prairie grove battlefield state park

Old_Drum

I hadn't been here in quite some time and was pleasantly surprised by the well-interpreted small museum and the extent of the expanded grounds. The political and military situation in NW Arkansas is well-explained, and the actions of the armies involved are clearly & succinctly depicted. The park is scenic in itself, with a great view of the terrain involved. Well-restored original buildings still show effects of battle. It's worth a visit even if you're not deeply interested in CW history, and a long visit if you are.The park holds a major reenactment of the battle every other even-numbered year on the first weekend in December.

DPerkins1954

Begin your tour of the Battlefield at the Visitors Center. After viewing the short video, walk thru the interactive exhibits which are very well done. Stop at the information/gift shop desk and purchase a cd of the audio tour ($4.00). The audio cd added another dimension to the viewing of the battlefield ~ it brought the battle to life. If you have time, walk the walking tour as well. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

LAH28

This was a real treat for our family. The small/compact museum had interesting items but one of the interactive displays did not work. The video presentation only had two benches so many people were standing watching it. The grounds were very well manicured and the walking/driving tour was marked well. Lovely stroll and nice layout. With the recent rains the lawns were green and kept. The staff was friendly and helpful and the gift shop is small but has nice items. Glad we stopped here.

fdrll2014

Did not realize the history of Arkansas and the civil war, knowledgeable staff and clean walkway to explore the history.

paulajones38

I didn't know this place was here until my aunt's friend told us about it. I love the civil war and I must admit I'm not one of those people who knows ever single little battle and I don't know where every single battlefield is, but for a history enthusiast I love this place.

David_2013834

About 800 hundred acres of the original 3000 acre battlefield site are in the State Park. The museum has some excellent artifacts and displays. Reconstruction and/or relocation of buildings give a good view of the view of days gone by. There is a 1 mile walking tour that is very nice. There is a 3 mile driving tour that adds more...be certain to buy the CD in the gift shop....will narrate you on your drive talking about the dozen or so stops along the way and the details of the battle at that point. If you are a history buff, a great stop!

Thomandjane

You should start your visit in the Hindman Hall Museum to get a clear picture of the history behind the actual battle. With this understanding then walk the easy trails , stopping along the way to reflect on the battle, the men involved and why they were fighting. It doesn't matter if you are for the South or the North or neither; you can put yourself in the fight and feel the losses of the local people. They do offer guided tours but we wanted to walk the fields and view on our own. Either way this will be an experience to remember with a lot of informational stops along the path.

SixPipes

I was impressed with both the driving tour, and the collection of historical buildings and artifacts.

49kathier

This is amazing! The park is beautiful, the history lesson fantastic. I recommend taking it ALL in...the museum, the walking tour and the driving tour. Such an important, tho very sad, time in American history. One often does not learn about the toll taken on ordinary citizens and the destruction of towns from the war and marauders after the war. If you're in the area, don't miss this gem!

Calicoboy

I visit Civil War sites where ever I travel. I have seen bigger and more famous battlefield parks that Prairie Grove; but I must say this one is very pleasant to spend time. The history of the battle is quite interesting. Although it was in Arkansas, the battle helped keep Missouri in the Union's sphere of influence. It is well worth a little side trip from Fayetteville.

ArkieTripHound

An informative, interactive museum gives visitors a preview of the people, circumstances, and numerous landmarks in this civil war battleground. Visitors can take a self-guided walking and/or driving tour. I recommend both. Be on the lookout for deer. It is rumored that you may also have encounters with late soldiers and citizens on these beautiful grounds that were once soaked in red.

750annt

The most intact cival war battlefield. GREAT little museum. Battlelfield walk and buidlings were in great shape. Caution: be prepared to walk uphill if you take the 1-mile walk around the battlefield. An excellent state park and museum. The Cival War was so gruesome and barbaric, with such strong passions on both sides. The museum educational displays convey some of that.

SymesD

Just excellent. Access, facility, park and associated buildings.One of the best laid out parks with clear markers ans well preserved associated buildings. Being a relatively small area the whole site can be easially walked and clearley seen.Helpful staff and a good range of products in the gift shop.

VOYVOY

Very well maintained and displayed.Specially drove from Oklahoma to Arkansas to visit this park and its small museum. This park and museum emphasizes on a short yet hard battle between the Union and confederacy in the region. I was surprised how well and thorough all was documented and fully admired the select quality and amount of most artefacts exhibited. Due to the very bad weather at the time of my visit, I was unable to do the tour in the park itself so cannot review that unfortunately. Whomever has some interest in the civil war should defenitly pay a visit to this place, no worries.

EllenF635

This small state park does a really nice job of presenting the resources it has. We bought the $4 driving CD (the park itself is free and there is a nice 1-mile walking tour, but it was raining buckets when we were there so we drove) and thoroughly enjoyed our 5-mile drive through the park. The visitor's center is worth the time it took to watch the movie and walk through the exhibits. The liberal use of directions really helped us to imagine the troops coming over the ridges and into the apple orchard (which is still there.) We chose to go to this park because going to Pea Ridge was not going to happen with the government shut-down, and we are glad we went.