Civil War Trails
Civil War Trails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a network of 1,500+ interpretive heritage sites across six U.S. states, connecting visitors to Civil War and Revolutionary War history through physical signs, interactive maps, and printed guides developed in partnership with local historians and state tourism offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersVirginia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Civil War Trails does
Civil War Trails, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational corporation founded in 1994 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The organization operates a network of more than 1,500 interpretive heritage sites across six states (Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania), using physical signs with QR-linked digital content to guide visitors through Civil War-era stories developed through grassroots partnerships with local historians and descendants. Its core technology platform is an interactive web-based map (Google Maps-integrated) with campaign filters and GPS directions, supplemented by downloadable and printed state/regional map guides and a partner mobile app (Let's Rallie) for self-guided experiences. The organization has expanded its thematic scope with the Road to Revolution Heritage Trail (40+ stops across 18th-century Virginia) and partner-developed narrative trails such as 'Eyewitness to Battle' in Fredericksburg and the Harford County Celebration Trail in Maryland.
The organization's business model is a hybrid nonprofit structure. Revenue is generated through (1) a one-time site package fee of $3,500 covering design, fabrication, installation, and map placement of a new interpretive sign, (2) recurring annual sponsorship fees for ongoing sign maintenance and marketing, (3) donations as a 501(c)(3), and (4) printed map and brochure sales distributed in bulk to visitor centers and tourism offices. Go-to-market is community-led: local communities and historians initiate site additions, which Civil War Trails then researches, develops, and installs. Distribution relies on state tourism offices (which also appoint board directors), municipal departments, and visitor centers rather than direct sales. Governance is provided by a board of directors with appointed representatives from each partner state tourism office, including a Chairman from Visit North Carolina. The organization employs approximately 10 people, including an Executive Director, Assistant Director, Historian/Editor, and Operations lead.
Civil War Trails firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Civil War Trails
- Legal name
- Civil War Trails, Inc.
- Website
- https://civilwartrails.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Civil War Trails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a network of 1,500+ interpretive heritage sites across six U.S. states, connecting visitors to Civil War and Revolutionary War history through physical signs, interactive maps, and printed guides developed in partnership with local historians and state tourism offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Civil War Trails industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heritage Tourism Services
- NAICS
- Historical Sites (71212), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Political, Social History & Civic Tours (THAJAAAK)
Keywords
Where Civil War Trails is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Virginia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Civil War Trails business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Site Sponsorship Program: Initial site package costs $3,500 covering design, fabrication, installation of interpretive sign, directional signs, and map/website placement. Each sign requires an annual sponsor for ongoing maintenance and marketing.
- Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting donations to support operations and bring history to visitors.
- Map and Brochure Sales: Printed map guides sold in bulk (cases) and individual copies for visitors, historic sites, and visitor centers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Initial Site Package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Civil War Trails product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Civil War Trails operates a network of more than 1,500 interpretive historical sites across six U.S. states (Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania), guiding visitors through Civil War and Revolutionary War stories via physical narrative signs, an interactive web map with campaign filters and GPS directions, printed map guides and brochures, and partner mobile app experiences. New and existing interpretive signs are funded through a Sign Sponsorship Program ($3,500 initial package plus annual sponsorship) adopted by local communities, municipal departments, and state tourism offices.
Product overview
Civil War Trails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a network-based heritage tourism program connecting visitors to American history. The core offering is the Civil War Trails Program, a network of over 1,500 interpretive sites across six states, accessible via an Interactive Map and downloadable Map Guides/Brochures. The program has expanded to include the Road to Revolution Heritage Trail (18th-century Virginia history) and partner-developed trails like the Harford County Celebration Trail. Key products include narrative trails (such as 'Eyewitness to Battle'), and a Sign Sponsorship Program for adding or adopting interpretive signs. The portfolio operates as a unified platform with grassroots-developed content, supported by state tourism partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Road to Revolution Heritage Trail: A heritage trail spanning 40+ stops across Virginia, featuring Revolutionary War stories and sites including Monticello, Red Hill, and Stratford Hall.
Products and services
- Civil War Trails Program The main interpretive signage and mapping program that guides visitors across a network of more than 1,500 sites across six states (Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania), telling stories of the Civil War era through grassroots-developed interpretive signs.
- Interactive Map
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1500 sites across six states
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Civil War Trails
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Civil War Trails technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Civil War Trails partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Virginia Tourism CorporationcoreState tourism partner for Virginia, with appointed director Val Guffy representing Virginia on the board. Virginia is a primary state in the Civil War Trails network.
- Tennessee Department of Tourist DevelopmentcoreState tourism partner with appointed director Rob Sherrill. Tennessee is one of six states in the Civil War Trails network.
