Richmond National Battlefield ParkBetween 1861 and 1865, Union armies repeatedly set out to
capture Richmond, strategic capital of the Confederacy, and end the
Civil War. Three of those campaigns came within a few miles of the
city. The park commemorates 11 different sites associated with
those campaigns, including the battlefields at Gaines' Mill,
Malvern Hill, and Cold Harbor. In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln
made a historic visit to the battlefields of Richmond days before
his assassination, urging an end to the war. Established in 1936, the park protects 763 acres of historic
ground. There is a visitor centre in the Tredegar Irons Works on
Richmond Riverfront Canal Walk at the corner of Tredegar and 5th
Streets. Here, visitors can watch a film depicting the battles
around the city and get information about self-guided tours of the
battlefields. There are roughly seven miles (11.2km) of
well-maintained walking trails around the battlefields. Website: www.nps.gov/rich Telephone: (804) 226 1981 Opening Time: Battlefields are open from sunrise to sunset. Visitor
centre open 9am to 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, 25 December, and 1
January. Admission: Free |