Fall 2024 Schedule SummarySchedule October 20 - November 17, 2024
Winter 2024-2025 Schedule SummarySchedule begins November 18, 2024 - March 2, 2025
Hours and Daily Programs DetailsOctober 20 - November 17, 2024 Learn more about visiting Fredericksburg Battlefield. Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor CenterOpen Daily, 9 am-5 pm Fredericksburg Park StoreOpen Daily, 9 am-5 pm Ranger Programs at Fredericksburg BattlefieldSunken Road Walking Tour Building Closed Learn more about visiting Chancellorsville Battlefield. Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor CenterOpen Daily, 9 am-5 pm Ranger Programs at Chancellorsville BattlefieldInvestigating Chancellorsville Learn more about visiting Wilderness Battlefield. Wilderness Exhibit ShelterOpen sunrise to sunset EllwoodBuilding closed To access the Ellwood grounds when the gate is closed, you may park at the Ellwood gate, leaving the gate clear, and walk the grounds. It is 0.4 mile to the house. Programs at Wilderness BattlefieldNo programs available in the off-season. Learn more about visiting Spotsylvania Battlefield. Spotsylvania Exhibit ShelterOpen sunrise to sunset Programs at Spotsylvania BattlefieldNo programs available in the off-season. Building Closed Grounds open daily, sunrise to sunset
Seasonal Operations Planning on visiting sometime in the future? Below is a summary of the types of operations, services, and programs you can expect at the park during different times of year.
Note: Park operations and interpretive programming vary year by year, based on a variety of factors. The following information is provided to help with trip planning, but does not provide an exact account of operations and programs during any given season. Visiting Chatham in the summer 2024? Expected maintenance projects at Chatham will likely mean the buiding will be closed for much of the 2024 summer season. The Chatham grounds will remain open sunrise to sunset. Full details and closure dates will be forthcoming. Summer is the peak season for the park: when we have the most staff and the most visitors. As such, park operations and services also peak in the summertime, roughly between Memorial Day weekend and mid August. Summer HoursThe park's visitor centers at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and Chatham will be open daily, 9 am-5 pm. Ellwood and the Jackson Death Site may have variable hours. Locations at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields may be staffed on the weekends in the summer. Ranger ProgramsTypically, in the summer, visitors can attend daily programs at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Additional regular programs may be offered at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields, and Chatham. Informal living history programs may be offered at different locations throughout the summer. Special EventsIn addition to our normally scheduled programs, special events in the summertime include the Memorial Day Luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, and a selection of special ranger talks and hikes, including the History at Sunset series. Occasionally, our summer line up will include campfire talks, Bark Ranger programs, and living history days. Anniversary programming in May (for Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House) varies year by year. As the leaves change, the park remains a busy place, and a popular spot to stop while touring the region. Between August and Columbus Day, expect certain hours to be reduced and programming to scale down. After Columbus Day, visitor services and programming will scale down further. Note: Much of our offerings during the summertime are made possibly by an amazing group of Interns and Seasonal Park Rangers. We generally have two phases of reductions in services in the fall, once, in mid August, when many of our Interns go back to school, and another, after Columbus Day, when our Seasonal Park Rangers finish their terms. Fall HoursThe park's visitor centers at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville will likely be open daily, 9 am-5 pm. Hours at Chatham, Ellwood, and the Jackson Death Site may be reduced. Ranger ProgramsPrograms sometimes shift to weekends-only in the fall, though we typically offer daily programs at Fredericksburg through Columbus Day. Special EventsWe will schedule a smaller number of special events in the fall than in the summer, but may have some programming around special anniversaries and holidays. Winter is a quiet, peaceful time to visit the park. Even though some park buildings are closed in the winter, grounds remain open sunrise to sunset, throughout the park. Winter HoursThe park's visitor centers at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville may have some weekday closures and may have reduced hours. Expect Ellwood and the Jackson Death Site to be closed for the season. Chatham may be open on select days, but may not be open regularly, and may have reduced hours. The Spotsylvania Exhibit Shelter is not staffed in the winter. Rangers at both visitor centers are well versed in matters relating to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields, so feel free to inquire about these battles at either the Fredericksburg or Chancellorsville Visitor Centers. Ranger ProgramsWe typically do not offer ranger programs in the winter. We will occasionally offer short talks and battle overviews if staffing allows. Ask at a visitor center if the ranger is able to give a short talk! Special EventsWe typically do not have many special events planned in the winter. Events relating to the Battle of Fredericksburg anniversary in will occur in December. From mid-March to May visitor services and programs slowly increase from the winter slumber. By mid-April, visitors can expect more program offerings and expanded hours, but should not expect the same level of daily services as in the summertime (after Memorial Day). Spring HoursThe Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville Visitor Centers, and Chatham Manor, will most likely be open daily, 9 am-5 pm. Expect hours at Ellwood and the Jackson Death Site to be minimal, if open at all. The Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields typically remain unstaffed until Memorial Day. Ranger ProgramsWe typically begin resuming programs at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville on weekends by mid-March or April, and will continue weekend programming through most of May. There may be a brief window between the end of May and the beginning of June where we have fewer programs to accommodate planning Memorial Day events and to train our incoming seasonal staff. Special EventsWe may resume some special events in the spring, but will not resume the full schedule of special events until after Memorial Day. The Memorial Day Luminaria and event in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery is often the biggest event of the year, and typically marks the beginning of our increased summer hours and services.
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Last updated: November 5, 2024