perryville battlefield state historic site

I stopped here while traveling through on business and it was cold out and I was the only one there. the burial ground, the battlefield, the stories on the boards all over telling the story of all the men fighting and dying are humbling and disturbing at the same time. to think a mere 100 years before I was born this country was fighting itself is baffling. but people fight for what they believe in and it has never stopped. Good stop, beautiful area and nice drive.

Perryville battlefield doesn't have the name recognition of some of the bigger battles fought in the eastern theater of the Civil War. But at 745 or 956 acres, depending on the website you consult, this is an excellent battlefield. To me, it compares favorably with First Bull Run and Chancellorsville, both of which I have visited.A groundskeeper told me that a conscious effort has been made to restore Perryville to its Oct 1862 appearance. The museum is small, but has some nice artifacts, including a cannon used during the battle.I prepped for my visit by reading Kenneth W. Noe's superb book "Perryville This Grand Havoc of Battle", jotted down some notes, and used maps that I printed from off internet sites. I also used a compass. I find that doing these things gives you a much better picture of what actually happened, rather than relying solely on wayside markers. By the way, there are 47 wayside markers located here.Cons: Some battlefields have lots of paved roads and pull-off areas for the driving tour; Perryville has neither. I visited all but a handful of the markers by driving down the two gravel roads available, and either pulling off into the grass or one of the few pull-off areas, and then getting out onto the walking trail. So, yes, you do have to walk a bit to access a lot of the markers and thus get the most out of your visit.Peters Hill, where an up-and-coming Phil Sheridan repulsed a CSA brigade, is on private property and is thus off-limits.

150th anniversary reenactment in 2012 was best with several hundred reenactors. Several of the battle "scenes" were recreated during the three day battle reenactment. 2014 was interesting nonetheless.

This was actually our second visit to Perryville, and it just happened to be right before their October re-enactment. We were doing some specific research and during their busiest time of year, Kurt and his staff took time to assist. This is an amazing park and a very knowledgeable director!

The site of this battlefield appears to look as it probably looked at the time of the battle. It is located in a rural area of Kentucky so you must make this a destination and not a spur of the moment decision to visit. The admission is $3.50. There is a 25 minute video at the visitor center that tells the story of the battle. A small museum further explains the battle. There is also a small gift shop and picnic tables on the grounds. Then you can drive to see more of the site though we did find that signs are lacking.

We were amazed to discover over 60,000 union and confederate troops fought this battle and over 2,200 perished!

The museum played a 20 minute movie about this location and the significance of this battle, then you could either do a walking tour of the site or do a driving tour. Our family did both. I particularly enjoyed the driving tour, as you were right in the midst of the scenic hills of Kentucky which offered some amazing countryside views. My husband and boys considered this the highlight of their trip.

We were traveling nearby and stopped with four grandsons. This battlefield is a part of the very fine KY state park system. There is a small museum that is interesting with a video that tells all about the Perryville Civil War Battle. I'd say if you have a couple hours, you can see the high points. Oct 4-5 2014 will be a huge reenactment if you are interested in that.

I came all the way from California waiting for 2 years to see the battlefield very badly maintained and devastating. Needs to improve a lot markers I am big history buffFrom bharat

Perryville is a vital yet not well known battle of the Civil War, so I was very excited to see it! Good things: The staff was extremely helpful and friendly, the grounds are beautiful, the museum is informative and cheap, and the video is very good. Downsides: The route to see the battlefield is very hard to keep track of, if you dont know anything about the battle already you are going to be very confused, some of the markers are falling apart, and the map is a little hard to follow. Do your research about the battle before coming or you will be very confused. Overall though it was a great place to visit, and very informative!

Was here on 21 July 2014. There is a small museum that has a $3.50 charge. The docents at the museum are very friendly and knowledgeable about the battle and battlefield. You watch a 20 minute film on the battle, and look through the museum. The battlefield has a driving tour and several walking tours. The difficulty is that many of the battlefield markers are off the road, and some require quite a hike to get to. Persons who are disabled or have difficulty walking will not be able to get to many of the markers. The driving tour took about 1/2 hour. I would suggest that the maps would have been better had they the positions of the Union and Confederate forces marked on them so that a person reading the map could know better how the flow of the battle occurred. It is a beautiful spot, very nicely preserved when compared to some other battlefield sites I have visited. The lack of a good map to follow the action and the fact that most of the markers are inaccessible except by long hike prevents the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site from getting five stars.

My wife and I were approached by a young man dressed in a Union soldiers uniform before we had gotten out of the car. He asked if we were interested in a guided tour of the battlefield. We didn't hesitate and I am very glad we did. So interesting,especially since we are from western Kentucky. After the guided tour we gladly paid to go into the museum and watch the short film.I haven't been to very many battlefields,but for me this has set the standard,and we will be going back to take our son.

this park is not run by the national park service. When you enter the museum, there is a small 3.50 charge to view the museum and the film, which is quite good. from there, you are given a map, where you can drive or walk around the battlefield, and each spot is marked on the map you were given. there is a monument built upon a mass confederate gravesite, just one statue/monument, but mostly markers telling about the battle. takes about 3-4 hrs to tour the entire battlefield. a must for history buffs

We have visited dozens of civil war battle sites and Perryville's is nicely done for a state level park. Nice museum/visitor's center with a must see interpretive video. Walking and larger driving tour loops lay out the battle. The tour brochure would be nicer if there was a short narrative for each of the stops in the brochure. Signage directing you to the next stop would benefit the walking tour. Other than those minor improvements it was a very nice and educational experience. The staff was very knowledgable and friendly. Add it to your Louisville Metro day trip itinerary.

We visited this specific battlefield as we have a great-great-grandfather who fell here and is buried here. You must begin by watching the film and visiting the museum; the staff is excellent. You can visit the battlefield on your own, but we totally recommend Witten's tour which included the option to fire the Civil War Springfield Musket. After the walking tour, be sure to take the self-guided driving tour to ensure you have the entire picture of this very tragic battle. Thank you staff for your service to this park.