See Valley Forge National Historical Park, a flash-point of the American Revolution. Honor the soldiers who persevered in the face of tremendous hardship during the long winter at Valley Forge. Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app that will function as your personal guide, audio tour, and map all in one. Start the tour near the visitor center with the cabins where ordinary soldiers weathered the deepening cold. Then head to the camp that was home to a preacher-turned-soldier with a flair for the dramatic: General Peter “Devil Pete” Muhlenberg. At Maine Memorial, learn about the bonds that held the colonies together during the revolution. Then, see the impressive National Memorial Arch. Hear about the ills besetting the camp, including waves of desertion which threatened to splinter the army. Behold George Washington’s headquarters, which hide an important history. See the nearby George Washington Monument, where you’ll hear the truth about what made this man such an effective general. On the final stop, see the Patriots of African Descent Monument, where you’ll learn the seldom-told story of the first Black military regiment in the history of the United States. The tour concludes near the visitor center.

The Valley Forge encampment is a hugely important part in the story of the foundation of the United States. After retreating from the Battle of Brandywine, General Washington moved his army to the high ground at Valley Forge in December of 1777. Over the next 6 months, battling the cold, disease, desertion, and famine, the army amazingly grew in numbers and strength and, with the help of Baron von Steuben, was transformed into a well-trained fighting force that ultimately went on to win the war against the British. The drive out from the city takes about 30 minutes depending on traffic. The tour includes a drive around the Valley Forge National Historic Park, which today is a beautifully kept and landscaped, natural setting filled with deer and birds. Regimental monuments dot the drive as well as recreations of the huts used by the men (and women) who camped here. You’ll have many chances to get out and wander among the huts, take photos across the park, and visit the site of George Washington’s headquarters and the Washington Memorial Chapel built in the early 1900s to commemorate this unique part of history. Your tour guide will regale you with many stories and then take you to the Visitor Center, where you can see a short movie about the encampment, browse in the store, and visit the museum area.