Valley Forge

Artillery Park

Landmark · Valley Forge NHP, PA 19482

The area where Henry Knox positioned Continental artillery during the encampment, protecting the army's eastern approaches. Knox organized and maintained the army's guns through the winter. Replica cannon mark the artillery positions. The park also interprets Knox's role in building the Continental artillery corps as a professional branch.

Grand Parade Ground

Landmark · Valley Forge NHP, PA 19482

The open field where Baron Friedrich von Steuben drilled Continental soldiers through the winter and spring of 1778, transforming a dispirited, undisciplined force into a professional army. Von Steuben devised and personally demonstrated a standardized system of drill, commands, and maneuver — first working with a model company of 100 men, then spreading the techniques through the entire army. The transformation was complete before the army marched out in June 1778, evident at the Battle of Monmouth.

Muhlenberg Brigade Hut Replicas

Landmark · Valley Forge NHP, PA 19482

Reconstructed soldier huts based on Washington's order specifying dimensions: 14 by 16 feet, housing twelve men, with wooden bunks, a fireplace, and a mud-and-straw chimney. Walking through the hut rows communicates the scale of the encampment — nearly 12,000 soldiers built approximately 1,500 such structures in the first weeks after arrival.

National Memorial Arch

Monument · Valley Forge NHP, PA 19482

Triumphal arch erected 1917, modeled on the Arch of Titus in Rome, commemorating the sacrifice and perseverance of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. The arch bears inscriptions including Washington's order of the day praising the soldiers' fortitude. It stands at the entrance to the Grand Parade ground and serves as the visual focal point of the park's commemorative landscape.

Valley Forge National Historical Park Visitor Center

Museum · 1400 N Outer Line Dr, King of Prussia, PA 19406

Primary orientation point for Valley Forge NHP, with exhibits covering the 1777–78 winter encampment, von Steuben's training program, supply breakdowns, and the army's transformation. The center houses artifacts including period weapons, camp equipment, and personal items from Continental soldiers. A twelve-minute film provides essential narrative context before exploring the 3,500-acre park.

Washington's Headquarters (Isaac Potts House)

Historic House · Valley Forge NHP, PA 19482

The stone house Washington used as his headquarters during the Valley Forge encampment from December 1777 to June 1778. Built by ironmaster Isaac Potts, the structure is one of the few surviving buildings from the encampment period. Martha Washington joined him in February 1778. The house communicates the relative comfort of the commander's quarters in contrast to the huts where enlisted men lived.