Finally going to Perryville

[1stMN]

Hi all, I've finally found a way to get to Perryville while on the way to Florida this week. Any advice or must-sees there? I've done some reading regarding the battle and have a general sense of what went on but I'd love any pointers about visiting the park. I know they have different winter hours for the museum and whatnot but any help/guidance would be great. Thanks all and happy new year!

 

[SJU]

I visited in November. There was a regularly scheduled ranger hike from the visitor center. I wish I could remember the ranger's name. Very interesting and informative. I knew very little about the battle and the tour really helped visualize it. Definitely hike as much as you can there. It's a beautiful place. Check with the visitor center on the tour details. I think it's once or twice a day. I was the only person on the tour when I went. The visitor center is very small and is subject to covid restrictions. Very nice people there.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I got to go reenact there in 2016, awesome State Park!

The whole battlefield is good, I like the area of Jones Crossing, (got to see a Confederate artillery train cross it) and where Palmer's Georgia Battery was basically massacred. If you follow their normal tours and so forth you'll get a good idea of everything and get to see it all. You might get a cardio workout in too though with the hilly terrain.

You heading towards Florida, it might be a little out of the way, but the Civil War Museum of the Western Theater and Old Bardstown Village isn't too far away from Perryville. They have a ton of uniforms, guns, and everything in between. I suspect some of the uniform items there are Centennial era replicas, but its still a great stop. Just down the road from it is a more modern museum that has Sergeant York's .45 of WW1 fame.

Good luck with your trip and here's to it being a great one!

 

[1stMN]

Thank you, @SJU And @Rusk County Avengers!

 

[davepi2]

I enjoyed my visit there. Just remember to take a map when hiking because if you take the wrong trail you will be walking and walking and walking. That said the site is very nice and you will learn a lot there.