Operating Hours & Seasons

Delayed Opening June 5, 2024

Park buildings will have a delayed opening at 11 am on June 5, 2024 due to a staff meeting. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

 

Spring 2024 Schedule Summary

Schedule in effect March 9, 2024 – June 7, 2024

• Park grounds are open sunrise to sunset.
• Building hours are as follows:
  • Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center: open daily, 9 am-5 pm.
  • Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center: open daily, 9 am-5 pm.
  • Chatham: open Friday-Sunday and holidays, 9 am-5 pm (Chatham is closed 12 noon-1 pm); beginning April 1 Chatham will be open Wednesday-Sunday.
  • The "Stonewall" Jackson Death Site and Ellwood are closed for the season and there will be no staff present at Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield.
  • Learn about visiting park stores.
• Ranger programs to dive into the history of the park:
  • Sunken Road Walking Tour: Join a guided tour of the one of the most iconic and recognized battlefield landmarks of the war. (Weekends; 10:30 am & 2 pm; 45 minutes, meet at the battle painting outside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center)
  • Investigating Chancellorsville: Why did the US and the Confederate armies clash in May of 1863 and why does it matter? Join park staff to learn about the Chancellorsville Campaign and dive into some of the big questions surrounding this contested battle. (Weekends; 10:30 am & 2 pm; 30 minutes, meet at the battle painting outside the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center)
  • Park staff are happy to give brief unscheduled battle overviews and short pop-up programs (typically 15-20 minutes) when staffing levels and circumstances allow. If you are visiting at a time when no ranger programs are scheduled, ask us if we are available to give a short program!
• Restroom facilities are available 9 am-5 pm at both visitor centers, Chatham, the Jackson Death Site, Ellwood, and the Spotsylvania Exhibit Shelter.

Summer 2024 Schedule Summary

Schedule in effect June 8, 2024 – August 11, 2024

• Park grounds are open sunrise to sunset.
• Building hours are as follows:
  • Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center: open daily, 9 am-5 pm.
  • Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center: open daily, 9 am-5 pm.
  • Chatham: open daily, 9 am-5 pm. (Note: In mid-July Chatham may close for a rehabilitation project. Dates and details will be publicized when they become available. The Chatham grounds will remain open during this time.)
  • Ellwood: open Friday-Tuesday (closed Wednesday & Thursday), 11 am-5 pm
  • Jackson Death Site: open Friday-Tuesday (closed Wednesday & Thursday), 9 am-5 pm.
  • Spotsylvania Battlefield: catch up with a ranger at the exhibit shelter or one of the other sites around the battlefield on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am-5 pm.
  • Learn about visiting park stores.
• Ranger programs are a great way to dive into the history of the park:
  • At Fredericksburg attend a walking tour of the Sunken Road, visit the Innis House, and talk to rangers on the landscape about Civil War memorialization.
  • At Chancellorsville investigate the battle, chat with rangers, and attend a storytime with the kids.
  • Discover stories of resistance, take inspiration from the grounds, and take part in activities for the whole family at Chatham.
  • Learn about the Overland Campaign and explore how the war changed in 1864 at the Wilderness and Ellwood.
  • At Spotsylvania tour the Bloody Angle and learn about one of the most intense moments of the Civil War.
  • Take a guided walk on the grounds of the Jackson Death Site and consider the history that shaped this landscape.
  • Park staff are happy to give brief unscheduled battle overviews and short pop-up programs (typically 15-20 minutes) when staffing levels and circumstances allow. If you are visiting at a time when no ranger programs are scheduled, ask us if we are available to give a short program!
  • View the full 2024 summer schedule details below or check out the programs page!
• Restroom facilities are available 9 am-5 pm at both visitor centers, Chatham, the Jackson Death Site, Ellwood, and the Spotsylvania Exhibit Shelter.

