The United States Civil War was a decisive time in our history. It pitted Americans against each other, both on the civilian level and military level. The two chief military men in the war were Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. At this site, Appomattox Court House National Historic Site, you can tour through the buildings and houses relating to the close of the civil war, including the actual room where Lee agreed to the terms of surrender.

Attractions:

Starting at the visitor's center, you can grab a brochure, showing a map of the park and you can find out more specifics about the history of the Confederate army's surrender to Grant. The park is about 3 square miles total, so for a historic park, it's medium- sized. There's also a theatre to visit, where you can view a slide show and listen to some important facts about the civil war and those who fought it. If you want to learn more, there's also a book store to purchase civil war- related texts.

The park itself is composed of several houses and buildings, in a country setting. They offer an audio- visual tour which you can take, for a small fee. The country lanes that you walk on total about 6 miles in length, so there is a good amount of walking to do. The audio tour will direct you down the path, to each building, explaining the historical significance of what took place at each stop.

As you enter each of the buildings, remember that there will be some stairs to climb, in some of them, and there are no elevators. They want to keep the buildings in their original condition, so there are no facilities for the handicapped.

Most of the rooms in the buildings are roped off, allowing the tourist to look inside the room and view it, but not to walk into it. The is to ensure the preservation of the many historic artifacts in the rooms.

The key place to visit, at this park, is the Mclean Home. This is the site of the actual surrender of the Confederate army to General Grant. In this house, history was made when Lee agreed to Grant's terms of surrender. As I recall, the actual surrender was signed by Lee in a room on the second floor of this house.

Hours of Operation:

This park is open year- round, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day, which is the typical schedule followed by most all the national park sites. The visitor's center is open from 8:30am to 5pm each day. It takes a few hours to visit the entire place, and it will take a little longer if you decide to do the audio/visual tour. If you're in a hurry, I recommend skipping the audi/visual and just going straight to the buildings that appeal most to you, making sure to stop at McLean House.


Fees to Pay:

It will cost you $4.00 per person, to a maximum of $10.00 per carload, to visit the park. Children under 16 are free. Also, if you go during the off season (October to April), the fee is reduced to only $2.00 per person, or $5.00 maximum per carload. If you want to take the audio/visual tour, that will also add a few more dollars to the total cost.

Other Amenities:

There isn't really much in the way of amenities, in this park. There is a picnic area, but there is no immediate lodging or campground. You have to drive to the nearby city of Appomattox, to find food and lodging. Appomattox is about two miles away.


Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed visiting this site very much! When I went here, I remembered that it was, of course, the place where Lee surrendered to Grant. But I had forgotten most of the specifics of the event. Taking the audio/visual tour helped refresh my memory.

The only bad thing I can say, about this tour, is that it does require a lot of walking and climbing steps. For that reason, it may not be practical for some people to visit.

Those who have a passion for American History will really love this site! Even those who don't count history among their favorite subjects in school will still enjoy this. Listening to the audio tour, and then looking at the buildings and the rooms, you feel like you're right there in the thick of things, in the late 1800's, watching Lee and Grant discuss the terms to end the Civil War.

This was an enjoyable historic site to visit. I recommend that everyone visit Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, and reflect on this critical time in American history, when north and south finally put away their guns for good and the Union was preserved.



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Colonial National Historical Park
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Boston National Historical Park
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Badlands National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Zion National Park
Mesa Verde National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Capital Reef National Park
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Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
Everglades National Park


Recommended: Yes

Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview