Last updated: May 19, 2026
Place
Wayside: The Grand Parade
NPS Image
Quick Facts
Location:
Along the paved Joseph Plumb Martin trail parallel to Route 23 across from the Washington Memorial Chapel.
Designation:
Valley Forge Then and Now wayside exhibit
Amenities
2 listed
Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
Decades before the Continental Army arrived, these rolling hills and valleys were host to family farms. During the encampment, soldiers cleared trees to build huts, practiced drills, and learned how to move as one unified force on these open fields. Known as the Grand Parade, this area was the birthplace of the American army. After their departure, farmers reclaimed the land and grew a variety of crops. In the 1800s, industrial use spread through the area, taking advantage of the underlying limestone and dolostone.
In 1893, Pennsylvania established Valley Forge State Park. Land was slowly acquired over the next 83 years, making up the park you see today.
During the state park years, large areas were mowed for baseball games, picnics, camping events, and monument dedications. President Herbert Hoover gave a speech in the area around the Maurice Stephens house in 1931.
Valley Forge became a national park site in 1976. The National Park Service restored the manicured lawns into their natural meadow habitat. Trails now weave through areas where monarch butterflies have returned and milkweed grows tall.
Valley Forge National Historical Park continues cultural preservation efforts today. The Maurice Stephens house restoration project aims to recreate a place for gatherings.