Operating Hours & Seasons

Fort Donelson Visitor Center

NPS

Visitor Services are temporarily located at the Stewart County Visitor Center, 117 Visitor Center Lane, Dover, TN.

The visitor center is open daily 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and January 1. Additional closures will be noted in the "alerts" on the top of the webpage when warranted. The park is on Central Time.

Special Note: On Monday, December 7, 2015, the Fort Donelson visitor center closed for a special accessibility and energy sustainability rehabilitation. From December 7, 2015, until the time of the project's completion, visitor services are offered at the Stewart County Visitor Center. We appreciate the Stewart County government for graciously allowing us to use this visitor center.

Park hours

• Mid-March (Spring time change) to Memorial Day: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Memorial Day to Labor Day: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
• Labor Day to Mid-October (Fall time change): 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Mid-October (Fall time change) to Mid-March (Spring time change): 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

All vehicles must be off the Tour Road by the time the gates lock. The Tour Road will be open for walking, running, or bicycling from daylight til dusk.

The National Cemetery drive is open 7:00 am to 8:00 pm year round.

 

Dover Hotel (Surrender House)

NPS

The exhibit room at the Dover Hotel, known locally as the "Surrender House" will be open daily from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm. The top floor and the basement of the building are not restored and are not open to the public. (Inclement weather and short staffing may cause the opening of the Hotel to be delayed.)

In January, 2011, new exhibits were installed in the Dover Hotel, exploring the events and personalities involved with the Battle of Fort Donelson. A film in the exhibit room explores the discussions held between Confederate Generals Floyd, Pillow and Buckner, as well as Nathan Bedford Forrest, that led to the surrender on February 16, 1862.

 

New exhibits at the Dover Hotel

New exhibits at the Dover Hotel use powerful first person accounts when describing the lead up to the Battle of Fort Donelson, the battle itself, and how the community dealt with the aftermath.

 

National Cemetery

NPS

Fort Donelson National Cemetery is open 7:00 am until 8:00 pm daily. The road gate will remain open during these hours.