Civil War Sites

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Washington, DC was home to about 61,000 people. There are dozens of Civil War-era buildings and statues to war heroes throughout the city. Several museums also host exhibits highlighting Civil War materials; other memorials and monuments commemorate individuals and events of the Civil War.

There are numerous Civil War battlefields within a short drive of Washington, DC, in places like Gettysburg, PA, Manassas, VA, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, VA, and Antietam (near Sharpsburg, MD), including some of the most famous ones.

African American Civil War Memorial and Museum
(202) 667-2667
1925 Vermont Avenue, Washington, DC 20001

Hours and Admission
10am-5pm weekdays
10am-2pm Saturday
Closed Sunday
No admission charged. Groups of more than 20 should call ahead

The only memorial in the country dedicated to "the Colored Troops in the Civil War." The museum contains photographs, newspaper articles, and replicas of period clothing, uniforms and weaponry to help understand the role of African Americans throughout the Civil War.

Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia
(877) 907-8585

Hours and Admission
8am-7pm April 1-September 30
8am-5pm October 1-March 31
No tickets needed for self-guided tours.
Tickets required for tour buses, which operate throughout the day

The somber sight of hundreds and hundreds of white crosses lined up across a green lawn is a striking visual and brings into sharper focus the debt of gratitude owed to our nation's military heroes. It’s no surprise that it’s called “our nation’s most hallowed ground.” Final resting place of President John Kennedy and thousands of American servicemen and women. One section at Arlington National Cemetery features the graves of "Colored Troops."The Changing of the Guard occurs on the hour each hour October through March, then occurs every half-hour April through September. 

Ford's Theatre/Petersen House 
(202) 426-6924
511 10th Street, NW (between E and F Streets), Washington, DC

Hours for Ford's Theatre and museum
9am-5pm daily, closed December 25 
Petersen House 9:30am-5:30pm daily
Closed December 25

Ford's Theatre offers a limited number of free, same-day tickets at the Ford’s Theatre Box Office beginning at 8:30 a.m. These daily tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance individual tickets may be obtained $3.00 through the Ford's Theatre website.

Admission charged for play performances.

The theatre offers a number of different tours for visitors include self-guided tours of the museum, guided tours by National Park Service Rangers. One popular tour, offered from March-October, is the "History on Foot" tour which recreates the investigation led by Washington Metropolitan Police Detective James McDevitt in the hours just after the assassination of President Lincoln.

The site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1865 has been open to the public since 1968. The building itself has a colorful history, having started as a Baptist church. After Lincoln’s assassination, the theatre was closed, but served intermittently as a museum, office space and storage facility. A restoration effort started in 1954 brought the theatre back, and theatrical events still performed on its stage. At the museum located in the theatre, you will find artifacts related to the assassination, including the gun and knife used by John Wilkes Booth in the attack.

The Petersen House, where the mortally-wounded Lincoln was taken after the attack and later died, is located directly across the street from the Theatre.

Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site
(703) 746-4848
4301 West Braddock Road Alexandria, Virginia 22304

Hours and Admission
Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: Noon-5pm
Closed Monday
No admission charged, but donations accepted.

Fort Ward is the best-preserved of the Union forts and batteries used to protect Washington, D.C. during the Civil War. It provides interpretive programs, tours, videos and living history activities. The museum is patterned after the Union Army headquarters building.

Grant Hall Courthouse 
Fort Lesley J. McNair at the National Defense University 
Washington, D.C.

Grant Hall Courthouse is not generally open to the public, except for quarterly openhouses.  No admission is charged, but you need  to register online in advance of the open house.

Grant Hall was part of the Federal Penitentiary on the grounds of the Washington Arsenal, and is now located on Fort McNair at the campus of the National Defense University. In 1865, the third floor of Grant Hall served as the courtroom for the eight conspirators charged in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The hanging of four of those conspirators were held next to the building. The bodies of the four along with that of John Wilkes Booth were initially buried on the grounds of the Penitentiary. In 2012, Grant Hall began quarterly open houses to allow the public to tour the restored courtroom. To view upcoming open house dates and register to attend, please visit the Army's Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall's Facebook Page (by clicking "Grant Hall Courthouse" above).

Lee-Fendall House
(202) 628-1776 
614 Oronoco Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Hours and Admission
Wednesday-Saturday: 10am-4pm
Sunday: 1pm-4pm
$5 for adults $3 for students ages 5 to 17 
Children under age 5 are admitted at no charge

Built in 1785, this white clapboard residence was home to nearly 40 members of the Lee clan, including Confederate Army general Robert E. Lee. Today, family heirlooms and period pieces remain, providing a view into how the Lees lived.

Lincoln Memorial 
(202) 426-6841 
2 Lincoln Memorial Circle, NW Washington, DC 20002

Hours and Admission
Open 24 hours a day, year-round
National Park Service Rangers available 9:30am-10pm No admission charged

A solemn remembrance of the legacy of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, this is a must for Civil War buffs. It is located at the west end of the National Mall, and resembles a Greek Doric temple. Its 36 columns represent the states of the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. It has been the site of many historic gatherings and speeches, including 1963's "I Have A Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An exhibit in the basement of the memorial highlights civil rights efforts.The gardens at Dumbarton Oaks incorporate elements of French, English and Italian gardens. The formal gardens cover ten acres of beautiful landscape and small formal gardens along with a Roman-style amphitheater.

Lincoln's Cottage 
(202) 829-0436 
140 Rock Creek Church Rd, NW, Soldier’s Home Grounds, Washington, DC 20011

Hours and Admission
Monday-Saturday 9:30am–4:30pm Sunday: 10:30am-4:30pm
Admission charged, advance purchase strongly recommended

This cottage, opened to the public in 2008, gives an intimate, never-before-seen view of Abraham Lincoln, who spent most of the summers during his presidency in this cottage, commuting to the White House daily by horseback or carriage. The cottage, formerly known as "Anderson Cottage and located on the grounds of the Soldier's Home, was designated a National Monument in 2000, and opened for public tours in February 2008 after a seven-year, $15 million restoration project.

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