The Manassas National Battlefield Park (the Park) is located in Northern Virginia, twenty-five (25) 
miles from Washington, DC. The Park was established in 1940 to preserve and protect the land and resources associated with the First and Second Battles of Manassas during the American Civil War. The First battle, on July 21, 1861, was the first major engagement of Union and Confederate forces during the long four-year conflict. The Second battle took place thirteen (13) months later as seasoned troops fought over the three days of August 28-30, 1862. Presently the Park encompasses 5,071 acres and includes a visitor center with museum and bookstore; the Civil War era Lucinda Dogan Stone House and Thornberry Houses; the reconstructed Brawner Farm; John Dogan, and Henry Houses that serve as interpretive locations; several antebellum and Civil War period house foundations with related wayside exhibits; the reconstructed Stone Bridge over Bull Run; approximately a dozen or more Civil War battlefield commemorative memorials, monuments, and markers; and a battlefield cemetery with the remains of 500 Confederate dead from the two Manassas battles 
The battlefield park attracts more than 600,000 visitors a year. The National Park Service (NPS) manages this large tract of land to represent the battlefield landscape as it existed at the time of the Civil War. This hallowed ground provides a sense of solemnity as well as a commemorative atmosphere. It also provides natural communities of meadows, woodlands, wetlands, and streams, which serve as a refuge from surrounding development, and contribute to regional biodiversity, and serve as an important wildlife corridor. The expansive Park also serves as one of the largest remaining areas of open space in an increasingly urbanized region. There are over 40 miles of hiking and equestrian trails and six miles of historic road traces. The growing demands for park recreational use by local residents of the surrounding communities provides an opportunity to educate visitors on the mission of the NPS, the significance of the battles of First and Second Manassas, and provide environmental education and appropriate types of recreational uses in a battlefield park. The purpose of the Park is to foster understanding and appreciation of the two battles and their significance by providing opportunities for interpretation, education, enjoyment and inspiration.