Profile of a Civil War Traveler

KRUCK20/ ISTOCK

Chattanooga, viewed from atop Lookout Mountain

How often do Civil War enthusiasts travel to Civil War-related sites? Which are their favorites? What sites do they yet hope to see? We recently asked Civil War Monitor readers these and other questions in a comprehensive travel survey. The results that follow are based on a survey of 575 Civil War Monitor magazine and newsletter readers in May 2024. 86.3% of respondents were male, 62.2% were age 65 or older. Not all respondents answered every question.

How Often Do You Travel to Civil War History Sites?

More than once a year — 40.9%
Once a year — 23.9%
Rarely — 32.8%
Never — 2.4%

Gettysburg Foundation

Gettysburg National Military Park

69% of Civil War Site Visitors Travel as Part of a Small Group (2 to 5 People)

What Was the First Civil War Site You Visited?

Gettysburg — 52.8%
Manassas — 7.8%
Antietam — 4.4%
Fort Sumter — 3.2%
Other — 31.8%

What’s Next Up?

Vicksburg — 20.8%
Shiloh — 18.0%
Antietam — 8.6%
Gettysburg — 6.0%
Appomattox — 5.8%
Fort Sumter — 5.1%
Other — 35.7%

AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST

Burnside’s Bridge at Antietam National Battlefield

Which City or Town Includes the Best and/or Most Diverse Offerings for Civil War Enthusiasts?

Gettysburg — 58.5%
Richmond — 15.8%
Fredericksburg — 6.5%
Washington, D.C. — 2.5%
Chattanooga — 2.5%
Other — 14.2%

Average Age When First
Traveling To a Civil War Site: 22 years old

Have You Ever Attended a Civil War
Lecture or Seminar?

Yes 67% — No 33%

CLAUDIO VAZQUEZ

Gettysburg National Military Park

“I just feel the past in Gettysburg so strongly. I can almost envision myself there in 1863.”

BRENDAN STEPHENS/UNSPLASH

Downtown Richmond

“As the Confederate capital, Richmond has a wealth of museums, battlefields, sites, and memorials.”

NEHEMIAS MAZARIEGOS/UNSPLASH

The view from Little Round Top at Gettysburg

“It’s hard to top Gettysburg National Military Park’s Visitor Center, but the American Civil War Museum in Richmond is a must-see.”

89% of Our Readers Have Visited a Museum Devoted to Civil War History. These Are Their Favorites:

American Civil War Museum (Richmond, Va.) — 23.9%
National Civil War Museum (Harrisburg, Pa.) — 19.8%
Gettysburg NMP Visitor Center (Gettysburg, Pa.) — 11.3%
Pamplin Historical Park (Petersburg, Va.) — 7.3%
National Museum of Civil War Medicine (Frederick, Md.) — 5.7%
Other — 32.0%

What Is Your Favorite Civil War Battlefield Park?

Gettysburg — 48.6%
Antietam — 18.1%
Shiloh — 6.4%
Other — 26.9%

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR MUSEUM

The American Civil War Museum in Richmond

Have You Ever Taken a Curated Civil War Trip?

Yes 31% — No 69%

If Not, Would You Consider Taking One?

Yes 61.4% — Maybe 32.3% — No 6.3%

CLAUDIO VAZQUEZ

Gettysburg National Military Park

Our Readers’ Best Tips for Visiting Civil War Battlefields

1. Read up on site history beforehand/prepare in advance — 40.0%
2. Take your time/allow plenty of time — 17.1%
3. Wear comfortable shoes/ appropriate clothing — 9.7%
4. Hire a licensed guide/ take an organized tour — 9.4%
5. Be prepared to walk — 6.1%
6. Visit early/on a weekday/ off-season — 4.0%
7. Take a good map/use a driving app — 1.8%
8. Keep an open mind — 1.6%
9. Don’t miss the park’s visitor center — 1.3%
10. Take bug/tick spray and sunscreen — 1.1%
11. Other — 7.9%

CLAUDIO VAZQUEZ

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr

“If your partner isn’t into the Civil War, leave ’em home.”

DANIEL SCHWEN/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Tunnel Hill in Dalton, Georgia

Monitor Readers Share Their Best-Kept Secret Sites

46% of our readers have discovered a “secret” Civil War spot, one they think most don’t know about or haven’t visited. Here’s a sampling of their finds:

• Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Museum near Dalton, Georgia. “The tunnel is unique and is part of the Great Locomotive Chase history.”
• President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home, Washington, D.C. “It’s a spot where you can contemplate the burdens and loneliness of command through Lincoln’s eyes—and get a sense of his family life. It has the best interpretive staff.”
• Pauline Cushman marker at the Presidio in the San Francisco National Cemetery. “You learn the thrilling story of her service even if it is probably puffed up.”
• “A tiny piece of land on the other side of the Railroad Cut across from Robert E. Lee’s HQ at Gettysburg where he sat on Traveller to watch the start of the bombardment on July 3, 1863.”
• The Civil War Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “It has a largish used book section in the museum store!”
• “Steam Into History” in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, “re-creates the railroad to Hanover Junction that Lincoln rode on his way to deliver the Gettysburg Address.”
• Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. “So many people from the war are buried there. It is like stepping back to a different century. The location is breathtaking, on a hill by the river, and so beautifully kept by the city.”
• Grant Cottage State Historic Site in Gansevoort, New York. “One of the strangest, and yet fascinating, historical sites I have ever visited.”
• Griswoldville Battlefield in Georgia “aptly captures the senselessness of the war.”
• The site of the opening shot of the Battle of Gettysburg. “You can picture being one of the cavalry pickets on July 1, 1863. It took a little work to find.” (Click for location map)
• Ball’s Bluff, Virginia. “It’s hidden behind the horrors of suburbia. It’s just as it would have been. There wasn’t a lot of interpretation, just enough to get the point across.”
• Oahu Cemetery, Honolulu, “where there is a Grand Army of the Republic plot, multiple other veterans’ graves, and the resting place of Native Hawaiian veteran J.R. Kealoha, 41st U.S. Colored Troops.”
• Hanover County battlefield site on Virginia’s North Anna River. “Excellent Confederate fortifications and interpretive signs.”