State park to host interpretive programs
PRAIRIE GROVE – Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park will host interpretive programs each week throughout March, with additional programs offered during Spring Break from March 18-25.
Friday, March 17
2-3 p.m., Historic House Tour, Hindman Hall
On this guided tour through the park’s historic buildings, visitors can explore the similarities and differences between the ways of life experienced by today’s families and those who settled here prior to the Civil War. Tickets are $6 per adult and $4 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are admitted for free.
3 p.m.–4 p.m., Battlefield Tour, Hindman Hall
Join a park interpreter for a half-mile walk along the ridgeline where the heaviest fighting occurred during the Civil War Battle of Prairie Grove on Dec. 7, 1862.
Saturday, March 18
10-10:30 a.m., Infantry Drill, Hindman Hall
Many men and boys answered the call to arms in the 1860s. Follow in their footsteps and learn infantry maneuvers using wooden rifles.
11–11:30 a.m., Artillery 101, Hindman Hall
Cannons played a crucial role in the Battle of Prairie Grove. Join a park interpreter and learn how to fire a Civil War cannon.
2-3 p.m., Historic House Tour, Hindman Hall
Visitors can explore the similarities and differences between the ways of life experienced by today’s families and those who settled here prior to the Civil War. Tickets are $6 per adult and $4 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are admitted for free.
3-4 p.m., Battlefield Tour, Hindman Hall
Join a park interpreter for a half-mile walk along the ridgeline where the heaviest fighting occurred during the Civil War Battle of Prairie Grove on Dec. 7, 1862.
Sunday, March 19
2-2:30 p.m., Quill and Ink, Hindman Hall
Before text messages and phone calls, letters were the primary means of communication for families and friends. Join us to experience the power of these messages and craft your own using 19th-century quills, pens and ink.
5:30–6 p.m., Curator Corner, Collection Management Facility (next to the amphitheater)
Historic artifacts help illustrate the many stories of Prairie Grove Battlefield. Our curator will showcase items from our collection so you can discover the history they reveal.
Wednesday, March 22
10-10:30 a.m., Civil War Mascots, Bandstand
Dogs, camels and eagles – oh my! Did you know a variety of animals accompanied Civil War soldiers to the battlefield? Learn more about them and the role they played in camp life.
11-11:30 a.m., Freedom Codes, Bandstand
Visitors will be introduced to the Underground Railroad and the many ways that enslaved people communicated along their journey to freedom. Songs, signals and a road to freedom were all communicated by code.
1-1:30 p.m., Detectives of the Past, Bandstand
Join a park interpreter to discover how historians use primary sources to understand the past.
3-4 p.m., Historic House Tour, Hindman Hall
On this guided tour through the park’s historic buildings, visitors can explore the similarities and differences between the ways of life experienced by today’s families and those who settled here prior to the Civil War. Tickets are $6 per adult and $4 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are admitted for free.
Thursday, March 23
10-10:30 a.m., Reading With a Ranger, Amphitheater
The lives of adults and children were affected by the Civil War. Hear a story about a little girl who witnessed the Civil War’s start and end in her backyard.
11-11:30 a.m., Corn Husk Creatures, Amphitheater
Manufactured toys and goods were scarce on the Ozark frontier, so kids had fun with the resources available to them in their natural environment. Join us for this fun, historic activity that was passed from Native Americans to pioneers.
1-1:30 p.m., The Old Knapsack: A Soldier’s Companion, Amphitheater
A soldier’s knapsack was one of the most important items he was issued during the war. Visitors will learn more about this Civil Warstyle backpack and what soldiers carried in it.
3-3:30 p.m., Sounds of the Times: Music of the 1860s, Amphitheater Music helped lift spirits in times of war. Join Park Interpreter Mattison as we listen to songs that were heard in camps and on the streets back home.
Friday, March 24
10-10:30 a.m., Telegraph Technology: Morse Code, Bandstand
The telegraph changed the course of the Civil War and dramatically impacted the Battle of Prairie Grove. Come explore wartime communications and learn to decipher Morse Code.
11-11:30 a.m., Name That Contraption, Latta Kitchen
Visitors will be put to the test as they try to identify some 19th-century “contraptions” and how they were used.
1-1:30 p.m., Cold, Dark and Safe, Morton Hayfield Battle Overlook (Stop 11 of the Driving Tour)
The Morton Cellar offered local families safety during the heat of battle on Dec. 7, 1862. Learn about their experiences as they hid 160 years ago.
3-3:30 p.m., Nature Journaling, Hindman Hall
Soldiers’ written observations and drawings provide historians with first-hand descriptions of what the landscape, people and community looked like in 1862. Visitors will use their senses to describe and record observations in the park while nature journaling. No skill or experience is necessary!
Saturday, March 25
10-10:30 a.m., Map to the Past, Schoolhouse
Studying historic maps helps us see how much things have changed or remained the same. Together, with the park interpreter, visitors will assemble a large interactive map of the Prairie Grove Battlefield and explore the changes that have taken place over the past 160 years.
11-11:30 a.m., Pioneer Games, Schoolhouse
Stilts, sack races and “hoops and graces” are part of the fun of pioneer games. Join the park interpreter to learn about these games.
2-3 p.m., Historic House Tour, Hindman Hall
On this guided tour through the park’s historic buildings, visitors can explore the similarities and differences between the ways of life experienced by today’s families and those who settled here prior to the Civil War. Tickets are $6 per adult and $4 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are admitted for free.
3-4 p.m., Battlefield Tour, Hindman Hall
Join a park interpreter for a half-mile walk along the ridgeline where the heaviest fighting occurred during the Civil War Battle of Prairie Grove on Dec. 7, 1862.
Sunday, March 26
2-3 p.m., Historic House Tour, Hindman Hall
On this guided tour through the park’s historic buildings, visitors can explore the similarities and differences between the ways of life experienced by today’s families and those who settled here prior to the Civil War. Tickets are $6 per adult and $4 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are admitted for free.
5:30-6 p.m., Curator Corner, Collection Management Facility (next to the Amphitheater)
Historic artifacts help illustrate the many stories of Prairie Grove Battlefield. Our curator will showcase items from our collection so you can discover the history they reveal.
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park is one of America’s most intact Civil War battlefields.The park protects and manages the battlefield to interpret an inclusive understanding of the Prairie Grove campaign and the effects of the Civil War on the people of northwest Arkansas. Interpretive programs about the Civil War and life in the 1860s are offered year-round.