Civil War Central Itinerary

The Civil War divided the nation and transformed the Richmond Region into the Capital of the Confederacy.

• Richmond National Battlefield Park Civil War Visitor Center - Located at Tredegar Iron Works, the Confederacy’s most important iron foundry, this site features exhibits, maps and video tours of wartime Richmond and its surrounding battlefields. A 60-mile driving tour begins at Tredegar and connects 11 Civil War sites. Allow 90 minutes.
• Virginia State Capitol - Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the Capitol was the meeting place for the Confederate Congress from 1861-1865. Abraham Lincoln toured the Capitol about a week before his assassination, and it was one of three buildings spared when departing Confederate troops burned the city in 1865. Allow one hour.
• The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar - The American Civil War Center is the first museum to interweave the Union, Confederate and African-American stories of the Civil War in a national context. Allow one hour.
• Pamplin Historical Park - Pamplin Historical Park is located on the site of Breakthrough, the battle that ended the Petersburg Campaign and led to the evacuation of the Confederate capital in Richmond. The park features four museums and plantation homes as well as living-history interpretations of military and civilian Civil War life. Allow 45 minutes.
• Museum and White House of the Confederacy - The museum houses the nation’s most comprehensive collection of military, political and domestic artifacts and art associated with the Confederacy. Tour the restored White House, the residence of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family. Allow one hour for each.
• Virginia Civil War Trails - More major Civil War battles were fought in Virginia than in any other state. Follow the distinctive bugle-logo signs and travel to any or all of the more than 300 commemorative sites. Time varies depending on number of sites visited.
• Hollywood Cemetery - Named for the holly trees that grow there, Hollywood Cemetery is the final resting place of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family, 25 Confederate generals and 18,000 Confederate soldiers. Allow a minimum of one hour.
• Chesterfield County Museum - A column of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s troops led by Petersburg-born Gen. William Mahone retreated past this site. The museum displays Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill’s sword. Allow 30 minutes.
• Belle Isle - This 18th-century site served as a prisoner-of-war camp for more than 6,000 Union prisoners during the Civil War. Allow one hour.
• Chimborazo Medical Museum - Located on the site of Chimborazo Hospital, the Civil War’s largest medical facility, this museum tells the stories of the more than 75,000 Confederate soldiers who received treatment here. Allow 45 minutes.
• Virginia Historical Society - The society’s headquarters, Battle Abbey, was originally constructed by the Confederate Memorial Association to serve as a shrine to the Confederate dead. View a series of murals entitled “Four Seasons of the Confederacy” and an exhibition of Confederate weaponry. Allow 90 minutes.
• Cold Harbor Battlefield Visitor Center - Open year-round, the Cold Harbor Battlefield Visitor Center features exhibits of the 1862 Battle of Gaines’ Mill and the 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor, which is honored with an anniversary celebration each June. Allow 30-90 minutes.
• Fort Harrison Visitor Center - Open June through August, this site highlights the September 1864 capture of Fort Harrison by 3,000 Union infantry. A self-guided walking trail begins here. Allow 60-90 minutes.
• Glendale/Malvern Hill Battlefield Visitor Center - Open June through August, the Glendale/Malvern Hill Battlefield Visitor Center features exhibits and an electronic battle map detailing the last two battles of the 1862 Seven Days campaign. Allow 30 minutes-two hours.