Get Out of the Car Tours

April 26, 2025 – 10:00 a.m.

Gettysburg – Law’s Brigade – July 2, 1863

Led by Ranger Lewis Trott

And with those words Major General Hood was ordered to move forward with his division, led by Brigadier General Evander Law’s Brigade. This attack would turn otherwise ordinary places into some of the most famous places on American soil. Join us as we trace the steps of Law’s Brigade and discuss how this monumental attack unfolded.

Parking on April 26, 2025

Carpooling is required. Parking is only permitted along South Confederate Ave. The picnic area parking must be left for picnic area users on a busy Saturday. Permittee must ensure all cars are parked on the right side of one-way avenues and that all tires remain on the paved roadway. Parking in front of monuments along South Confederate Avenue is prohibited. Leave these areas open for regular visitors taking the auto tour. Those wishing to stage vehicles near the end of the tour must park on the right-hand side of South Confederate Ave. near the intersection of South Confederate Ave. and Warren/Wright Ave. at a safe distance from the intersection. No parking on Warren Ave as that area will be used by volunteers for a Volunteer in the Parks workday. Group size and associated transportation methods for permitted activities should be planned appropriately and not exclude general park visitors from being able to access the area/parking area or block traffic

We will meet ON FOOT at the picnic area parking lot.

May 17, 2025 – 10:00 a.m.

Monocacy – July 9, 1864

Led by Ranger Matthew Borders

Co-Hosted by The Civil War Breakfast Club

This approximately 2-hour program will cover the most intense portion of the Battle of Monocacy, the fighting at Thomas Farm. By 3pm on July 9, 1864, Lieutenant General Jubal Early’s Confederate forces had been stymied in clearing the road to Washington DC for seven hours. The battle was taking to long and the day was slipping away. To break the Federal resistance, Early ordered the division of Major General John B. Gordon over the Monocacy River to punch through the Federal resistance. Opposing Gordon was the veteran 3^rd Division of the VI Corps, commanded by Brigadier General James Ricketts.

Nearly evenly matched in number, the clash of divisions on Thomas Farm saw extensive fighting from 3:30pm to about 5pm as the battlelines moved back and forth across the fields. Men fell, civilian property was destroyed and the fate of Washington DC hung in the balance. Join us on May 17, 2025 on this two-mile hike as we dive into the specifics of the fighting and the men who fought there.

The Monocacy Get Out of the Car program will be at Thomas Farm, Tour stop three on Monocacy National Battlefield.

The address is: 4460 Baker Valley Road, we will be parking in the large parking area near the Thomas Farm Barn.

Below is a map to make directions easier for you. 

June 21, 2025 – 10:30 a.m.

St. James Church

Brandy Station – June 9, 1863

Led by Certified Guides Tracy Baer and Michael “Six Questions” Lentz

THIS TOUR IS NOT FREE AND HAS LIMITED SPACE.

PLEASE SEE TICKET LINK BELOW TO GET YOUR TICKETS

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The Battle of Brandy Station – Culpeper, VA

St. James Church action

The Battle of Brandy Station is most widely known for the climactic action that took place on the important high ground of Fleetwood Hill. Preceding this was the initial Confederate defensive position that was hastily formed along a low plateau between the home of Mary Gee and St.James Church. This line was held by mounted and dismounted cavalry and sixteen pieces of artillery and was important to protect Fleetwood to the rear.

The tour will give a brief look at the events leading up to this position as well as what was going on at the same time and afterwards, but focus on the specific area, including the Union plan and attack and the Confederate response. We will also discuss the players involved and their roles and responses throughout the battle.

This land has been preserved by the American Battlefield Trust and portions have been turned over to the state of Virginia as the commonwealth’s 43 rd State Park, so join us to explore the well-preserved fields to see the Union cavalry’s perspective and inspect the lines held by JEB Stuart’s men. The hike will be over open and slightly rolling fields and gravel roads and be less than 1.5 miles. Insect repellent is recommended.

The tour will meet at the Southern States convenience store and gas station, and we will caravan from there to the St. James Church line.

