Center at the Third Winchester Battlefield site. There is a small museum there, some lovely and rare statues and hiking trails with cannon and interpretive signs on over 600 acres of hallowed ground.

The SVBF has also preserved The Star Fort on Fortress Drive off of N. Frederick Pike, which is actually Route 522 coming into town from Berkeley Springs. The SVBF has also preserved much battlefield land from the 2nd Battle of Winchester around the town of Winchester. That is accessible but less obviously marked.

The SVBF, the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF) and the Belle Grove Plantation have all preserved much land at the Cedar Creek Battlefield just South of Winchester. Belle Grove Plantation is worth a visit and there are small Visitors Center's for Cedar Creek too. The National Park Service's small Visitor's Center/Museum is in a tiny strip mall in Middletown, VA and the CCBF Visitors Center is on Route 11 at the Battlefield site just south of Middletown across the road from the Balle Grove mansion. You can pick up driving tour books at the Visitor Centers. That is actually my third favorite battlefield to visit after Gettysburg and Antietam because I had ancestors that fought against one another there. It is also deceptively large. The SVBF has preserved nearly all of the early morning surprise attack portion of the battlefield.

Amazingly, the SVBF has preserved hundreds of acers of battlefield at places like Fisher's Hill, Tom's Brook, and New Market. There is much I have never seen. There is a large SVBF museum at New Market that I have never seen.

And, of course, there is the Antietam Battlefield near Hagerstown, MD. That is a must-see ACW site as well. Very well preserved with lots of roads and interpretive signs, it is one of the best-preserved battlefields in the USA. Last I was there, the National Battlefield Park Visitor's Center was having problems with water leaking in and had moved their artifacts out, but otherwise, it's a must see.

Frederick, MD has the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and the Monocacy Battlefield.

You said your range was to Harrisburg. Obviously, Gettysburg is a must-see as well. On Route 30 east of I-81, if you have not been there, I would spend at least a whole day there. Start at the Visitor's Center/Museum to get your baring's and maybe get a Licensed Battlefield Guide for the best experience unless you are familiar with the battlefield. It is huge - And a wonderful Civil War experience.

It has been quite a few years, but I also enjoyed the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg. Very interactive, it is designed to take you from the beginning of the war to the end.

If you only have one day and have not been to anything but Harper's Ferry, I would pick either Gettysburg or Antietam myself. They are two of the most historic battles of the Civil War. Depending on how detailed you are interested in being, each is probably a whole day. Theoretically, you could do Antietam in half-a-day, and Gettysburg is about an hour north off of I-81. But I can spend at least a day at each.

Obviously, there is quite a bit of ACW history in the area. And I was just thinking about the Interstate-81 corridor. I don't know where you are coming from. If you are traveling on I-95 it is a whole different ballgame.

Regardless, I am sure you will enjoy yourself.

If you try to see too much, you see nothing. Concentrate in one small area instead. I took a week to tour the Shenandoah Valley.

gary said:

If you try to see too much, you see nothing. Concentrate in one small area instead. I took a week to tour the Shenandoah Valley.

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Kinda why I suggested just doing 3rd Winchester and New Market. Do the battlefields first. Hit museums and cemeteries in whatever extra time there might be.