By Nancy Dunham
Forget sitting around watching the History Channel.
One of the many great things about Prince William County and, of course, Manassas is that you can go out and enjoy the areas that viewers of the History Channel can only observe on screens.
Consider Manassas National Battlefield Park. You may know the name because it was the site of two major American Civil War battles – the First Battle of Bull Run and the Second Battle of Bull Run. It's also the site where Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson got the nickname "Stonewall."
Now part of the National Park Service, the battlefield is a site filled with living history.
This coming weekend, for example, the park will be the site of military demonstrations of musketry and artillery firing along with a ranger tour and talks about the battlefield. You'll even observe an encampment of troops representing both Union and Confederate soldiers.
Think that you saw something just like that in a theme park? You haven't. The re-enactors in Prince William County are second to none, thanks to the area's proud history. You'll see the heavy wool uniforms the soldiers wear during the sweltering summer heat and also the way they lived — no Coca-Cola cans or Hot Pockets here. As long as you're in Prince William County, take some time and delve into some real-life history lessons.
Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Manassas National Battlefield Park, 6511 Sudley Road. $3. www.nps.gov/mana.