Appomattox Court House National Historical Park being but a short drive from our home, we took in a visit on a recent "lazy" weekend. It was fun to reminisce about how we'd visited the park when we were dating.
Simply interpreted, much of the outdoor area is a beautiful place for a walk on a nice day, although I'd wager that spring and fall visits might be more pleasant. The park presents a great impression of the drama of emotions surrounding the surrender itself but doesn't deal very much in some of the more complex questions about Appamattox (Were the McLeans war profiteers? The reconciliation wasn't as instantaneous as the surrender activities might have implied, right?) unless you ask. You can feel a great sense of history standing at the Grant-Lee meeting spot and listening to the audio recording available via "push button" there. Fun options for families include some chances to have "parole papers" printed for you.
If you go, plan to be on pebble-y walks up to the visitor's center from the parking lot. Do visit the museum upstairs in the center: the displays in this area are designed in a reasonably contemporary way. An electronic map explains the battle (Kim thinks electronic map displays make military history more interesting) and display cases house lesser-known artifacts including the silent witness doll that was present at the surrender signing. There's also a display of objects carved from the mythical apple tree under which it was rumored that the surrender occurred. The park area is nested in a small town, but the Lynchburg area is close for a meal.
Relevant Link:
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
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