Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Petersburg
About 25 miles south of Richmond, the little town of Petersburg played a big role in the
Civil War; as a major railway junction, it provided Confederate troops and supplies.
Union troops laid a 10-month siege of Petersburg in 1864-65, the longest on American
soil. The
Siege Museum
( 804-733-2404; 15 W Bank St; adult/child $5/4, incl Old Blandford
Church $11/9; 10am-5pm)
relates the plight of civilians during the siege. Several miles
east of town, the
Petersburg National Battlefield
(US 36; per vehicle/pedestrian $5/3;
9am-5pm)
is where Union soldiers planted explosives underneath a Confederate breast-
work, leading to the Battle of the Crater (novelized and cinematized in
Cold Mountain
)
.
West of downtown in Pamplin Historical Park, the excellent
National Museum of the
Civil War Soldier
(
804-861-2408; adult/child 6-12yr $10/5;
9am-5pm)
illustrates the
hardships faced by soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Historic Triangle
This is America's birthplace. Nowhere else in the country has such a small area played
such a pivotal role in the course of the nation's history. The nation's roots were planted in
Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World. The flames of the
American Revolution were fanned at the colonial capital of Williamsburg, and America
finally won its independence from Britain at Yorktown.
You'll need at least two days to do the Triangle any justice. A daily free shuttle travels
between the Williamsburg visitor center, Yorktown and Jamestown.
Williamsburg
If you visit only one historical town in Virginia, make it Williamsburg, home to Colonial
Williamsburg, one of the largest, most comprehensive living-history museums in the
world. If any place is going to get kids into history, this is it, but it's plenty of fun for
adults too.
The actual town of Williamsburg, Virginia's capital from 1699 to 1780, is a stately
place. The prestigious campus of the College of William & Mary adds a decent dash of
youth culture, with coffee shops, cheap pubs and fashion boutiques.
Sights
