Petersburg/Richmond Report from Petersburg

[kevikens]

I wanted to thank all those folks who gave me advice on going to Petersburg which I did this past weekend. First of all I did not find Petersburg to have been "terrifying" as one person on another site had described the neighborhood around the NPS site. I don't know if Petersburg has a major crime problem but it didn't look especially dangerous and I drove around the city just to check it out. Perhaps it's because I live less than 10 miles from Camden, NJ which is constantly ranked as one of the five most dangerous cities in America. The park itself is wonderful. The NPS has done its usual great job of interpreting a battle. The Eastern Front portion is very informative. For some one like me who is used to an open battlefield like Antietam or Chancellorsville or Gettysburg the sight of real fortifications, abatis, fascines and gabions, really lets one know how the war changed as time when on.

I also went to Panplin , the private creation, and they are superb. The movie they produced is splendid, better than anything at any other site I have been to. It's better than anything on the History channel and rivals Glory for accuracy and intensity. The museum exhibit, where the visitor is in a redoubt being attacked, with quaking floor, puffs of air and the zipping sound of bullets going by, offers a real approximation of what battle must have been like. The movie is so accurate, and intense, I don't know if they show it to the school kids. It's not for the faint of heart. I also did Drewry's bluff and stopped at Fredericksburg on the way down and back . I love that town.

Speaking of towns and back to Petersburg I also enjoyed walking around the Old Town by the river. Much of it looks just the way it was in 1864-65. My only regret is that I did not do the Petersburg site earlier. Thanks again to those who offered encouraging advice.

 

[Patrick H]

Sounds like you had a great time. I've never been there, but I'm glad you didn't shy away from going. Sounds very worthwhile.

 

[Jamieva]

I wanted to thank all those folks who gave me advice on going to Petersburg which I did this past weekend. First of all I did not find Petersburg to have been "terrifying" as one person on another site had described the neighborhood around the NPS site. I don't know if Petersburg has a major crime problem but it didn't look especially dangerous and I drove around the city just to check it out. Perhaps it's because I live less than 10 miles from Camden, NJ which is constantly ranked as one of the five most dangerous cities in America. The park itself is wonderful. The NPS has done its usual great job of interpreting a battle. The Eastern Front portion is very informative. For some one like me who is used to an open battlefield like Antietam or Chancellorsville or Gettysburg the sight of real fortifications, abatis, fascines and gabions, really lets one know how the war changed as time when on.

I also went to Panplin , the private creation, and they are superb. The movie they produced is splendid, better than anything at any other site I have been to. It's better than anything on the History channel and rivals Glory for accuracy and intensity. The museum exhibit, where the visitor is in a redoubt being attacked, with quaking floor, puffs of air and the zipping sound of bullets going by, offers a real approximation of what battle must have been like. The movie is so accurate, and intense, I don't know if they show it to the school kids. It's not for the faint of heart. I also did Drewry's bluff and stopped at Fredericksburg on the way down and back . I love that town.

Speaking of towns and back to Petersburg I also enjoyed walking around the Old Town by the river. Much of it looks just the way it was in 1864-65. My only regret is that I did not do the Petersburg site earlier. Thanks again to those who offered encouraging advice.

Ah well you didn't tell us you lived near Camden. Petersburg is small time compared to that! But yes Petersburg has a major crime/drug issue.

No they do not show that film at Pamplin to the school kids. I went with my daughters 4th grade class about a month ago. They did the audio tour, and in fact they told the kids to take off their headsets and walk briskly through the part about the redoubt because the guides said many kids in the past have been too spooked by it. I had my daughter and 3 little girls and they wanted to walk through it again they thought it was like a haunted house.

Old Towne is the best part of Petersburg and aside from the battlefield park the only area I recommend to visitors.

 

[Lincolncarver]

DW and I went to Petersburg and my bad leg was acting up and I did not see all I wanted. Once again, Thank you, to all who post on u-tube and post pictures.