Battle of Athens Historic Site is a place of peace and serenity. Its historic buildings, tree-studded landscape, and mile of Des Moines River frontage make the site a perfect place to hike, picnic or camp. But today’s peace belies the site’s history as the place where the most northern battle fought west of the Mississippi occurred, when about 500 Union soldiers repelled nearly four times their number of pro-Southern State Guardsmen. The site includes interpretation and tours of the battlefield as well as a number of historic buildings, including one that was pierced by a cannonball during the battle.
Google maps kept taking me to the wrong spot but thankful that I didn’t give up trying to find it. No one was here except one very kind worker. He spent time telling me a little of the history. Very well maintained.
This is a small historic site very much off the beaten path, but if you've got a few hours to stretch your legs, very worthwhile stop. Rodney was our guide and he was outstanding, he knew a ton about the area, the buildings, its history back before the civil war all the way to present.
I'm not into battle sites, but this was very nicely done. It is very quaint and peaceful and had a lot of detail about each building and site. It was in the middle of nowhere, but I really liked it.
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Battle Of Athens State Historic Site
Hours
- Mon - Fri: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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Fifty Amp
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Full Hookup
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Dump Station
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Sewer Hookup
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Water Hookup
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Dispersed Sites
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Open Seasonally
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Permit Required
Campground, Restrooms
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