Shiloh National Military Park, Tennessee, United States

5Hatzlacha 5:00 PM Nov 12, 2022

One of the best battlefield parks in all of NPS
From start to finish, the visit was amazing. The visitor's center is a great place to start. Ended up watching the video (which you can do online if pressed for time) which was a great idea, as it significantly helped the driving tour make more sense. Then spent the next 90 minutes or so driving through the park. The free NPS app was well-narrated and helped bring sites / memorials to life. We were there in the fall a couple hours before sunset, with leaves changing colors and the sunbeams shining through the branches on the marble stonework. Stunning, yet somber in some ways. Maybe we got lucky, but relatively there was virtually no traffic congestion, so it was like having the park mostly to ourselves. It was a wonderful place to learn about more southern Civil War history. It was so peaceful I'd be tempted to do it all again if in the area.

5drh_michigan 5:00 PM Aug 12, 2022

Incredible experience
This battlefield takes you right back to the war. As advertised, it is still largely unchanged from the time when the two armies faced off here. Based on recommendations, we watched the video in the visitor center before touring; I would highly suggest this as it provides a fantastic summary of the battle and provides visuals and a narrative for what you are about to experience at the battlefield. It runs every hour on the hour. We had seen statements that the battlefield could be seen in two hours; that is a little ambitious and I would suggest allowing 4 or more, especially if you do the movie and the auto tour, which has 22 stops. I also recommend the guided ranger tour at stop 3, the Hornet's Next; it gave a great overview of the battle itself and especially the events at this site. There is no food service; it is recommended to bring a cooler of water or other beverages and a picnic lunch. Definitely do the auto tour using the app; the workers at the visitor's center can help you set it up and it is a breeze. Hint; the one in the Google App store is outdated; allow time to take care of this when you arrive. Altogether quite a moving experience. For history buffs like myself, it can take 6-7 hours if you like to read the signs and visualize and ponder, or for those simply interested in learning the battle you can spend as little as 3-4 hours and go at your own pace.