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Battle of Athens State Historic Site

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Park Information

Battle of Athens Historic Site is a place of peace and serenity. Its historic buildings, tree-studded landscape, and mile of Des Moines River frontage make the site a perfect place to hike, picnic or camp. But today’s peace belies the site’s history as the place where the most northern battle fought west of the Mississippi occurred, when about 500 Union soldiers repelled nearly four times their number of pro-Southern State Guardsmen. The site includes interpretation and tours of the battlefield as well as a number of historic buildings, including one that was pierced by a cannonball during the battle.

Park Hours

Historic Site Grounds:

  • April through October
    Sunrise to 10 p.m.
  • November through March
    Sunrise to sunset

Thome-Benning House (Cannonball House) hours

Tours:

  • April through October
    10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday
  • November through March
    Available by prior arrangement only

Park Office hours

  • April through October
    8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily
  • November through March
    Office not regularly staffed; telephone is monitored for messages Monday through Friday
Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites
May 23, 2013
Fifty years ago, if you had arrived at the natural tunnel in Bennett Spring State Park, you would have seen a lake. Around 1964, a dam created from gravel and silt and reinforced with rebar and concrete blocked the upstream entrance of the natural tunnel. There is no record of how long the resulting lake lasted, but historical accounts state the dam failed after heavy rains, leaving only the portion of the structure seen today at the end of the trail. Walk the Natural Tunnel Trail today and imagine what it would have been like 50 years ago. For more information about this trail, other trails at the park, and all the other things you can do at Bennett Spring State Park, visit mostateparks.com.