Explore history, culture, and classic American towns along Route 15

Take a road trip along Route 15 from Loudoun County, Virginia through Frederick, Maryland, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and centuries of American stories come to life.

These regions are known for Civil War history, great wine, and delicious food served up in historic buildings. Yet, there are so many more stories to find here.

Discover stories of our Black history and culture, uncover lesser-known stories from World War II as we commemorate the conflict’s 80th anniversary, and visit three thriving communities with vibrant Main Streets that combine history, shopping, dining, and walkability.

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Black History and Culture

Leesburg has become a vibrant public arts hub, with a contemporary sculpture garden, guided public art tours and scores of murals– many depicting the extraordinary contribution of African Americans to the county’s history.

The wall of the Loudoun Museum depicts Bazil Newman, a Black 19^th Century Loudoun landowner taking a young Black boy across the Potomac River to Maryland at night. A short walk away, on the walls of the town’s public garage, vibrant murals depict beloved local barbershop owner Nelson “Mutt” Lassiter and Marie Medley-Howard, said to be the first African American woman to own a business in town. Just outside town is the Historic Douglass High School Education and Development Campus, which opened in May 2023 on the site of Loudoun’s first Black high school.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building features a playground that celebrates African American history and culture, including a Hall of Heroes structure modeled on the shape of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington.

In Frederick County, there’s centuries of Black history told at local sites and museums. In Thurmont, you’ll find the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, an organization that preserves and interprets an iron furnace and company village with roots back to the 18th century. The Museum of the Ironworker and the African American Cemetery Interpretative Trail tells the story of the enslaved workers who toiled at the furnace in its earliest years.

Head into Downtown Frederick and take a walking tour with the AARCH Society, detailing the history of All Saint Streets, the historically Black neighborhood at the heart of the city.

Visitors can spend an entire day diving into an integral part of Gettysburg’s history that has often been overlooked. The diverse people, places and stories that make up the tapestry of this town are chronicled through the Gettysburg Black History Trail. Launched in 2024, the self-guided trail includes interactive museums, battlefield locations and historic downtown sites. 

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80th Anniversary of World War II

Visit the former residence of George C Marshall, just minutes from Route 16. A National Historic Landmark, the site is now known as Dodona Manor and where Marshall lived from 1941 until 1959. During his residency, Marshall served our nation as Chief of Staff of the Army, Special Envoy to China, Secretary of State, President of the American Red Cross and Secretary of Defense. General Marshall was the architect of the European Recovery Plan (The Marshall Plan) and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. Both Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill described him as “the greatest American of the 20^th century.” More than 90 percent of the items in the house belonged to the Marshalls when he lived there.

Discover secret stories from World War II at Catoctin Mountain Park in northern Frederick County. Created as a national park in the 1930s, the park became a training ground for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agents before they headed off to serve behind enemy lines in World War II. The OSS was the predecessor to the CIA.

A five-star general of World War II before he became America’s 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife Mamie resided in Gettysburg for several years. Their tranquil farm, the only home Ike and Mamie ever owned, is preserved today as Eisenhower National Historic Site. Visitors can tour the house seasonally and walk the very grounds Eisenhower once did. 

After exploring the Eisenhower home, head over to World War II American Experience and get up close to tanks, Jeeps and other military vehicles. Dozens of uniforms and rare artifacts in this museum illustrate the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation, from the front lines to the home front. 

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3 towns on a historic byway

Visit Virginia’s largest small town, Leesburg, known for restaurants, cafes, bars, breweries, boutiques and chic home décor stores. Dine on oysters, tacos and farm-to-table fare on King Street (our restaurant row), and visit any of a dozen or so artisanal coffee shops along the Leesburg Coffee Corridor. There’s a vibrant art and music scene too, with several museums, galleries, murals and a concert venue – Tally Ho.

Though it might be Maryland’s 2nd largest city, Frederick is home to a 50-block historic district that feels like a small town at the foot of Catoctin Mountain. Downtown Frederick is home to 200+ independent and locally owned shops and restaurants.

The stories of the past blend with small town charm of the present in Gettysburg’s walkable downtown, where Civil War era homes are nestled between eclectic shops and restaurants. From fine dining by candlelight to sipping beer in a local brewery, culinary experiences await to satisfy your cravings. Family farms in the Adams County countryside provide a bounty of fresh ingredients that bring the cuisine to another level.