Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
Every week through Aug 03, 2025.
Sunday: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield will host the This Hallowed Ground Speaker Series, Sundays at 1:00 pm at the Visitor Center to celebrate the 164th Battle Anniversary.
Wilson’s Creek staff and guest speakers will explore various aspects of battlefield preservation, from stories about extraordinary efforts from local citizens, to how Wilson’s Creek itself became a national battlefield.
Dates and speakers for the 2025 series:
- July 6 – Amy Fluker presenting United in Death: The Remarkable History of the Springfield National and Confederate Cemeteries
- July 13 – Dr. William Piston presenting Wilson’s Creek from History to Memory and Preservation
- July 20 – Michael Price presenting "Mark Well the Spot Where They Meet”: A History of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
- July 27 – Dr. Jeremy Neely presenting "The Dread Effects of War": The Wilson's Creek Battlefield, One Year Later
- August 3 – Susan Croce Kelly presenting Lucile Morris Upton
The series will culminate in the 164th Anniversary of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek on August 10, 2025. Commemorative activities will start on Saturday August 9 with special programs throughout the day. An outdoor ceremony will be held at the battlefield at 1:00 pm on Sunday, August 10.
Speakers will include Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Superintendent Sarah Cunningham, Wilson’s Creek Foundation Executive Director Melissa Adler, and keynote speaker Michael Price. The ceremony will conclude with the presentation of a memorial wreath and an infantry salute. After the ceremony, visitors are invited to enjoy refreshments provided by the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation.
Entrance to the programs and Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is free. For additional information or to request program accommodations call the visitor center at (417) 732-2662.
In the event of inclement weather, outdoor programs may be altered or cancelled. The park can be reached at 417-732-2662, and updates can be found on the park’s Facebook page for program updates at www.nps.gov/wicr and https://www.facebook.com/Wilsons-Creek-National-Battlefield-140802912626881/.
Administered by the National Park Service, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield preserves the site of the first major battle of the Civil War in the West. The Confederate victory on August 10, 1861, focused greater national attention on the war in Missouri, leading to greater federal military action.
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is located 10 miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri at the intersection of Highway ZZ and Farm Road 182.
