Plan your visit
Upcoming events
Walk the ground, meet living historians, and discover the stories of the Shenandoah Valley. Unless noted, programs are free and open to the public.
Third Battle of Winchester: 162nd Anniversary Programs
Join the Fort Collier Civil War Center and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation for a day of immersive battlefield exploration and living history commemorating one of the largest and costliest battles fought in the Shenandoah Valley on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Historian Scott Patchan, author of The Last Battle of Winchester, will lead three free battlefield tours that follow key moments of the fighting across Winchester. No registration is required. Between tours, make plans to visit nearby Fort Collier’s Open House and Living History Encampment on September 19–20, where reenactors from the 7th Virginia Infantry and 124th New York Infantry will bring the battle era to life through tactical demonstrations, drills, and skirmishes.
Maj. Gen. Stephen D. Ramseur’s Tarheels
Ramseur’s North Carolina troops were the first Confederate
infantry engaged in the Third Battle of Winchester, battling
Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson’s cavalry in the early morning hours.
After withstanding overwhelming pressure from the Union Sixth
Corps, the Carolinians regrouped and joined Maj. Gen. Robert
Rodes’s counterattack that restored the Confederate line.
Meeting place: North Carolina Monument, off
Route 7 on Getty Lane, near TownePlace Suites Hotel, 170 Getty
Ln., Winchester, VA 22603.
The 14th New Hampshire and Brig. Gen. Henry Birge’s Brigade
Birge’s brigade of New England and New York soldiers broke
through Confederate lines early in the battle and appeared poised
for victory before a dramatic Confederate response changed the
course of the fighting. Walk the ground where over 500
casualties were suffered during this critical phase of the
battle.
Meeting place: Alabama Monument in the Middle
Field, 253 Averell Ave., Winchester, VA 22603.
Maj. James Breathed’s Horse Artillery
Outnumbered Confederate forces relied heavily on their artillery
to blunt Union attacks. Learn how Breathed’s Horse Artillery and
the dismounted cavalry of Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee played a vital
role in preventing a complete Confederate collapse.
Meeting place: The artillery on Huntsberry Farm,
north of Red Bud Run, 541 Redbud Rd., Winchester, VA
22603.
Continue Your Experience at Fort Collier
Throughout the Fort Collier Open House on Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, Fort Collier will feature:
- Living History Encampment with reenactors from the 7th Virginia Infantry and 124th New York Infantry.
- Saturday, September 19: Drill and firing demonstrations at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; tactical skirmish at 11:00 a.m.
- Sunday, September 20: Drill and firing demonstrations at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; tactical skirmish at 11:00 a.m.
- Guided battlefield tours led by historian Roy McCord.
- Stine House Museum hours: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Sunday.
- Free parking and refreshments available throughout the weekend.
922 Martinsburg Pike · Winchester, VA 22601 · www.fortcollier.com
Author Talk: “The Men…Had Got into a Fighting Regiment”
Join Jerry Ankeny, author of The Civil War Sacrifice of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, for a presentation about the role played by Somerset County soldiers in the battles of Hupp’s Hill and Cedar Creek in October 1864. Men of the 54th and 93rd Pennsylvania Infantry regiments fought at multiple locations across these battlefields, including land preserved by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation at Thoburn’s Redoubt and Miller’s Farm.
About the speaker: Gerald H. “Jerry” Ankeny is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, a Gulf War veteran, and a direct descendant of two Union soldiers from Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He lives in Huntersville, North Carolina.
Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum20 N. Loudoun Street · Winchester, VA 22601 View Facebook event
Online Author Talk: “Your Son Is Dead”
Join Jerry Ankeny, author of The Civil War Sacrifice of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, for an online presentation about Somerset County’s soldiers in the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Serving primarily in the 54th Pennsylvania Infantry, these men fought in all the campaign’s major battles—from New Market on May 15 to Cedar Creek on October 19. The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation preserves much of the ground where they served, struggled, and sacrificed.
About the speaker: Gerald H. “Jerry” Ankeny is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, a Gulf War veteran, and a direct descendant of two Union soldiers from Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He lives in Huntersville, North Carolina.
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Holidays in Winchester During the Civil War
SVBF Ranger Michael Gionfriddo explores how Winchester residents celebrated the holidays during the American Civil War. Foundation members attend free. The museum is located at 20 N. Loudoun St., Winchester.