With Summer In Sight, American Battlefield Trust's "Twilight Tours" Series Returns

(Washington, D.C.) – When seeking out summer adventure, many travelers take the opportunity to expand their minds and soak up America’s vast supply of historic sites. The American Battlefield Trust, eager to connect individuals with the hallowed ground on which our nation was defined, is stepping up to answer the call for exploration associated with the nation’s profound past. For eight weeks, running June 3 to July 30, the nation’s leading battlefield preservation nonprofit will be offering a total of 20 members-only “Twilight Tours” across battlefields in Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Met with great applause last summer, the “Twilight Tour” series aims to provide Trust members with pathways to stand on the very grounds that they played a role in preserving.  

“Our country’s battlefields vary in terrain, time period, size, location and historical memory, and this gives the American Battlefield Trust the chance to expose curious visitors to the diverse nature of the wars fought on American soil,” said Trust President David Duncan. “With our ‘Twilight Tours’ we want members to engage with the work that has been done to save these landscapes while simultaneously absorbing a wealth of history from brilliant experts... all amidst warm summer nights!” 

The series will kick-off at Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park in Leesburg, Va. There, Jim Anderson with the Friends of Ball's Bluff will carefully weave attendees through the hours-long battle that unfolded on October 16, 1861. There will certainly be much to discuss, as the battle ended in one of the worst defeats that either side endured during the Civil War, destroyed a highly regarded Union general’s career and killed Col. Edward D. Baker — a sitting U.S. senator and dear friend of President Abraham Lincoln. 

Each tour will run approximately two hours and will entail hiking an assortment of terrain. Limited to roughly 50 members each, these free tours aim to provide access while still maintaining a sense of intimacy. Donors who live in proximity to the selected locations will receive an email with registration instructions. Sites run the gamut — Revolutionary War sites and battlefields from both the Civil War’s Eastern and Western Theaters. No matter the place, tour-goers will be met by beautiful battlefield landscapes and the tales ingrained in the ground. To keep up with the Trust’s latest events, please visit www.battlefields.org/events.  

“Twilight Tour” sites include: Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Md.; Averasboro Battlefield and Museum, Dunn, N.C.; Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park, Leesburg, Va.; The Battle of Kettle Run at Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park, Bristow, Va.; Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site, Dunn, N.C.; Brandy Station Battlefield, Brandy Station, Va.; Camden Battlefield and Longleaf Pine Preserve, Camden, S.C.; Camp Nelson National Monument, Nicholasville, Ky.; Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, Middletown, Va.; Espy GAR Post at Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, Carnegie, Pa.; Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry, W.Va.; Mine Run Battlefield, Locust Grove, Va.; Paoli Battlefield Historical Park and Paoli Memorial Grounds, Malvern, Pa.; Parker's Crossroads Battlefield, Wildersville, Tenn.; Slaughter Pen Farm at Fredericksburg Battlefield, Fredericksburg, Va.; Stevens Knoll at Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pa.; Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg, Miss.; Yorktown Battlefield at Colonial National Historical Park, Yorktown, Va. 

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today.  The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 55,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.  

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