- West Virginia Department of TourismcoreState tourism partner with appointed director Ennis Smith. West Virginia is one of six states in the Civil War Trails network.
- Visit North CarolinacoreState tourism partner with appointed director Andre' Nabors who also serves as Chairman of Civil War Trails board.
- Hello Harford (Harford County Department of Economic Development)coreLocal tourism partner developing the Harford County Celebration Trail with 65 historic sites, several of which are part of Civil War Trails network. Uses Let's Rallie app for trail navigation.
- Let's RalliecoreTechnology partner providing mobile app platform for self-guided trail experiences, used by Harford County Celebration Trail and other partner programs.
- Fredericksburg PartnerscoreLocal partners who initiated and collaborated on the 'Eyewitness to Battle' narrative trail with six Civil War Trails signs following the Irish Brigade story.
- State Travel OfficescoreBoard members appointed by partnering state travel offices across Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania to govern the nonprofit program.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Civil War Trails competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Park Service: Federal agency that operates and interprets many major Civil War battlefield sites (e.g., Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg) referenced in Civil War Trails' network. Functions as the dominant institutional incumbent in the same heritage/interpretive space.
- Smithsonian Institution: The nation's largest museum and historical institution complex. Operates historical and cultural sites with interpretive content similar in nature to Civil War Trails, but at vastly greater scale and with broader historical scope.
- Colonial Williamsburg: Large-scale living-history heritage tourism operator in Virginia focused on Revolutionary-era interpretation. Comparable as a heritage storytelling destination in the same regional market with a similar interpretive sign/site model at much greater scale.
Emerging players
- History.com (A&E Networks): Major digital destination for historical content including Civil War programming. Reaches a similar audience of heritage/history enthusiasts through a different (digital media) channel and represents a competing engagement point for the same consumer interest.
- Let's Rallie: Mobile app platform providing self-guided trail experiences, including for the Harford County Celebration Trail in partnership with Civil War Trails. Overlaps in delivering technology-enabled heritage trail experiences to similar visitors.
Direct peers
- National Trust for Historic Preservation: Large 501(c)(3) focused on preserving historically significant places nationwide. Comparable as a heritage-preservation nonprofit that uses partnerships and public engagement to drive site-based historic preservation.
- Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership: Nonprofit heritage trail partnership spanning a multi-state corridor from Gettysburg to Monticello, focusing on American history interpretation including Civil War and Revolutionary War sites. Closely comparable mission, structure, and regional scope.
- American Battlefield Trust: National nonprofit that preserves Civil War and other battlefields through land acquisition and stewardship. Closest direct peer to Civil War Trails in mission (Civil War heritage) and nonprofit structure, though focused on land preservation rather than interpretive programming.
- Gettysburg Foundation: Nonprofit partner of Gettysburg National Military Park that supports preservation, education, and visitor experiences at one of the largest Civil War sites. Operates at the same intersection of Civil War interpretation, nonprofit governance, and donor/sponsor funding.
Regional players
- Virginia Tourism Corporation: Virginia's state tourism office and a current board-level partner of Civil War Trails. Operates in the same heritage tourism promotion space within Virginia but as a state destination marketing organization rather than a site operator.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Civil War Trails social profiles
Digital presenceCivil War Trails compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Civil War Trails financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Civil War Trails leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Civil War Trails funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Civil War Trails M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Civil War Trails
What does Civil War Trails do?
Civil War Trails operates a network of more than 1,500 interpretive historical sites across six U.S. states (Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania), guiding visitors through Civil War and Revolutionary War stories via physical narrative signs, an interactive web map with campaign filters and GPS directions, printed map guides and brochures, and partner mobile app experiences. New and existing interpretive signs are funded through a Sign Sponsorship Program ($3,500 initial package plus annual sponsorship) adopted by local communities, municipal departments, and state tourism offices.
Is Civil War Trails a public or private company?
Civil War Trails is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Civil War Trails founded?
Civil War Trails was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Civil War Trails based?
Civil War Trails is headquartered in Virginia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Civil War Trails make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Site Sponsorship Program is the primary driver. The others are donations and map and Brochure Sales.
Who are Civil War Trails's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and Colonial Williamsburg. Emerging players are History.com (A&E Networks) and Let's Rallie. Direct peers are National Trust for Historic Preservation, Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership, American Battlefield Trust and Gettysburg Foundation. Virginia Tourism Corporation is listed as a regional player.
Does Civil War Trails have an API?
No public API is recorded for Civil War Trails.
What industry is Civil War Trails in?
Civil War Trails's product category is Heritage Tourism Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAAAB, Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours, with a secondary code of THAJAAAK, Political, Social History & Civic Tours. Its NAICS code is 71212 and its SIC code is 7900.