Attractions

Civil War enthusiasts should pick up a free driving tour brochure from the visitor center. It will lead you to the key sites of the Battle of Front Royal, which Stonewall Jackson won in May 1862. He directed his troops from atop a knoll in Prospect Hill Cemetery, on Prospect Street, where the remains of 276 soldiers from all 13 Confederate states are buried.

In downtown, you'll find two mildly fascinating Civil War attractions on Chester Street, 1 block north of the visitor center. You should be able to see them both in 1 1/2 hours.

Operated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Warren Rifles Confederate Museum, 95 Chester St. (tel. 540/636-6982; http://users.erols.com/va-udc/museum.html), memorializes the great conflict with a collection of Civil War firearms, battle flags, uniforms, letters, diaries, and other personal items. Admission is $5 for adults, free for students and children accompanied by adults. It's open April 15 through November 1 Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm, Sunday noon to 4pm, and by appointment the rest of the year.

Next door behind Ivy Lodge, home to the Warren Heritage Society (tel. 540/636-1446; www.warrenheritagesociety.org), is the restored Belle Boyd Cottage, in which the Confederate spy pillow-talked with her unsuspecting Union lovers. The white, house-size cottage now houses the society's archives. It's open Monday to Saturday from noon to 4pm. Admission is $3 per person, free for children under 10. Or you can buy a combination ticket for $5 and visit the Balthis House, built in 1788 and the oldest remaining house on Chester Street.