Visitor Contact Station Virtual Tour

Welcome to Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park

This park preserves and tells the many stories related to the Shenandoah Valley's history, including:

Early American Indian tribes and the trail they created, which modern highways follow today.

• The 18th centruy immigration of the first German, English, and Scots-Irish settlers.
• A vast plantation with over 100 slaves set amidst small family-run farms.
• The agricultural bounty that fed tens of thousands beyond the Valley
• The Shenandoah Valley's role as a transportation corridor.
• The devastating Civil War battles, including the Battle of Cedar Creek that helped ensure the reelection of Abraham Lincoln.

The National Park Service along with Belle Grove, Inc., Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Shenandoah County, and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation manage this park for you and generations to come.
 

Visiting the Park

Explore and discover the stories, sites and activities of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park.

A PARTNERSHIP PARK

The National Park Service and its partners work together to manage this national park by preserving and interpreting key historical sites and events related to the American Civil War and the cultural heritage of the Shenandoah Valley. We encourage you to explore its many sites and learn its many stories.

National Trust for Historic Preservation owns Belle Grove Plantation.
Built in 1797, the Manor House and the surrounding historic landscape provide visitors a glimpse into the life and experiences of the 18th- and 19th-century occupants. The house has been restored and historically furnished. Guided tours are offered regularly, along with numerous special events throughout the year. There is an admission fee.

Belle Grove, Inc. operates Belle Grove Manor House and protects sensitive battlefield land. The Manor House, which is open to the public, is also furnished with museum-quality artifacts. Belle Grove, Inc. also owns Harmony Hall (Fort Bowman), an early settlement home along Cedar Creek. Together, Belle Grove and the National Trust preserve nearly 400 acres of the original plantation, all of which are also part of the Cedar Creek battlefield.

Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation preserves land associated with the Battle of Cedar Creek, along with sponsoring a re-enactment of the battle every October and other special events. Two public facilities are operated by the Foundation that interpret the Battle of Cedar Creek and the 1864 Valley campaign: Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation Headquarters and the Hupp’s Hill Civil War Park and Museum. There is an admission charge for the museum.

Shenandoah Vally Battlefields Foundation plays a lead role in preserving and interpreting the region’s significant Civil War battlefields and related historic sites within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District. The Foundation has preserved over 3,700 acres within the district, including over 500 acres at Cedar Creek.
2020 Update - The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation has preserved 5,902 acres within the district, including 936 acres at Cedar Creek. Hupp's Hill Civil War Park is now managed by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.

Shenandoah County, owns 150 acres of county parkland along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Future plans include a recreation park and river access.

 

From Backcountry, to Breadbasket, to Battlefield and Beyond

To more fully explore the many stories related to the rich natural and cultural history of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park and the Shenandoah Valley, visit these two rooms of the Visitor Contact Station.

Early History and Settlement Room - These exhibits focus on the geological formation, the settlement of the Shenandoah Valley, the rise of agriculture, enslavement, and the Valley as a vital transportation route.


 

Battlefield in background, Eve of Battle wayside in foreground.

NPS

Civil War Room - These exhibits focus on the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.