The bloody Battle of Stones River began on the last day of 1862. It turned out to be one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Civil War. For three days 81,000 men fought here for the strategic possession of middle Tennessee. When it was over, nearly 24,000 casualties littered the fields. It was a union victory but a very hard won one.
The visitor center has a museum, a film presentation about the battle and a bookstore. It is generally open 9am to 5pm throughout the year, except in the winter months when it closes at 4pm.