Tracy Baer is a native of Chambersburg, PA, where he lives with his wife and four dogs. After receiving his BA from Shippensburg University in 1983, Tracy stepped into the family business, Baer’s Sign Service, and took over ownership in 1995. Growing up in an area with a very rich Civil War history has given him many opportunities to study and research that pivotal time of the Nation’s past. Tracy became a Federally Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park in 2016 and been able to meet people from around the world and show them that hallowed ground. He is also a certified battlefield guide for Culpeper Battlefield Tours in Virginia, focusing on the Battle of Brandy Station and the 1863 Winter Encampment. He also frequently speaks in person or remotely to organizations on various aspects of the war. Tracy also developed a Civil War related walking tour of his hometown along with a driving tour of Franklin County. He is also active in researching and preserving the memories of the African American Civil War soldiers buried in Chambersburg’s Mt. Vernon.

Michael Lentz, also known as “Six Questions” by Addressing Gettysburg followers, has been a certified guide with Culpeper Battlefield Tours since 2022. Originally from Colorado, Lentz moved to Pennsylvania in 2019 in order to pursue becoming a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg.

August 16, 2025 – 10:30 a.m.

First Bull Run: Matthews Hill – July 21, 1861

Led by Harry Smeltzer. Cohosted by The History Things Podcast

Most visitors to the Manassas National Battlefield Park spend most, if not all, of their time in the vicinity of the NPS Visitor’s Center on Henry House Hill, but there is much more to see. Join us for a few hours as we explore Matthews Hill and the area of the First Battle of Bull Run field north of the Warrenton Turnpike (Lee Highway). This is where the important opening engagements of the first large scale, and perhaps most influential, battle of the Civil War took place on July 21, 1861. We’ll use plenty of first person accounts to give an idea of how the action unfolded, and provide more insight into the people who, by and large, there had their first encounters with the chaos of war.

Harry Smeltzer is the host of Bull Runnings (bullrunnings.wordpress.com), a website dedicated to the digitization of primary resources and original content related to the First Battle of Bull Run.  He lives just outside Pittsburgh, and was born and raised in Southwestern PA.  He has earned degrees at The Pennsylvania State University and the Katz School of the University of Pittsburgh.  He’s also been published in print media including in the journal Civil War History, The Civil War Monitor, Civil War Times, and America’s Civil War.  He is a Digital History Advisor for The Civil War Monitor and a former Contributing Editor for America’s Civil War. He sits on the board of directors of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation.  He has presented programs to organizations in eight states and the District of Columbia and organizes and leads tours at Manassas National Battlefield Park. Groups with which he’s worked include Civil War round tables, libraries, historical societies, universities, preservation groups, and the United States Marine Corps. He’s been hosting Bull Runnings since November 2006.

September 27, 2025 – 10:00 a.m.

Sedgwick’s Division at Antietam

Led by author and historian Scott Hartwig

This tour functions as a combined fundraising initiative for the George Tyler Moore Center and the Digital History Pioneers Foundation. Following the tour, attendees are invited to a book signing accompanied by light refreshments at the Schindler House in Shepherdstown, WV. Please note that tickets are required for participation, and space is limited. We encourage you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for updates. See you on the field!

“Follow in the footsteps of two soldiers of General John Sedgwick’s division of the 2nd Corps during their fateful and disastrous encounter in the West Woods on the morning of September 17.  

The walk will meet at the NPS Visitor Center and hike to the East Woods.  From this point we will follow the approximate path of Lieutenant Sam Hodgman, of the 7th Michigan, and Roland Bowen, an observant enlisted man in the 15th Massachusetts, and their experiences during the disaster that engulfed their division.

Their story will inform the broader story of what impact the defeat and rout of Sedgwick’s division had upon the Battle of Antietam.  The program will entail about 1 and ½ miles of moderate walking, along roads, trails and fields.” 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

October 18, 2025 – 10:00 a.m.

African Americans at Gettysburg

“That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom”- Abraham Lincoln

While the three day Battle of Gettysburg is filled with countless stories of valor and bravery, there have always been other stories beneath the surface of citizens whose fate as Americans was intertwined with the outcome of the battle. Join us as we explore the lives of some of the African Americans who longed for Lincoln’s vision of a New Birth of Freedom.