Places To Go

The Ray House, stop two, during the summer.

Visitor Center and Museum

The visitor center has bathrooms, a 28 minute film, gift shop, research library, and museum. If it's your first time here, stop by for a map of the battlefield and information.

Tour Road

There are eight stops along the 4.9-mile tour road. Maps are available in the visitor center.

Stop Two - The Ray House

The Ray house is the only surviving dwelling from the Battle at Wilson's Creek. It overlooked the family's farmland, 420 acres used for corn, wheat, oats, Irish potatoes, and hay. On August 10th, 1861, John Ray watched the battle from the front porch. Tours of the Ray House are closed between December 1st and March 31st.

For more information on the history of the Ray House, click here.

Stop Three - Edwards Cabin

General Sterling established his headquarters next to the cabin of farmer William B. Edwards. The cabin didn't survive in the 20th century, but in the 1970s, another cabin made in the 1850s was moved to mark its original location.

The cabin is a short walk (less then a quarter of a mile) from the parking lot, across from the overlook.

Stop Seven - Lyon's Marker and Sinkhole

Bloody Hill was christened by Union and Confederate forces as General McCulloch tried to drive General Lyon from its crest. A 1/2-mile walking trail leads visitors to "Lyon's Marker" and a natural sinkhole used as a temporary grave site after the battle.

For more information on the history of Bloody Hill, click here.