The historic Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, located 506 East Douglas St, Prairie Grove, Arkansas. The restoration of the park is an effort made by the local government to honor the last epic civil war fought between the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi and the Union Army of the Frontier. The dispute revolved around taking control of Northwest Arkansas and Missouri.
The Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, erected in 1862 spans roughly 707.8 acres of outdoor space. The park allows the future children of America to to revisit history anytime in a variety of ways. Within the area, the park has a museum called the Hindman Hall Museum. There is no entrance free for the museum. It was built to display and preserve war mementos. Aside from that, other amenities inside the park includes a playground area for the children to enjoy, several water fountains, bathrooms, as well as walking trails for guided and self-guided tours.
Several different tour options are offered by the park’s management. These are:
- Guided Walking Tour — this tour usually lasts for approximately one hour. The trail takes the guests along the Prairie Grove ridge which is the epicenter of the battle. Guests who want to take serene self-guided tours are also allowed.
- House Guided Tour — as the name implies, this tour involves visit to historic houses which served as the Confederates’ headquarters. This usually last for one hour. Both houses were erected long before the conflict started. It’s just amazing to see how they preserved both old and historic houses.
- Geocache Tour — this is a 15-point virtual cache, self-guided tour. It is estimated to be totaling to over a mile of walking. This tour essentially focuses on treasure hunting which can be enjoyable to both adults and children.
- Self-Guided Driving Tour — this is a 14 stop and a 5-mile long tour that allows the guests to explore the Prairie Grove grounds from the comforts of their vehicle. To do this, A CD which plays for 55 minutes should be first purchased at Hindman Hall Museum. It will narrate the drive, disclosing important events, and giving directions for each stop.
Aside from the amazing tours, the park is also bring forth a battle reenactment which is held every other year, in even-numbered ones. The annual events at the park feature dinners, speeches, foot races, and games as well as providing a place for the aging veterans to reunite and reminisce.
Though this place remains to be a place to revisit American history, the people of today usually come to Prairie Grove today for a variety of reasons. Some of those are to exercise, attend reunions, picnics, or attend special park events but still, the majority still come to learn more about the last epic Civil War.
The park is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. They are closed on holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Wanted to go on a shopping galore in NWA? Indulge and satisfy your inner shopaholic at Pinnacle Hills Promenade!
Directions from Direct Service Overhead Garage Doors NWA