Things to Know

• Hours of operation vary by season. Park buildings will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 24-25, and January 1.
• For special programs and events, visit the Calendar. All programs are weather and staff dependent. Check our Facebook for operations updates or call our Weather & Park Closing hotline at 540-693-3200 x3190.
• Watch park films online ahead of time on the videos page.

 

Hours and Daily Programs Details

March 9, 2024 – June 7, 2024

Fredericksburg Battlefield

Learn more about visiting Fredericksburg Battlefield.
 

Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center

Open Daily, 9 am-5 pm
1013 Lafayette Boulevard, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Watch the Fredericksburg film online or at the visitor center.

Fredericksburg Park Store

Open Daily, 9 am-5 pm
Located next to the parking area behind the visitor center.

Ranger Programs at Fredericksburg Battlefield 

Sunken Road Walking Tour
Weekends, 10:30 am & 2 pm, 45 minutes
Meet at the battle painting outside the visitor center.
Why did the Battle of Fredericksburg happen? Why was it important? Join park staff to learn about the events of December 1862 from the people who lived through them and the ground they walked on.

Chatham

Building open Friday-Sunday, 9 am-5 pm (closed 12 noon – 1 pm)
Beginning April 1 Chatham will be open Wednesday-Sunday, 9 am-5 pm (closed 12 noon – 1 pm)
Gate open daily, 9 am-5 pm
120 Chatham Lane, Fredericksburg, VA 22405
Historic slave plantation, home, and grounds which served as a field hospital and a US headquarters during the Civil War. Learn more and watch the Chatham film on the Chatham page.

Chancellorsville Battlefield

Learn more about visiting Chancellorsville Battlefield.
 

Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center

Open Daily, 9 am-5 pm 
9001 Plank Road, Spotsylvania, VA 22553
Watch the Chancellorsville film online ahead of your visit or watch onsite.
 

Ranger Programs at Fredericksburg Battlefield 

Investigating Chancellorsville
Weekends, 10:30 am & 2 pm, 30 minutes
Meet at the battle painting outside the visitor center.
Why did the US and the Confederate armies clash in May of 1863 and why does it matter? Join park staff to learn about the Chancellorsville Campaign and dive into some of the big questions surrounding this contested battle.

Wilderness Battlefield & Ellwood Manor

Learn more about visiting Wilderness Battlefield.
 

Wilderness Exhibit Shelter

Open sunrise to sunset
35347 Constitution Highway, Locust Grove, VA 22508
An open-air exhibit shelter.

Ellwood Manor

Grounds open daily, sunrise to sunset
Building closed for the season
36380 Constitution Highway, Orange, VA 22960
Ellwood Manor is a historic slave plantation, field hospital, and US headquarters during the Battle of the Wilderness. Learn more about Ellwood Manor.

To access the Ellwood grounds when the building is closed, you may park at the Ellwood gate, leaving the gate clear, and walk the grounds. It is 0.4 mile to the house.

Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield

Learn more about visiting Spotsylvania Battlefield.
 

Spotsylvania Exhibit Shelter

Open sunrise to sunset
Park staff onsite Saturdays & Sundays from 9 am–5 pm
9550 Grant Drive West, Spotsylvania, VA 22553
An open-air exhibit shelter.
 

"Stonewall" Jackson Death Site

Grounds open daily, sunrise to sunset
Building closed for the season
12019 Stonewall Jackson Road, Woodford, VA 22580
Historic building where Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson died.

Old Salem Church

Grounds open daily, sunrise to sunset
Building closed
4054 Plank Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407
Historic church which served as a battlefield landmark and field hospital during the Chancellorsville Campaign.

 

Seasonal Operations

Planning on visiting sometime in the future? Below is a summary of the types of operations, services, and programs you can expect at the park during different times of year.

Note: Park operations and interpretive programming vary year by year, based on a variety of factors. The following information is provided to help with trip planning, but does not provide an exact account of operations and programs during any given season.

