Thing to Do

Battlefield Museum

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

display in the museum of the Pulaski Battery Artillery 5 man gun crew with Cannon

NPS Photo/Volunteer Charlie Dischinger

Battlefield Museum 

 

Let your curiosity be your guide while visiting one of the nation’s finest publicly held Civil War museum collections. Watch a 28-minute film, peruse interactive exhibits, view displays of the park’s collection of edged weapons and firearms, the Lyon Bed, medical artifacts, diary entries, artillery, and thousands of images of soldiers.  

 

Read more about the museum and its visiting hours here. 

Details
Improve your Learning Wellness

Enriching your brain with new knowledge is just as important as moving your body. The National Park Service Wellness Challenge encourages you to learn something new.

 
Pets are allowed on a 6 foot leash anywhere outdoors in the park. Indoors pets are allowed if your pet is a service animals and meets the NPS Standards for Service Animals.
  • Individual entrance is $10.00 (covers any adult that is walking or bicycling into the park).
  • Vehicle entrance is $20.00 (covers everyone in a non-commercial vehicle).
  • Motorcycle entrance is $15.00.
  • The receipt for entry is good for 7 days at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.
  • Tour Road hours vary according to season. After 5 p.m., when the Tour Road gate is open but the Visitor Center is closed, no entrance fee is required.
  • Park brochures are available outside the Visitor Center in the brochure rack
  • A site specific, Wilson's Creek annual park pass is $35.
  • Valid for entry into Wilson's Creek only.
  • Valid for one year from the date of purchase through the end of that month.
  • May be signed by two individuals.
  • Applies to the pass holder and anyone in the pass holder's vehicle.
  • Visitors must show a picture identification along with their Wilson's Creek annual park pass (or other valid annual pass) to obtain a token to drive the Tour Road.

  • America the Beautiful Passes (Interagency Passes)


    America the Beautiful (Interagency) Passes are valid for one year and grant entry to federally-operated sites throughout the country. Senior and Access Passes are still available under the America the Beautiful Program. Passes are now available to park volunteers giving 250 hours of service, and to active members of the military and their dependents. More about America the Beautiful Passes
     
  • The America the Beautiful Passes are honored and sold/issued at the Visitor Center.
  • Visitors must show a picture identification along with their America the Beautiful Pass (or other annual park pass) to obtain a token to drive the Tour Road.
  • Both the pass and the identification must be carried with the user while he/she is visiting the battlefield.
Inside the Visitor Center you will find the museum with all of the newly renovated display kiosks and artifacts. An 8 minute electric map showing the troop movements is located in the museum. 
Reservations
No
Tour road, battlefield, and trails are open during posted hours (changes by season). Tour Road opens at 7:00 am for walkers and bicycles only. Vehicle entrance begins at 8:00 am which requires a gate token issued inside the visitor center. The visitor center and museum hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, seven days a week. 
The visitor center (including newly renovated museum, bookstore, and library) is open to the public. The visitor center and museum hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, all year long. The library is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, closed on Sunday and Monday. Hours for the tour road start at 7:00 am for walkers and bicycles, 8:00 am for vehicles driving in. Between the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm you are required to pay an entrance fee.
Accessibility Information

Accessibility Information 

 

  • The Visitor Center has three accessible parking spaces, and there is a paved sidewalk to its entrance. There is an accessible restroom, and it is all on one level. A wheelchair is available for use at the Visitor Center. 

  • The brochure is not available online, or in audio description format currently. The brochure is available in braille at the visitor center information desk. 

  • Please give us two weeks notice if you need an ASL Interpreter.  

  • A park staff member can provide live audio description if you provide us with two weeks advanced notice. 

 

Contact:  

 

Tour Road 

  • The length is 4.9 miles with a 150 ft elevation change. 

  • The one-way tour road is 18 feet wide. The left lane (12 feet wide) is for vehicles. The right lane is for pedestrians and bicycles. 

  • At each of the 8 stops, there are parking areas with designated accessible parking spaces.  

  • The waysides at Stop 1, Stop 3, Stop 4, and Stop 7 (Bloody Hill) are accessible 

  • The trails off the Tour Road are natural surfaces.  

  • The stops are not audio described at this time. 

 

 

Trail Information 

  • Gibson Mill: 1 mile and 40 ft elevation change 

  • Ray Cornfield: 1 mile and 80 ft elevation change (horses allowed) 

  • Ray House: <0.25 mile and 30 ft elevation change 

  • Ray Springhouse: <0.25 mile and 30 ft elevation change 

  • East Overlook: <0.25 mile and 60 ft elevation change 

  • Pulaski Battery: <0.25 mile and 50 ft elevation change 

  • Manley Uplands: 2.5 miles and 170 ft elevation change (horses allowed) 

  • Southwest: 1.7 miles and 140 ft elevation change (horses allowed) 

  • Wire Road: 1.7 miles and 150 ft elevation change (horses allowed) 

  • Bloody Hill: 0.5 mile and 60 ft elevation change 

  • Bloody Hill Spur: 0.5 mile and 100 ft elevation change 

  • Du Bois’s Battery: 0.25 mile and <10 ft elevation change 

  • West Overlook: 0.25 mile and <10 ft elevation change 
    Learn more about accessibility at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. 

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

Tags

Tags

Last updated: April 10, 2022