5 Ways to Support Manassas Battlefield for National Park Week 2018

Image from the Manassas National Battlefield Park website.

By Christy Forman

Membership & Outreach Coordinator for Manassas Battlefield Trust

“There is nothing so American as our national parks” said President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

April 21-29 is National Park Week – the annual, nationwide celebration of America’s National Parks. Come celebrate, visit, and honor your nation’s history at Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Now over 100 years old, America’s National Parks were once described by American writer and historian Wallace Stegner as “the Best idea we ever had. Absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best.”

Our great national parks tell us who we are as a people, where we have been and where we are going. From Jamestown Island to Independence Hall, frin Gettysburg to the homes of Martin Luther King, Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover to the Everglades, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and Yosemite, our national parks are places of history, recreation, “getting back to nature,” renewal and civic engagement.

Did you know that there are 417 national parks located across the nation? One of our most important is in our own backyard. Located in Prince William and Fairfax Counties, Virginia, just outside of the City of Manassas, Manassas National Battlefield Park preserves and protects the sites of the Civil War Battles of First and Second Manassas.

Celebrate National Park Week! Celebrate your legacy. Honor what happened at Manassas over 150 years ago. It’s your story! It’s your park.

Here are five ways to support Manassas National Battlefield Park this week:

Visit the park. Check out the park website for location and scheduled activities www.nps.gov/mana. If you have never been, it’s time. If you have already visited, it’s time to come back.

Learn what happened here in 1861 and 1862. What caused the War? What is its Legacy? Why did the first major land battle of the war happen at Manassas?

Enjoy the Virginia countryside and the park’s nearly 50 miles of hiking and equestrian trails. See the landscape that the soldiers saw over 150 years ago.

Volunteer at the Park. Contact the park’s Volunteer Coordinator, 703-361-1339 ext. 1211. We can always use the help.

Join the Manassas Battlefield Trust and join likeminded citizens, non-profit organization, and businesses committed to the belief that “History Matters.” See below to join or for more information.

To join visit www.manassasbattlefield.org.  Find us on Facebook!

About the Manassas Battlefield Trust:  Founded in 2013, the Manassas Battlefield Trust supports The Manassas National Battlefield Park through community engagement, service projects, advocacy, education programs, and sponsorships.  The Trust is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and the official philanthropic partner of The Manassas National Battlefield Park.