Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

Recognized nationally as one of America's most intact Civil War battlefields, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park protects the battle site and interprets the Battle of Prairie Grove, where on December 7, 1862, the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi clashed with the Union Army of the Frontier in a day of fierce fighting resulting in about 2,700 casualties. This marked the last major Civil War engagement in northwest Arkansas.Here you can walk over hallowed ground where history happened. Walk along the ridge and in the valley where the heaviest fighting took place. Follow the one-mile Battlefield Trail or travel the park's five-mile Driving Tour. Tour the historic structures in the Ozark village.Begin your park visit at Hindman Hall, the park's battlefield museum and visitor center and museum. Interactive exhibits interpreting and detailing the Battle of Prairie Grove bring that history alive. They share stories about the battle, how the landscape affected and shaped the strategic decisions made by both armies, and the Civil War's devastating local effect. The park hosts Arkansas's largest battle reenactment biennially in even-numbered years during the first weekend of December. Activities include guided tours through Union, Confederate and civilian camps; military drills conducted by reenactors; cooking, spinning and lace-making demonstrations; and living history programs. Beginning at 1:00 p.m. each day, battle demonstrations feature charges and counterattacks by Union and Confederate infantry and cavalry on the actual battlefield near the historic Borden House.