Manassas National Battlefield Park

Manassas National Battlefield Park, located north of Manassas, in Prince William County, Virginia, preserves the site of two major American Civil War battles: the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, and the Second Battle of Bull Run which was fought between August 28 and August 30, 1862 (also known as the First Battle of Manassas and the Second Battle of Manassas, respectively). The peaceful Virginia countryside bore witness to clashes between the armies of the North (Union) and the South (Confederacy), and it was there that Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson acquired his nickname "Stonewall." Today the National Battlefield Park provides the opportunity for visitors to explore the historic terrain where men fought and died more than a century ago. More than 900,000 people visit the battlefield each year. (In comparison, roughly 15 million people annually visit nearby Washington, DC.) As a historic area under the National Park Service, the park was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The Henry Hill Visitor Center, on Sudley Road by the south entrance to the park, offers exhibits and interpretation regarding the First Battle of Bull Run, including civil war era uniforms, weapons, field gear and an electronic battle map. The center offers the orientation film "Manassas: End of Innocence", as well as a bookstore.