Visitor Use Assistant

Petersburg National Battlefield’s mission is to commemorate the 9.5 month siege of Petersburg and to educate the public about the significance of the siege as it related to the Civil War. The park not only focuses on military action but also the people; soldier and civilian, free and enslaved who were impacted by the siege. There are four units to Petersburg National Battlefield.

Eastern Front Unit: This is where the opening attacks on the city of Petersburg occurred as well as the Battles of the Crater and Fort Stedman. The Unit includes a visitor center, 4-mile/8-stop tour road, and 10 miles of recreational trails.

General Grant’s Headquarters Unit at City Point: General Ulysses S. Grant spent the entire siege headquartered at City Point (present day Hopewell, VA). His headquarters was located on the east lawn of Appomattox Plantation. This is also the site where the Union Army had their supply base and where President Abraham Lincoln would spend two of the last three weeks of his life. The visitor contact station is located in what was the plantation home of the Eppes Family. The station will have limited weekend hours of operation beginning in early June through October.

Western Front Unit: This 4-stop unit is located due south of Petersburg and includes Poplar Grove National Cemetery where over 6,200 soldiers are buried. Most of the soldiers interred at Poplar Grove are Union soldiers but there are also a small number of Confederate troops, World War I, World War II, and Korean War soldiers there as well. The battles which took place in the Western Front Unit include the Battles of Weldon Railroad (Aug. 1864) and Peebles Farm (Sept. 1864), and the Battle of Fort Gregg (April 2, 1865).

Five Forks Unit: The Battle of Five Forks was the last major battle of the Siege of Petersburg. Called “the Waterloo of the Confederacy” by Conf. Brig. General Thomas Munford, the battle ensured the Union Army’s ability to access the last Confederate supply line into Petersburg. Geographically Five Forks is located to the southwest of Petersburg. It includes a 5-stop driving tour and a recreational trail system.

Qualifications and Physical Requirements:

Previous experience is not required, but prior customer service training is helpful. Volunteers should enjoy working with the public and be able to keep their composure in stressful situations. The visitor centers include ramps helpful to those with physical challenges. Chairs are located behind the information desk but volunteers are asked to stand, if possible, when communicating with the public.

Time Commitment:

Volunteers utilizing one of the three volunteer RV campsites are required to commit a minimum of 32 hours/week for a time period of at least two months.

Those not utilizing an RV site are asked to commit to a minimum of 4 hours/week.