Pamplin Historical Park — Attraction in Virginia

This place is great! Very well put together historical grounds and information centers. We came on a weekday in the afternoon and it wasn't busy at all. There are guided portions of the entire facility, or you can get an audio guide from the main building at the entrance. We elected to use the audio tour guide device and went throughout the grounds leaning as we went. The Tudor plantation was so neat, live animals and walk through out buildings immersed us in the time period. The house was set up as the troops would have had it when it was used as a headquarters. The slave houses on the grounds were very eye opening to the living quarters for a slave at a plantation. The battlefield area was set up as a replica of how battle positions and fields of fire would have been established. At the field camp, we were given a demonstration and and information on daily life for a soldier living in the field by two reenactors. Both did an excellent job answering questions and gave a demonstration of the rifles that would have been carried in battle. Beyond the recreated encampment, actual Confederate earthworks can be seen still intact. We spent several hours here and didn't even see everything. If someone wanted to take in all the available information at the Pamplin Historical Park, I would at least allow for 4-5 hours, but you could easily spend more time than that. 5...

Petersburg is a fantastic place to visit and it can be confusing which sites to see with all the parks and museums. I would strongly recommend Pamplin Historical Park (also the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier) as your first stop!! It has everything for all ages! The indoor exhibit walks you through life size exhibits of what it was like to be a Soldier during the Civil War (Camp life, etc). That exhibit alone has got to be one of the best I have ever seen. Then you go outside and visit the "plantation" with the plantation house (half of the house represents plantation life and the other half represents the Confederate occupation during the Civil War) along with the slave quarters. One of the slave quarters has a video presentation that represents the perspectives of the slave owner, his wife, and the slaves themselves; reality on the ground! Then you walk a little further and they still have part of the original battle-site, along with a theater that presents a one hour film. The price may be a little steep for a large family, but it is privately owned, has a friendly staff and is one of the best museums on the Civil War!! You definitely get your monies...

Hallowed ground that was a major turning point during the Civil War. Pamplin Historical Park is one of the nicest and most well-maintained parks I've ever seen. Yes, it is privately owned but the folks that work there do a phenomenal job. The place and staff are amazing. The grounds are well-kept, beautiful, and full of history. The staff is passionate and knowledgeable - very much so. Their hospitality is second-to-none. We learned a lot during our visit.

It's a shame the owners are downsizing and cutting back on what they offer. I would urge the owners to divest themselves of the park through a public trust or someone who shares a historian's passion for American history if they are not up to the task. Otherwise, they should be extremely proud of the professionalism and passion their employees offer to visitors.

We visited during a recent snowstorm, which was not too terrible. The staff were very accommodating while your walk through this sacred battle site is easy to navigate, either self-paced or structured. Your mileage may vary. Go. ...