The Park is in the northeastern part of the state, twenty-six miles southwest of Washington, D.C. The Visitor Center is four miles from Manassas on Highway VA 234, three-quarters mile north of the intersection of Highways I-66 and VA 234.
WHEN TO VISIT
Open year round. Stone House is closed in Winter. Peak visitor month is May. Climate: Winter, 32 to 48 degrees F; Summer, 85 to 92 degrees F.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The first and second Battles of Manassas (Bull Run) were fought here July 21, 1861, and August 28 to 30, 1862. The 1861 battle was the first test of Northern and Southern military prowess. Both battles were Southern victories. Here, Confederate Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson acquired his nickname "Stonewall," because, during one of the attacks by Union troops, he stood his ground so firmly.
The Civil War began on April 12, 1861. In July, Union General Irvin McDowell's troops were defeated on the creek called Bull Run. The North realized for the first time that it faced a long fight--the war would not be over in three months, as so many Northerners had confidently predicted. (Many Civil War battles have two names because the Confederates named them after the nearest settlement, and the Northerners often named them after the nearest body of water.) Food, supplies, and overnight accommodations are available in Manassas, four miles away.
