Fort Ward Park

Visited 11÷1÷15
A friend of mine took me this this park a few weeks ago. It’s located in Alexandria, not too far from NOVA. It’s absolutely free, as most parks are. Looking around, I noticed a lot of remnants of the civil war before my friend told me it was a fort back in the day. I found it so interesting that the civil war trenches were well preserved. There’s also a museum located in the park. Gave it a 4 because it’s a nice environment with a lot of history behind it at the same time.

Small park with civil war fort remnants. The fort is interesting to visit for civil war buffs. There’s a path around the fort that offers a nice walk or quick run. Only real negative for me is the size… a bit too small for my taste.
If you’re looking for a simple little place for a walk or jog in the middle of Alexandria though, this may do the trick.

Easily the best preserved of the original 68 Civil War forts which once defended Washington. I’ve been to Fort Totten, Fort Stevens, Fort C F Smith, Fort Marcy, even to the locations of other long-​gone forts, but this is my favorite.
They also have a small museum on the grounds with a good selection of artifacts. This is a great place to break-​in people who aren’t usually Civil War buffs, as you could either breeze thru, or take your time.

It’s really clean and peaceful. I often jog there. I’ve never been there on weekends but it’s not crowded on weekdays. Great relaxation!

Alexandria does a great job preserving the history of the park and making it community friendly. The staff who maintain the grounds are friendly and do a great job.
My dogs and I come here every morning for our walk because it is safe, clean, has facilities for humans and the dogs, etc. This is a beautiful piece of Alexandria and I am so grateful it is literally in my back yard. I would like to see the amphitheater active.

I had my graduation party here a week ago. I’ve never been here before and I found it to be really a quaint little park.
It was easy enough to reserve a picnic area. $ 75 for an unsheltered area and $ 150 for a sheltered area. All the spaces were very large and clean. Grills were provided (though it took a lot of cleaning for it to work adequately) and tables were provided as well. Depending on the type of picnic area you want, you can choose grassy by the playground (#1), a more woody area (#3) or just large pieces of grass (#4).
The bathroooms were clean and well kept. Plenty of parking spaces for my guests and other guests of other parties. There’s the Fort Ward Museum you can visit that’s up in front as well.
When I was there, I saw plenty of people taking walks and runs around the park. It’s quiet and really nice here.

This is a great park to visit in any season. Perfect for picnics or cookouts in the spring, picking blackberries on the many bushes in the summer, throwing the ball around in the fall and sledding down those big hills in winter. There is a paved loop around the park that my dog and I frequently visit when the weather is warm as do many walkers.
Now while most of the things I’ve mentioned can be found in neighborhood parks what makes Fort Ward Park really stand out is the fact that it was a Union Army defensive fort protecting our nation’s capitol back in the civil war. They still have the fort walls and cannons in the middle of the park with a newly paved handicap accessible walkway. There is a little civil war muesam on site. Every once in a while the park will have a history related event like a civil war reenactment which is pretty cool to witness If you have the chance. The park’s history didn’t end with the civil war, and there is an old cemetery and signs up that give information about the African American community that settled on the land. But even if you’re not big on history it’s a great place to enjoy some fresh air.

I have lived in Alexandria for years and have only gone to this park once or twice. Well, that is not entirely true, for I have only gone to the front of the park once or twice. Seriously, I thought the top part of the park was it, but yesterday, at a company picnic no less. I discovered that there was this whole sylvan world just down the hill. Hell, it was like your own Secret Garden or something. Ok, I doubt that we’re talking magical healing powers here (my knees still scream for Ibuprofen) but this place did lift my spirits.
Now, I understand that the fort is pretty cool as well. I also understand that the park powers that be hold reenactments throughout the year, and as much as I want to pick up my musket and fight for liberty, on this day, I was more concerned with the barbeque munchies our group had spread out in the park’s pavilion in good old section #2. We had reserved this space which comes complete with a pretty massive set up, and our resident chief Rich M was able to serve up some pretty good grub. There were burgers, dogs, and sausages oh my! With chips and Cheetos right next to some scrumptious potato salad and creamy coleslaw, I cannot lie. Why, my famous Bacon wrapped BBQ meatloaf even made an appearance. No kidding, my fellow foodie, I’m practically a meatloaf master and have a recipe for almost any occasion. What, still chuckling? Still doubting my meatloaf worthiness? Don’t make me stop this car right now and post my recipe. I will, I tell you! There, that’s better.
As awesome as everything was, I couldn’t help noticing that I didn’t see any restroom facilities nearby. Surely they must have them, I thought. However, I didn’t want to risk it, so I was forced to limit my soda consumption to two humble cans of Diet Pepsi, The lack of restroom visibility is why I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 stars, but if I can find them in the near future, I’d have to say that this place is 5 star all the way. Perhaps that”s what i will do this weekend… hang out in the park and embark on a restroom quest. …It must be here somewhere?

This review is just for the turf soccer fields.
The fields are ok compared to others in the area. No bathrooms close by except for port a potties. The goals all have holes in the nets. Fields are very hard to find and aren’t in the actual park. If you split the fields into 2 the ball constantly goes I over the fence and onto a major road

A great park for a quiet picnic. The playground is great too. We rented the gazebo picnic area for a birthday party and it met all our expectations. Tons of tables and the grill was great (after removing a ridiculous amount of ashes). Lots of parking too. Highly recommend!

