Washington County Enterprise-Leader
State Park Sponsors Night At The Museum
Museum statues didn’t come to life as in the movie with the same name but Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park recently held its own Night at the Museum so visitors could learn more about the history and stories of the Civil War battle.
In the movie version of Night at the Museum, the new night security guard at the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., discovers an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life.
An ancient curse does not exist at Battlefield Park but Civil War stories did come to life with the help of re-enactors.
The state park’s first Night at the Museum went so well park officials plan to make it an annual event, said Laura Jennings, park interpreter.
About 350 people attended the event, held Oct. 28.
In past years, Battlefield Park has sponsored an evening called Haunted Night on the Battlefield. The event included a selfguided tour, information about paranormal activities, and history and folklore of the battle.
This year, park officials decided to change the night to focus more on the history and stories of the park, said Jennings, who joined staff earlier this year as the new park interpreter.
Visitors to Night at the Museum could rotate to nine different stations to see a Civil War surgeon, nurse and wounded soldiers, hear Ozark ghost stories, play a Donut Tree carnival game and pioneer games, make a jack-o-lantern and view a Union soldier’s camp.
Hot apple cider and popcorn were available as well as an old-fashioned Cake Walk.
Night at the Museum was held the same night as the police department’s Trunk or Treat but in the future, park officials have decided to hold the event on a different night, instead of in conjunction with Trunk or Treat.
This should better accommodate visitors and help make it a more focused event just for the park, Jennings said.
Stations were set up in Hindman Hall, the Latta House, Latta Kitchen, Latta Barn and the Memorial Yard. Visitors could go to the stations in any order.
Volunteers and re-enactors in Hindman Museum included General Thomas C. Hindman with the Confederate Army and General James Blunt with the Union Army. Both served as commanders at the Battle of Prairie Grove.
Another re-enactor was Nancy Morton Staples, a civilian who witnessed the horror of battle and another civilian woman who was mourning the loss of her husband as a result of the battle.
“Each of these reenactors told stories from the perspective of the characters they were portraying,” Jennings said.