Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

This a great National Park. It interprets the history of the area really well. My biggest complaint is that only some of the park is accessible. I understand that there are historic buildings which made it more of a challenge but I have been to other parks like Taft and they made everything fully accessible. I guess it also comes down to funding.

That being said we happened upon a man taking the role of a slave and doing a talk. He was downright amazing. He made the entire trip worth trying to get around on my electric scooter. I was able to go up some of the paths but some were so bumpy and uneven I thought my scooter was going to fall over.

I left there wanting to learn and see more.

We were told it would take about 2 hours to see everything and we took 4. So much history to look at and learn about. I must see. Not over crowded and able to walk around at your own pace. I would save the movie in the court house till the end.

Loved the opportunity to walk down the street at Appomattox. This is a beautifully restored town that offers you a history lesson that you want to attend. The living history guides did one of the best jobs I have ever seen at making the past relevant and connecting emotionally. I'm thankful our nation sees the value in remembering this important day. I appreciate the knowledge of the rangers as well, they were both very helpful.

My husband who loves history wanted to go here. I am not a history buff my any means. Honestly, I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed this place. The staff was very friendly. The gentleman that took us on a tour was very entertaining. I really enjoyed it and if my husband wants to go again I would definitely be up for it.

Really cool place to see and explore. Everybody was nice and friendly.

Definitely worth a stop for all the history and what we can all learn from Uyless Grant about being a gracious winner.

Very interesting to learn the history of the battles leading up to the surrender,
how the meeting took place, and some of the key terms that were included.

You can go through several of the buildings, and there is a junior ranger badge.

There is also a full room of displays on some of the African Americans involved (both as slaves and soldiers).

Appomattox Court House is a must-see for any American history buff. This is such an important part of American History!
They have a great museum and visitor center and the video does a great job of explaining the historical significance.
Another well done for the National Parks!
See the actual desk Lee surrendered to Grant from, the actual pens used, and many Civil War artifacts. So important to our country! Loved the visit and I highly recommend it.

We visited on a Monday morning in late May 2023 (Memorial Day weekend).

There was plenty of parking with only 4 or 5 other cars in the lot with us. There is a large map at the parking lot which tells you to just walk straight up to the visitor center which is located in the old court house. It's a bit of a walk up hill on a gravelly path.

You enter the visitor center on the bottom floor (follow the signs). There is a desk to your left where the park volunteers will help you with any questions you may have. The younger lady and older gentleman who greeted us seemed very eager to help. They informed us of the start time of the film in the upstairs theater as well as the program taking place outside at the next building over. We also grab our Junior Ranger booklets here at this desk.

We went up and watched the 20 min video first which was very informative and the kids enjoyed it as well and it kept their attention. There are a series of exhibits right outside the theater and basically take up the rest of the space on the upper level. There was a number of neat items on display. Back downstairs there are also bathrooms. We left quickly to the special program outside which was basically a living history presentation by 2 younger gentleman. The one giving the talk did an AMAZING job. Really play the role well and knew all the facts. Kids all listened and paid attention. It was a bit long for my 8 year old with ADHD but still very well done.

We proceeded then to the old slave house which is now the gift shop. There was plenty of merch divided into 2 rooms. I've included pictures. Then next door is the outdoor bathrooms. About diagonal to your right when you leave the store is the Meek's General Store. You basically go in and then it's a 8x8 foot glass room where you can look at the store displays. You can't walk through and really see everything.

After leaving the store turn right and head down to the McLearn House where the meeting and terms of surrender between Grant and Lee took place. This was a nice walk through tour. There were 2 rangers at the front to answer any questions. There are also houses and exhibits in the buildings out back so make sure now to miss those either.

Sadly we were on a schedule and didn't have much time to explore much further but the kids were able to complete the Junior Rangers booklets and earn their badges. Sadly the rangers didn't swear them in like usually but they were just handed over by the volunteers at the visitor desk.

For those interested in the National Park Cancellation Stamps, they are located in the NPS store to the left of the register. I've included a photo of what the station looks like. They are not located in the visitor center itself.

We would definitely visit again as we really didn't get to explore the entire town or do the self guided driving tour. We saw markers as we drove through the area but didn't get to drive and see the battle lines and the headquarters etc. I would plan to stay at least a couple hours around the grounds and maybe another 30-60 for the driving tour.

Losts of history here. The park is very, very nice. All the Rangers were friendly and helpful. Easy walking to all the sites. We were here on a Friday morning and it was not crowded. I would give yourself 2-3 hours to tour the grounds.

What amazing piece our American story and an extremely gorgeous area-! The staff in period costumes and brief movie are truly valuable additions to the experience. Walking in the footsteps of where some incredible historic men took steps to change the course of our history is surreal. You can feel the weight and significance of the Civil War ending-!

This is a great place to visit with older children. So much truth of our history is excluded in our schools that places like Appomattox are extremely important.

**if its a hot day when you visit, the buildings are air conditioned-!

Awesome place to learn about history. Staff there is great, you feel in the like middle of a important part of history.

The history here is amazing. We learned about the culmination of the American Civil War. Being able to tour the building where terms of surrender were written, learning about the mindset of how the war was ended in favor of building unity. The grounds and buildings are well maintained. The movie should be watched in the courthouse before going to the surrounding buildings. This is a big part of American History and if you are able to visit, I highly recommend it.

It was unnaturally quiet during our visit. Regardless of you allegiances, hundreds of thousands died to bring Grant and Lee to this place to scribble their names on paper to slow, but not stop, the dieing. The buildings and grounds are immaculate. The Rangers were a bit bored. But this is a special place. Well worth your time.

What a great historical park. The history and the amount of information was awesome. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Really a great experience for all. Watch the video at the visitor center first before visiting the rest of the park. The video is well worth it.

While I did not stop except at the pull off this trip, I have been to Appomattox before. It's a really great stop with a lot of history. Beautiful area, the rangers are very knowledgeable. Several picnic areas as well and places to walk.

Great National Park site. Pretty cool that place was saved. Great place to visit its important to know our colle time history.

We spent a wonderful afternoon here, in near perfect late June weather. Lots of rangers to answer questions, lots of things to see and learn. Some buildings were still closed because of Covid, but most were open. Not crowded mid-week, took lots of great photos.

Loved this place. The rangers were very friendly. There is a small gift shop and a small museum, as well 2 sets of restrooms on the property. Lots of handicapped spots, but the hill going up to the courthouse was a little steep. Made it ok in my mobile chair. Handicapped access only in some buildings.

Efforts of enduring endless curves on the state route were paid off! There is a film in the visitor centre but the site was 40 minutes from closure when we arrived. We were told to proceed straight to the McLean House, where the actual surrender of Robert E Lee and his army of Northern Virginia took place. We couldn't help but to imagine both commanders were here to put an end to the devastating war. After listening to the stories of Confederate soldiers after the surrender from the ranger, we still had about 15 minutes to explore this little old town.