Arlington House, located on a high hill within Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, is one of many national park sites along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Built by George Washington Parke Custis between 1802 and 1818 to serve as a memorial to his step-grandfather, George Washington, the house is now associated more with the man who married into the family and lived there for 30 years — Civil War General Robert E. Lee.
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park commemorates the rich heritage of the Shenandoah Valley and the Cedar Creek Civil War battlefield where two future presidents — Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley — served.
Colonial National Historical Park contains several sites of critical importance in the history of America. Historic Jamestown is where the story of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas actually happened, and where the roots of American government first took hold. Yorktown Battlefield was the site of the Colonial victory over British forces in the American Revolution, and where visitors can still view some of the original earthworks constructed by George Washington’s troops. These two sites are linked together by the 23-mile long scenic Colonial Parkway, specifically designed to limit the impacts of the roadway on the surrounding landscape.
Nestled at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Fort Monroe played a pivotal role in ending slavery in America, when it became known as "Freedom's Fortress" during the Civil War. On May 23, 1861, three enslaved African American men rowed to the fort in search of freedom. Union General Benjamin Butler declared the men “contraband of war,” and refused to return them to slaveholders. More than 10,000 African Americans from the region escaped to Fort Monroe over the course of the war, denying the Confederacy the use of their labor in the production of materials to support the Southern war effort. In addition to its rich history, this site on the Old Point Comfort Peninsula also contains more than two miles of rare undeveloped Chesapeake shoreline with a wide range of recreational opportunities.
This national park protects the sites of four major Civil War battles, each of which has its own separate significance. Commemorating 85,000 injured and 15,000 dead soldiers, these sites are known collectively as “The Bloodiest Landscape in America.”
The George Washington Memorial Parkway is a lush, green stretch of forest that boarders the Potomac River in Metropolitan Washington, DC. The roadway within the parkway connects 22 sites that commemorate our national history and heritage.
This 15,000 acres of piedmont forest has 37 miles of trails to hike and 21 miles of scenic roads to drive or bike. As a visitor, you can rent one of the 100+ historic cabins in the park, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Construction Corps.
This unique performance space is the only U.S. national park devoted to the performing arts. Managed through a public-private partnership, the arts center hosts a wide variety of entertainment each year, from pop singers to elaborate dance troupes to comedians. It features three separate performance venues--a large amphitheater, a smaller performance space, and a Theatre-in-the-Woods especially for children--as well as walking trails and picnic spots to explore before or after the show.
