Manassas Station

Historic rail depot that gave the city its strategic importance

The red-brick Victorian station still stands on the VRE (Virginia Railway Express) commuter line, making it both a working rail station and a piece of 19th-century architecture worth a look. The building dates to 1914 — a rebuild of earlier structures — and is considered one of the better-preserved small-town depots in northern Virginia.

The station is within easy walking distance of Old Town. Trains run to Washington's Union Station on weekdays, making Manassas a plausible base for day trips into the capital if you want to avoid the city's hotel prices.

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A story
The railroad junction here was the reason both armies fought so hard for Manassas. Whoever controlled the junction controlled rail movement through northern Virginia. The old depot building also caught the attention of the rock band Manassas — Stephen Stills named his 1972 band after the town and used the station as the backdrop for the album cover, giving the Victorian depot an unexpected moment of rock-and-roll fame.