Old Town Manassas is a walkable stretch of Victorian storefronts along Center Street and the surrounding blocks — the commercial heart the city grew around its railroad junction. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the late 19th-century brick buildings have held up well, giving the area a character distinct from the sprawl that surrounds it.
The streets here are worth an hour's wander before or after the battlefield. There are independent shops, a few restaurants, and the Manassas Museum on West Main Street. The Harris Pavilion, an open-air event space at the center of the district, hosts a farmers market on Saturdays and outdoor concerts through the summer.