Visiting Chatham in the summer 2024? Expected maintenance projects at Chatham will likely mean the buiding will be closed for much of the 2024 summer season. The Chatham grounds will remain open sunrise to sunset. Full details and closure dates will be forthcoming.

Summer

Summer is the peak season for the park: when we have the most staff and the most visitors. As such, park operations and services also peak in the summertime, roughly between Memorial Day weekend and mid August. 

Summer Hours

The park's visitor centers at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and Chatham will be open daily, 9 am-5 pm. Ellwood and the Jackson Death Site may have variable hours. Locations at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields may be staffed on the weekends in the summer.

Ranger Programs

Typically, in the summer, visitors can attend daily programs at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Additional regular programs may be offered at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields, and Chatham. Informal living history programs may be offered at different locations throughout the summer.

Special Events

In addition to our normally scheduled programs, special events in the summertime include the Memorial Day Luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, and a selection of special ranger talks and hikes, including the History at Sunset series. Occasionally, our summer line up will include campfire talks, Bark Ranger programs, and living history days. Anniversary programming in May (for Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House) varies year by year. 

Fall

As the leaves change, the park remains a busy place, and a popular spot to stop while touring the region. Between August and Columbus Day, expect certain hours to be reduced and programming to scale down. After Columbus Day, visitor services and programming will scale down further. Note: Much of our offerings during the summertime are made possibly by an amazing group of Interns and Seasonal Park Rangers. We generally have two phases of reductions in services in the fall, once, in mid August, when many of our Interns go back to school, and another, after Columbus Day, when our Seasonal Park Rangers finish their terms.

Fall Hours

The park's visitor centers at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville will likely be open daily, 9 am-5 pm. Hours at Chatham, Ellwood, and the Jackson Death Site may be reduced. 

Ranger Programs

Programs sometimes shift to weekends-only in the fall, though we typically offer daily programs at Fredericksburg through Columbus Day. 

Special Events

We will schedule a smaller number of special events in the fall than in the summer, but may have some programming around special anniversaries and holidays.

Winter

Winter is a quiet, peaceful time to visit the park. Even though some park buildings are closed in the winter, grounds remain open sunrise to sunset, throughout the park.

Winter Hours

The park's visitor centers at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville may have some weekday closures and may have reduced hours. Expect Ellwood and the Jackson Death Site to be closed for the season. Chatham may be open on select days, but may not be open regularly, and may have reduced hours. The Spotsylvania Exhibit Shelter is not staffed in the winter. Rangers at both visitor centers are well versed in matters relating to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields, so feel free to inquire about these battles at either the Fredericksburg or Chancellorsville Visitor Centers.

Ranger Programs

We typically do not offer ranger programs in the winter. We will occasionally offer short talks and battle overviews if staffing allows. Ask at a visitor center if the ranger is able to give a short talk! 

Special Events

We typically do not have many special events planned in the winter. Events relating to the Battle of Fredericksburg anniversary in will occur in December.

Spring

From mid-March to May visitor services and programs slowly increase from the winter slumber. By mid-April, visitors can expect more program offerings and expanded hours, but should not expect the same level of daily services as in the summertime (after Memorial Day).

Spring Hours

The Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville Visitor Centers, and Chatham Manor, will most likely be open daily, 9 am-5 pm. Expect hours at Ellwood and the Jackson Death Site to be minimal, if open at all. The Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields typically remain unstaffed until Memorial Day.

Ranger Programs

We typically begin resuming programs at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville on weekends by mid-March or April, and will continue weekend programming through most of May. There may be a brief window between the end of May and the beginning of June where we have fewer programs to accommodate planning Memorial Day events and to train our incoming seasonal staff.

Special Events

We may resume some special events in the spring, but will not resume the full schedule of special events until after Memorial Day. The Memorial Day Luminaria and event in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery is often the biggest event of the year, and typically marks the beginning of our increased summer hours and services.