Thanks for the help! There's gonna be five of us, 3 of us are into history, none as much as me though haha. I'm the Civil War guy in our group, my one friend is more WWII but we both dabble in each others' spheres of interest. I'd be down to hear about all you'd recommend, from the must sees to the obscure. We're not too into the tourist traps overall, but I do have a dream of at least seeing the Lincoln Memorial in the moonlight. I'm rereading "Manhunt" by James Swanson as Ford's Theater is my only nonnegotiable with my friends haha. I'm also planning on reading "Desperate Engagement" by Marc Leepson about Jubal Early's attack on the DC area and the battle of Monocacy as I feel that's kind of a fascinating little side story of the Civil War that doesn't get much mention. Overall, I'd appreciate any advice you can offer, thanks!
Ford's is awesome. Make sure you also get to see the Peterson House (part of the site across the street) and Baptist Alley. The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office is nearby and worth a visit too. The National Portrait Gallery has a lot of cool Civil War photography and paintings in it.
Monocacy is awesome; you can't walk it continuously but it's easy to see what happened. Special Order 191 was also lost/found in the same area in 1862 which led to Antietam. If you're in Frederick also check out the National Civil War Medicine Museum.
When you get to DC you can see Fort Stevens (wont take long) before heading across Rock Creek Park to see Fort Reno and other sites. Mr. Lincoln's Forts is a good guide to our forts.
Fort Ward in Alexandria is probably the best preserved. It's not part of the NPS system. They have a cool museum there.
Your WW2 friend may want to read Nazis on the Potomac then go check out Fort Hunt. That is where high value Axis targets were interrogated. Fort Hunt is very close to Mount Vernon if you want to see George Washington's house.
The best three military history museums in the area are The Smithsonian American History Museum, The National Museum of the Army, and The National United States Marine Corp Museum. The Air and Space near Dulles (which is close to the Chantilly battlefield) has incredible stuff too, the one on the mall still is undergoing renovations.
I really enjoy Manassas. Other than the battlefield, the Ben Lomond House, Blackburn Run, Old Town with the city museum, Liberia plantation, and Signal Hill are all worth checking out. I also recommend McKay's Used Books - massive and cheap.
Don't underestimate DC traffic or parking prices. The federal government is back in the office beyond even pre-2020 levels so stuff is completely back to being packed. Investigate the WMATA metro system if you want an alternative in DC.
Bringing the