Andersonville Prison (Camp Sumter)

Camp Sumter, commonly called Andersonville, was one of the largest military prisons established by the Confederacy during the Civil War. In existence for 14 months, over 45,000 Union soldiers were confined at the prison. Of these, almost 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding, and exposure to the elements. The largest number held in the 26½-acre stockade at any one time was more than 32,000, during August of 1864. Today the beauty of the prison site belies the suffering that once took place inside the stockade.
Touring the historic prison site | Learn more about Camp Sumter

National Prisoner of War Museum

The 1970 legislation which established Andersonville National Historic Site instructed the park "to interpret the role of prisoners-of-war camps in history" and "to commemorate the sacrifice of Americans who lost their lives in such camps." To that end, the exhibits in the National Prisoner of War Museum serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. The museum opened in 1998 and is dedicated to the American men and women who have suffered as POWs.

Andersonville National Cemetery

The cemetery began as the final resting place for those who perished while being held as POWs at Camp Sumter. It is now a National Cemetery, connecting the past to the present by continuing to serve as a honored burial place for modern-day veterans.

• Qualifications for burial
• Planning for Interment
• Grave Decoration Policy

Commemorating the Civil War Sesquicentennial

2011 to 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Through 2015, in programs, publications and special events, Andersonville National Historic Site will mark this important anniversary and explore how the story of Andersonville fits into the larger Civil War experience.