Hallowed Ground
Welcome to Culpeper County, VA
No ground was more marched upon, camped upon, or fought over during the four years of the American Civil War than Culpeper County.
Our Services
Culpeper Battlefield Tours
Culpeper Battlefield Tours launched in 2022 to provide tours of Culpeper's historic battlefields and sites. Culpeper County was truly the crossroads of the American Civil War and hosts the largest concentration of significant Civil War sites anywhere in the country. Culpeper witnessed four intense years of the American Civil War, with notable battles contested at Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Kelly's Ford, Raccoon Ford, Rappahannock Station and Morton's Ford. Major military campaigns opened and closed in the county, including the 2nd Manassas, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, Mine Run and Overland Campaigns. Thanks to the preservation efforts of many, much of this hallowed ground is now preserved.
Tours
Tours of two or three hours can be customized of Brandy Station Battlefield, Buford's Knoll, Fleetwood Hill, St. James Church, Stevensburg and the Winter Encampment. Contact us for specialty tours or if you would like a tour not listed below. One of our guides will work with you to customize your experience. We can schedule tours with advance notice or on pre-scheduled dates on our booking page. Please contact us if you have a special date request.
Special Events
June 9th Anniversary
Civil War Roundtable Visits
Leadership Events
Symposiums
Re-Enactments
Living History
Historic Homes Tour
Coming Soon
Tours of the Rapidan Front, the town of Culpeper and Cedar Mountain Battlefield Park
Menu / Price List
Two-Hour Car, Van or Bus Tours
Brandy Station Battlefield Park includes over 1,000 acres of preserved land and we offer several options to visit key sites of core battlefield in a caravan-type vehicle tour. Two-hour tours cover the opening and action of the main portion of the Brandy Station Battle. Visitors will follow the guide to 3 separate stops to learn about the battle and its context in the overall Gettysburg campaign. Contact us for special date requests.
Two (2) Hour Car Tour
$120
Up to 6 people
Two (2) Hour Van Tour
$200
Up to 11 people
Two (2) Hour Bus Tour
$260
More than 11 people
Custom
$TBD
We can create a custom tour experience. Contact us to discuss details
Three-Hour Car, Van or Bus Tours
Brandy Station Battlefield Park includes 1,000 acres of preserved land and we offer several options to visit several sites of core battlefield in a caravan-type vehicle tour. Three-hour tours cover the main portion of the Brandy Station Battle to see the actions that took place there during the battle. Visitors will follow the guide to 4 separate stops to learn about the battle and its context in the overall Gettysburg campaign. Contact us for special date requests.
Three (3) Hour Car Tour
$170
Up to 6 people
Three (3) Hour Van Tour
$290
Up to 11 people
Three (3) Hour Bus Tour
$380
More than 11 people
Custom
$TBD
We can create a custom tour experience. Contact us to discuss details
Walking/Hiking Tours
Brandy Station Battlefield Park has over 1,000 acres of preserved land. Hiking tours cover a pre-determined portion of the battlefield and the highlights of the battle. Group tours are limited to 20 persons. Contact us for special date requests.
Two (2) Hour Hiking Tour
$35 per person
Three (3) person minimum
Twenty (20) person maximum
Custom Hiking Tour
$ TBD
We can create a custom tour experience. Contact us to discuss details.
Horseback Tours
Brandy Station Battlefield Park has over 1,000 acres of preserved land with open fields and miles of trails to be enjoyed. We offer a guided tour experience for equestrians who have their own horse. Guides will lead groups of up to 6 riders on a beautiful trail ride on historic land with breathtaking views of the countryside. The ride will be conducted at a walking pace. At this time, we do not offer horses for rent. Contact us for special date requests.
2.5 Hour Guided Trail Ride
$20/pp
You must bring your own horse (BYOH). Contact us to schedule.
2.5+ Hour Tour with Certified Guide
$175/group
Up to 6 people
You must bring your own horse (BYOH). We can create a custom tour experience. Contact us to discuss details.
Specialty Tours
Contact us for specialty tours or if you would like a tour not listed above. One of our guides will work with you to customize your experience. Do you have an ancestor who fought during one of the battles in Culpeper? If so, we look forward to helping you learn about Culpeper's rich history. Notable battles were contested at Cedar Mountain, Kelly's Ford, Brandy Station, Raccoon Ford, Rappahannock Station, and Morton's Ford.
24 hour cancellation policy
Book Tours
2 Hour Car or Bus Tour
2 Hour Car or Bus Tour
2 Hour Car or Bus Tour
Visit three sites of the Brandy Station core battlefield in a caravan-type car tour. Tour is 2 hours in length.
3 Hour Car or Bus Tour
2 Hour Car or Bus Tour
2 Hour Car or Bus Tour
Visit four sites of the Brandy Station core battlefield in a caravan-type car tour. Tour is 3 hours in length.
Horseback Tour
Horseback Tour
Horseback Tour
Want to experience the battlefield in a whole new way? Bring your own horse for a 2.5-hour trail ride and tour of Brandy Station
Hiking Tour
Horseback Tour
Horseback Tour
Tours are available for hikers. 3 hikers are needed at a minimum for this tour to run.
Video
Horses return to Brandy Station!
Video of the trail ride with the Warrenton Hunt
Book a Horseback Tour today to experience the site of the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, where 20,000 mounted troops clashed in the opening of the Gettysburg Campaign.
horses at brandy station battlefield
The Largest Cavalry Battle of the Civil War
On June 9, 1863, the Civil War's largest cavalry battle occurred at Brandy Station, involving 9,600 Confederate and 8,000 Union horsemen. In addition to the cavalry, horses were also important to the artillery and for hauling wagons of supplies and wounded. In the artillery, a battery of six guns required 72 horses just for the cannons. There were ordinance wagons supporting the guns, each requiring four or six horses. It is hard to imagine the scene with so many horses on the battlefield.
Prior to 1863, the Confederate cavalry was superior to the Union cavalry. Confederate cavalrymen brought their own horses to the battle whereas Union cavalrymen were issued mounts by the federal government. They were not natural horsemen like their counterparts in the South who grew up in rural and agricultural communities where riding horses was a part of every day life. But as the war entered its third summer, the Union cavalry had learned to ride and use their weapons, and at the Battle of Brandy Station, they proved for the first time to be equal to the task of fighting a previously invincible foe.
A Confederate hero of the battle, Major Henry B. McClellan later wrote: "One result of incalculable importance certainly did follow this battle, - it made the federal cavalry. Up to that time confessedly inferior to the Southern horsemen, they gained on this day the confidence in themselves and their commanders which enabled them to contest so fiercely the subsequent battlefields of June, July, and October."
The Battle of Brandy Station was the first battle of the Gettysburg campaign. The armies would meet at Gettysburg three weeks later.
Virginia Horse Industry Board
Culpeper Battlefield Tours is committed to expanding equestrian activities at Brandy Station Battlefield Park and its program is supported by a grant through the Virginia Horse Industry Board
Maps
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM OUR PARTNERS
American Battlefield Trust
American Battlefield Trust
American Battlefield Trust
More information and maps of Brandy Station
Stone Sentinels
American Battlefield Trust
American Battlefield Trust
Photo tour, maps and wayside markers
Join our team
Become a Certified Battlefield Tour Guide
We are seeking people who are interested in becoming certified Battlefield Tour Guides. If you love history and engaging with the public, please contact us to learn more.
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