I visited the eastern front of the Petersburg National Battlefield last month while traveling back…read morefrom a Toyota dealership in the area. The battlefield has several sites in the Petersburg Virginia area including a western front, union and confederate forces encampment sites, remains of makeshift forts, storage depots and landing sites. The battlefield as a whole encompasses many miles in a circular pattern and you can either do a guided or self guided tour. It is well marked and mapped. The site as a whole was the longest siege of the American Civil War. Union forces began the siege in 1864 and it lasted nine months with many battles that resulted in victories for both sides. Petersburg VA at the time was a major hub for Robert E Lee's army with extensive rail lines and supply depots. It was also pivotal in the defense of Richmond which was the Confederate capital during the war. The eastern front battlefield is well preserved and also serves as a park which is managed by the National Park Service. There are walking and hiking trails as well as bike lanes. There is parking at each of the eight sites on the eastern front. Each site is well maintained and marked and it is quite educational. You could spend a few hours here exploring. Just a note, bring bug spray with tick repellent. Several of the sites I had to swipe a tick off my legs. It was a bit wet and it was very humid so the bugs were out in force. Overall it was a great experience. On the next visit I'll check out the western front which is roughly eight miles away on the other side of town.

Often overlooked but a hidden gem national park…read more Our national parks and battlefields are some treasured areas. This park is often in the shadow of others, but had long and bloody trench warfare. The history and earthworks are simply incredible! Definitely read about it and look up closure times before coming. (8pm during the summer and sunset/sunrise throughout the year) 33-odd miles of trails, good to recreate and the tour road is perfect for cycling/running.

Got there within their posted hours. Church locked, visitor center ghostly. Driving the cemetery…read morewas nice but a 35 mile trip each way to see the church was wasted.

We had a great tour of the church and the churchyard portion of the cemetery. It is filled with…read morehistory pre-revolution through the Civil War. The 15 Tiffany windows are stunning and alone are worthy of a visit.

Went on the Historic African American Tour of Petersburg for our class reunion. The tour was very…read moreinformative.

From the owner: Historic Petersburg Foundation is a non profit preservation organization in Petersburg, Virginia…read morewith the mission to lead the preservation and restoration of Petersburg, Virginia's historic architecture, and neighborhoods and to tell their story. We own and market historic properties for sale that need to be restored. One of our popular fundraisers each December is the annual Christmas Homes Tour of beautifully restored historic homes decorated for the holidays. We hold programs on Petersburg's history and architecture. Peter Jones Trading Station - "Where Commerce Began" tourist attraction. We encourage tourism to Petersburg and work to save the 18th and 19th century architecture in Petersburg, Virginia.

Overall, the park is good for kids and your entire family especially if you have an pet dog to…read morewalk, it is an pleasant place to go to get your thoughts together. I think the playground area is nice and the entire park is nice for small children. Thanks, Warkeeta W Walker.

This park was incredibly sketchy. I jumped off 95 hoping my kids could run around a bit to break up…read morea long drive. Bad choice. I was so uncomfortable we only stayed a couple minutes. The only people there were adults randomly parked in cars scattered around. Minutes after we arrived a car pulled up, stinking like weed. The driver proceeded to roll a blunt, opening up the door to dump dutch guts. The playground itself was in disrepair and was unkept. The ground was covered in leaves and litter.

This place is definitely down on its own path and out of the way in the country, but it's…read moreinteresting to hear and see a house and business that's been around 400 years and the oldest family-owned business in the country. The descendants still live here, so only the first floor is tourable. The tour guide was knowledgeable and touched on all aspects of the house's history, so it felt like an all-encompassing informational about the owners of the house and the enslaved people who lived and worked there including photographs to give faces to the names. She went over room highlights and answered any questions that people wanted to better understand. It includes a lot of very old artifacts and paintings of the Hills and Carters who lived there. The view of the river is beautiful, and there are a few outer buildings but most don't have anything to see in them. The gift shop is decent. The price is high for a historic tour, but it is a significant enough house to see to understand more the history of Virginia.

Saw road signs when driving through the area. Well - we just had to stop! Nothing to see or visit…read moreon this rainy day, but we took a few minutes to go off the main road and drive down the lane, past the vineyards and see the buildings (even though from a distance). Would like to go back sometime to see if anything is open and visit what seems like a fun little historical site. Not sure - maybe it's just a destination venue. Wasn't clear in signage.

If you like historical places you will love violet bank and I can't say enough about the niceness…read moreof the staff. Great place to visit!

Ohhh my freaking gosh y'all! Ok let me start by saying,... we went to the Petersburg national…read morebattlefield (federal) that morning and I wanted to cry because that was supposed to be our big exciting thing to see the Battle of the Crater,..,, well needless to say the park/museum at the federally owned part needed some serious help and funding. But,.... Y'all,..... this privately owned place knocked it out of the park! They did such an amazing job bringing history to life. The staff was freaking amazing,... especially the sweet little old man in the museum about the actual battle (wish I remembered his name). I can not brag on this place enough!!!

William Boisseau a tobacco farmer constructed his plantation home around 1815. Originally a 2 wide…read moreand 1 room this type of home was popular in Dinwiddie County during the late 1700's, early 1800's. Later his son John G. Boisseau expanded the east side of the residence creating a central hall and added Greek Revival details. None of the original furnishing remain today. Confederate Brigadier General Samuel McGowan used the home as a HQ at some point during the Civil War. A downstairs room in the home he used is set as it might have been when he used it. After the war he returned to South Carolina and became a judge. Beautiful Tudor Hall is located in Pamplin Historical Park. Admission is required.

This marker stands in front of this beautiful home that unfortunately, was not open for tours…read moretoday. But from the outside, certainly impressive to see. "Scottish emigrant James Weddell (1807-1865) built this Greek Revival house about 1845 and lived there until his death. In 1865, Capt. W. Gordon McCabe (1841-1920) bought the house. Over the second half of the 19th century, he published many works on the classics, poetry, and his service in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. A noted educator and civic leader, he was also headmaster of the prestigious University School preparatory academy. McCabe lived in the house until he moved his school to Richmond in 1895. Dr. Julian J. Chisholm (1830-1903), a noted surgeon, lived in the house from 1900 until 1903." It was built in 1845 so it managed to survive the Civil War battles in the area. Worth a visit. [Review 18083 overall - 1365 in Virginia - 1605 of 2022.]

It seems odd to rate a cemetery, especially to give it the "Yay! I'm a fan" rating. Poplar Grove is…read morea quiet, out-of-the-way National Cemetery that primarily holds the remains of Union Civil War Soldiers, although some Confederates and veterans of other wars, including a British Soldier, are buried there. Quiet, well maintained, and respectful.