Petersburg National Battlefield

Confederate Battery V was stormed on June 15, 1864 during the Union Army's opening attack on Petersburg.
Two hundred ninety-two days, eight offensives, over 70,000 casualties, U. S. Colored Troops, and the decline of Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia all describe the Siege of Petersburg. U.S. forces cut off supplies to both Petersburg and the Confederate capital, Richmond. Today, the park preserves the sites of this pivotal campaign.
Map showing location of park.
Living historians dressed in confederate uniforms demonstrate firing a cannon.
Battle of the Crater 161st Anniversary
Saturday 26, 2025 - Free programs and tours commemorating the 161st Anniversary of the Battle of the Crater.
Rock covered shoreline with trees on the left and water on the right.
Petersburg National Battlefield Seeks Public Comments on Bluff Stabilization Project
Petersburg National Battlefield is seeking comments about phase two of the e bluff stabilization project at the Grant’s Headquarters at City Point.
Small U. S. flags in front of white headstones.
Memorial Day Weekend Programs at Petersburg National Battlefield
Schedule of events at Poplar Grove National Cemetery over the Memorial Day weekend. May 23-27, 2025
Two cannons in the golden glow of sunset with a line of derk trees on the horizon and a sliver gray sky.
History at Sunset Summer Series
Schedule for the 2025 History at Sunset summer lecture and walking tours.
Three white men wearing blue jeans and jackets clear tall shurbs.
Park Day 2025
This year American Battlefield Trust’s annual hands-on preservation event will help restore a portion of the field near the Crater.
Plantation home prior to the War. U.S. Quartermaster Headquarters during the Siege.
Photo by NPS Photo
Snow covered cannon overlooking the Crater Battlefield
Photo by NPS Photo / Aaron Rowland
Pictured is the front of the brick visitor center under a cloudless blue sky.
Photo by NPS
Earthworks covered in green grass.
Photo by NPS