NPS Photo
The following are special events scheduled at the park or at institutions hosting programs by or in cooperation with park historical staff. For more information, including possible schedule changes due to inclement weather or other factors, please call the park at 540-693-3200 and/or check the park's facebook page.
For more details on each event, check our Events Calendar.
Missed a program you really wanted to attend? Check to see if it was livestreamed, and watch from the comfort of your own home!
This listing contains events either within the park, or events hosted or facilitated by park staff or one of our partners. Looking for other Civil War events in the Fredericksburg area? Check out the Fredericksburg community event calendar for more!
Note: The list below does not include the park's popular, free History at Sunset programs that occur on Friday evenings each summer, or our Fit-History Hiking Series in the spring and fall.
History at Sunset Program Rescheduled
Legends, Lives, and Stone: Fredericksburg in Stories and Granite
Summer thunderstorms forced the cancellation of last Friday evening’s History at Sunset program along the Sunken Road in Fredericksburg. A rain date has been announced for Saturday, August 18 at 6:30 p.m.
The area around the famed Sunken Road is one of the most heavily commemorated landscapes in the park. Explore what these stone sentinels can tell us about the generations that created them as well as those they memorialize. Park Rangers Beth Parnicza and Becca Jameson will lead the approximately 90 minute program.
Visitors should meet the rangers at the gates to the Fredericksburg National Cemetery along the Sunken Road. Total walking distance will be less than one mile; however, the path into the National Cemetery climbs a very steep hill. Water, comfortable walking shoes and a flashlight are recommended for those attending. Parking is available at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center, 1013 Lafayette Boulevard, 22401.
Living History Weekend at Fredericksburg Battlefield
The smells of campfires and gun smoke will once again fill the air on Marye’s Heights at the Fredericksburg battlefield on Labor Day weekend. Union soldiers will be on hand to show the weapons, uniforms, and equipment carried 155 years ago. Watch as troops march in formation and hear about the fighting techniques used by the armies during the Civil War. Visit the camps to learn how the troops lived “in the field.” The battle-damaged Innis House will also be open with civilian living historians relating their experiences.
Weekend events include:
Explore the soldier encampment & Innis House
Saturday, September 1: 9 am – 5 pm
Sunday, September 2: 9 am – 3 pm
Musket firing demonstrations
Saturday at 11, 2, and 4 and Sunday at 11 and 2
Interactive Campfire Program
Saturday evening at 7:30 pm “A Sense of History” examines the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of battle.
Parking is available at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center at 1013 Lafayette Boulevard. All programs are family friendly, free of charge, and open to the public.
For additional information, call (540) 693-3200.
Summer Campfire Programs
Telling stories by the light of a crackling campfire is a summer tradition. Can you think of a better way to learn about the Civil War?
In 2018, historians at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park will offer three campfire programs. With themes such as survival, freedom, and the five senses, each program will explore stories and experiences to help us better understand life during the Civil War. All programs will last 60 minutes. Please bring a lawn chair, bug spray, and a flashlight for the return trip to your vehicle. See start times and locations on the schedule below:
Saturday, June 30: Survivors: Witnesses to War
What did it mean to survive the Civil War? Hear about the experiences of four survivors in their own words, and learn how war changed their lives forever. Meet at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center, 1013 Lafayette Blvd, 22401. Program begins at 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 4: No One Path to Freedom
Join us as we trace the lives of two freedom-seekers enslaved at Chatham, and their diverging paths to freedom. Learn how historians uncover these stories with limited source material. Meet at Chatham Plantation, 120 Chatham Lane, 22405. Program begins at 8 p.m.
Saturday, September 1: A Sense of History
Understand the fighting through sight, sound, smell, and touch as well as words with an interactive sensory program about the Battle of Fredericksburg. Includes living history demonstrations. Meet at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center, 1013 Lafayette Blvd, 22401. Program begins at 7:30 p.m.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center at 540-693-3200 x 4040.