Spotlight: Manassas National Battlefield Park with Kids! (Virginia)

Located approximately 45 minutes south of Washington, DC, Manassas National Battlefield Park is the perfect destination for families. Administered by the National Park Service, the battlefield provides a great hands on opportunity to experience American history, while providing some fresh open air and solitude away from the city.

On a recent weekend, I decided to venture out to the battlefield with my two children, ages 3.5 and 9. Little did I know this would end up to be a great way to spend a beautiful spring day!

Upon arrival at the main welcome center, I was thrilled to see a clearly marked sign, indicating the turn off. There was ample parking, and we made our way into the facility to pick up a map, use the restrooms, and visit the gift shop. My boys were immediately enamored by the replica canons and the other Civil War memorabilia available for purchase, and we also spent quite a bit of time perusing the indoor exhibits, which also include a short film depicting the progression of the Bull Run (both the First and Second battles).

After a short 20 minutes or so indoors, we ventured out into the battlefield and that’s when my kids really went wild. They loved the canons, loved the historic buildings, and just loved being out in the wide, open expanse of field. While my 3.5 year old dedicated himself to blowing as many dandelions as he could, I explained the battlefield set up to my 9 year old. We made our way down to the various historical markers in the main battlefield area, taking in the historic burial ground and the other monuments.

To give my kids the full experience, however, I really wanted them to see just how large the battle of Bull Run had been. That is, I wanted to disabuse them of the notion that the battle was limited to the space we were standing. The map we had picked up earlier had a driving tour of the two Battles of Bull Run, so we piled into a car and made our way to 3-4 other stops on the driving tour.

I was thrilled to see that many of the stops were well marked and included not only historical signs, but also restrooms and facilities! My oldest son definitely got a sense of just how large a battlefield can be and how even though we refer to the battles as “the First Battle of Bull Run” and “the Second Battle of Bull Run,” that the battles really took place over a series of weeks, if not months, and that it involved covering a very significant area of land under harsh conditions (no four wheel drive vehicles and air conditioning, that’s for sure!).

In total, we spent about 2 hours visiting the main battlefield and touring the various stops along the driving tour. It was a surprisingly captivating experience for my 9 year old and it made an impression even on my 3.5 year old as for days thereafter, he recreated “the Manassas Battlefield” using his toys and has repeatedly asked if we can go back for a second visit. With only 900,000 visitors annually (versus the roughly 15 million visitors who descend upon Washington, DC annually), the Manassas Battlefield is such a welcome reprieve from the mass of tourist and congestion while also providing a great hands on opportunity to where a significant part of American history actually took place. That it’s just a short 45 minutes drive outside of Washington, DC makes it a great destination for those looking for an off-the-beaten-path experience.

The Manassas Battlefield Park is located at 6511 Sudley Road in Manassas, VA and is open daily from dawn until dusk. The Henry Hill Visitor Center is open daily from 8:30am – 5pm (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) and is a great place to start your visit. The orientation film is shown daily at the top of every hour, from 9am – 4pm and admission is free.

Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Washington, DC with kids! We are so lucky to call this place home and hope that our tips and tricks come in handy as you plan your own adventure in Washington, DC with kids!

Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fun locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!