Manassas Travel Guide

In 1608, Captain John Smith and his band of frontiersmen rode a barge along the Potomac River, the first white men to touch the unnamed wilderness that is now known as Prince William County. The county was formed in 1731 and was named for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, second son of King George II.

Today, Prince William County encompasses 348 square miles and includes the city of Manassas

According to legend, the name Manassas was derived from an Indian source or from Manasseh, a Jewish innkeeper at Manassas Gap. Manassas originated in 1852 at the junction of two railroads which linked Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. with the Shenandoah Valley and Richmond. During the Civil War, the junction’s strategic importance led to the battles of First and Second Manassas (Bull Run). The county seat since 1892, Manassas was rebuilt after the Civil War and remained a small town for most of the 20th century. It became a city in 1975. Known for Civil War history, Manassas also has a wonderful museum system and charming Old Town historic district.

Manassas National Battlefield park was established in 1940 to preserve the scene of two major Civil War battles. Located a few miles north of the prized railroad junction of Manassas, Virginia, the peaceful Virginia countryside bore witness to clashes between the armies of the North and South in 1861 and 1862.

Today the battlefield park provides the opportunity for visitors to explore the historic terrain where men fought and died for their beliefs a century ago.