Love this park! It is usually clean, and while there are always people there, it rarely seems overly crowded.

Great Museum that provides some early history of the DC area– forts and such… Also, great pavilions to have picnics

I don’t understand how people can give a historic park less than give stars. Is it not free enough for you? Is there not enough ample parking for you? Is it not enough of an oasis among the urban sprawl of Alexandria for you?
Fort Ward gives you the ability to escape from the hustle and bustle of your important job, and be transplanted to a place where you can briefly explore the remains of an old civil war fort, you can bond with the little bits of nature left in Alexandria, or have a picnic! It’s all about what you want to do. Enjoy it!

I love green space but this spot is just all right. It feels a bit disconnected; part historic site, part playground and park, and a little too much paving to make it feel like you’ve escaped. You start walking and you never quite get lost unless you climb on the walls (which you’re not supposed to).
With all the other great parks within five miles, I don’t know I would return unless they all closed. ;)

This is a wonderful place for walking (including with pets), having picnics, and exploring a little history. Paths wind through the old fort, and a mostly one-​lane road with several parking areas runs around it. Several picnic areas have benches, and at least one — maybe two — have pavilions and can be rented. There’s a playground, as well as an impressive amphitheater. Walls and berms remain from the old fort, along with cannon and a few restored storage areas to give you the sense of how the fort operated. The area’s history is captured in the museum, which is closed on Mondays, and throughout the park on signs explaining the fort and early settlers on and around the park grounds. (At one point, there’s also an area that seems to indicate that it’s the site of a cemetery, based on a sign describing the site, but no other markers. The guided path seemed to run straight through this area, but I quickly found a way to walk around this area as I don’t like walking over graves, marked or unmarked.)

I would give the park 5 stars, but I have never done anything here but run. However, just it’s value as a running course makes it 4 star worthy.
The park is set off of East Braddock Road just off of Van Doren Street. There is parking, though not that much. From a running point of view, this is good as the chance of getting run over is pretty low. The park is also quiet during the day, so if you just want to get lost in your running, it’s good for that.
Now that I live somewhat near by, I’d like to explore it more.

I have been going to Fort Ward Park since I was very young, preschool age, and I still really enjoy it. I have pictures from when I was little and my parents held a pony ride birthday party for me at this very place. — In hindsight, it was a terrible idea on my parents part to have ponies, but they didn’t know any better, and they truly did mean well.
If you are looking for a giant park, then you should look else where. I honestly don’t know too much about the museum, or anything to do with that part of the park. The reasons I go to Fort Ward now is to take my son so he can wander around with me, play in the grassy areas, or on the playground. There are areas for barbequing as well which is great for parties, or just hanging out. I used to bring my previous dog with me here a lot. We would go running and just wander around some. He really enjoyed himself. (Dogs must be on leash.)
PS– If you are able to, I would recommend parking in the first lot on the right hand side as soon as you are able to pull in. I have a Passat and it isn’t super low to the ground, but even going REALLY SLOW over the new speed hump/​bumps they put in, my car scrapped some. :-(

This is a really beautiful little green spot in a big residential neighborhood. There are about a million picnic benches with different spots you can reserve. There is also a little playground for the kiddos.
Everything about this park is serene and lovely, even though it buts up against the highway. In the middle are old canons.
I doubt it’d be of much interest if you weren’t going there to picnic or have a nice walk with your sweetie, but it is a very nice little place to read a book, take a nap, or generally enjoy the outdoors.

I appreciate the people of Alexandria for having the foresight to reconstruct and preserve a historical piece of land that at one time helped shape our country.
The park itself is very tiny. You don’t need to take out a big chunk of time from your day to check this place out. The fort itself consists of about 5 – 7 replica canons. It has historical markers to educate the people that walk through on their self guided tours.
The visitors center has some artifacts from the time period… probably the most strange being a piece of Ellsworth’s hair… The ladies that work in the visitors center were informative and helpful in giving suggestions for other forts to visit in the area.

Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site is a great little spot of green, right in the heart of Alexandria. It’s small but powerful.
Fort Ward was built during the Civil War, a Union fort designed to protect Washington, D.C., from Confederate troops. The ramparts still stand, their edges softened by the grass that now covers them. There are picnic pavilions complete with charcoal grills, perfect for afternoon barbecues in good weather. A large playground with nice equipment — including an old cannon to climb on – sits in the middle of the park for entertaining the kiddos. An amphitheater on the west side of the park is used for lectures, concerts, and shows. Civil War reenactments take place throughout the year. There’s a paved loop for vehicle traffic, but you see bikers, bladers, and walkers/​joggers using it throughout the year. The loop is flat and by no means strenuous, but the park provides a lovely backdrop for a stroll in warm months, and a respite from cabin fever in the cold ones.
The Museum at the entrance of the park interprets the park’s history and houses Civil War exhibits. It, too, is small but powerful.
Overall an unexpected, great spot to relax and enjoy some of our country’s history right off Braddock Road.