THE GOVERNMENT NEWS DESKPERMANENT NPS STORY ARCHIVE
Organized by publication date and destination. Each story retains its permanent State & Nation address and official NPS source.
Visitors will once again be able to tour historic Chatham beginning June 6, 2026, following a major rehabilitation project that improves safety, preserves the historic house and protects its collections for future generations.
Official NPS sourceThe Fredericksburg National Cemetery Luminaria has been canceled due to inclement weather. During the luminaria, local scouts light 15,300 candles in white paper bags. The placement and successful lighting of the candles cannot occur in rainy conditions. The safety of our community of attendees, the local scouts who set up the luminarias, and event staff is our top priority. Due to the complexity of event preparation, there is no rain date.
Official NPS source
As we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, Memorial Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the cost of preserving the ideals first articulated in 1776. Visit Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park this Memorial Day weekend to reflect on the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in service of the United States.
Official NPS source
A new National Park Service report shows that 819,000 visitors to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in 2024 spent $57.6 million in communities near the park. That spending had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $78.1 million.
Official NPS source
On Saturday, August 30, the National Park Service and local living historians will host an event entailing various aspects of the Civil War. Reenactors depicting soldiers will convey the stories of what happened before, during, and after the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Official NPS source
Upcoming maintenance projects will cause Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center and Chatham to close on August 4, 2025. The grounds of both locations will remain open sunrise to sunset, and at Fredericksburg, the nearby Park Store will remain open 7 days a week.
Official NPS source
Join Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park for its annual History at Sunset series. Programs take place outdoors and are free to all visitors. Come prepared with bug spray, comfortable walking shoes, and water.
Official NPS source
Explore Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park this summer and connect with the people and places that shaped some of the most contested landscapes in American history.
Official NPS source
On Saturday, May 24, 2025, the National Park Service will host the 30th annual luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. On Monday, May 26, 2025, visit the cemetery for a quiet ceremony and observance. Come to the park this Memorial Day weekend to honor those who lost their lives in service of the United States.
Official NPS source
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park’s spring schedule will run from April 26, 2025 to June 6, 2025. Plan your visit and discover the stories of soldiers, civilians, and enslaved people who experienced four major battles and helped determine the fate of the nation during the Civil War.
Official NPS source
On March 24, 2025, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP will begin a maintenance project to repave the Chatham parking lot and to rehabilitate road surfaces throughout the battlefields. Chatham may be inaccessible to vehicles while the project is ongoing. The resurfacing of parks roads will leave sections of the roadway unsuitable for bicyclists for at least three months.
Official NPS source
Effective the week of January 6-12, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park will establish a parkwide speed limit of 25 miles per hour for all traffic on park roads to increase overall public safety within the park.
Official NPS sourceMost forests in eastern United States national parks are at risk due to browsing by overabundant white-tailed deer and crowding by invasive plants, according to a National Park Service (NPS) study published in the journal Ecological Applications.
Official NPS source