On the battlefield in the middle of the night, witnesses have heard musket fire and seen apparitions of soldiers from the Battle of Pea Ridge. Some guests to the site have reported a feeling of being followed by something unseen.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- Pea Ridge National Military Park
Garfield, AR 72732
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 36.4496196, -94.03378459999999
- County:
- Benton County, Arkansas
- Nearest Towns:
- Garfield, AR (3.3 mi.)
Avoca, AR (3.9 mi.)
Pea Ridge, AR (4.5 mi.)
Gateway, AR (6.3 mi.)
Little Flock, AR (7.2 mi.)
Seligman, MO (7.3 mi.)
Prairie Creek, AR (7.6 mi.)
Lost Bridge Village, AR (8.2 mi.)
Rogers, AR (9.4 mi.)
Washburn, MO (10.2 mi.)
Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time.
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
When my family and I would walk or ride our bikes there, I hear peculiar noises and I feel like I am being watched. In about a middle of the trail, I hear a soft hymn-like hum. Also, when I enter, I have a strange and eerie feeling.
I have been to this military park many time from my childhood field trips. I always get an eerie feeling and swear I hear things but, wonder if it is because it is so quiet and your imagination starts running. I love Elkhorn Tavern and how you can see in the old house.
When I was 12 or 13 we were passing through on vacation. I was a misty cool day and while I was standing on one of the battlefield roads I could very distinctly hear marching, clanging metal like cups or cook ware as well as musket fire in the not too far distance. My dad grabbed my shoulder and asked if I was ok. I said yea and never told him what I heard.
When I was at the park 2 years ago I was there with 3 of my friends and we took a picture in front of a bbuilding in the park and in the background there was a very faint soldier in a blue uniform
You still have the picture?
Last year I went there and went up to knock on the door of the storage room. Next thing I know I’m running as fast as I can because the door had flung open and rocks started hitting me in the face and in the leg. Did I mention that I went there on a dare? I recomend it to anyone who likes a good scare. Plus I heard and sa things that can’t be explained.
I’m from the area and some of the back roads that lead into Missouri where the battle really began 6 days earlier I’ve seen things and have heard things that are unexplained
i been there before it is haunted
I have gone on the path leading into the woods toward a spring from Elkhorn Tavern and several times I have heard many voices, the sound of a large number of people coming through the brush. I have been with others who heard this too but we never saw anyone, not at the old tavern or at the spring or anywhere in between. I believe we heard the ghosts of soldiers from the battles there.
One evening (still light outside just before sundown) my wife, a friend, and myself were all passing by the park. It was after park hours and the gates were already closed and locked. I was in the back seat and our friend was driving. We were headed to MO that evening and I just casually looked over at the park as we were passing by… A CONFEDERATE SOLIDER WAS SITTING ON THE CROSS FENCE IN HIS BLUE UNIFORM WITH HIS GUN ACROSS HIS LAP!!! He was just looking off into the distance, facing east, sitting on the section of the fence just to the left of the EXIT gate. I wasn’t going to say a word; I wasn’t about to be accused of being the crazy one in the car, and then all of a sudden both my wife and friend starting shouting and pointing, as they too had seen the ghost solider just after I saw it first. We tried to reason this out, and thought maybe it was a reenactment actor, someone with the park, etc. But again, the park was closed, the gates were shut, and not one car was in the guest check-in parking lot. I know without a doubt that we saw a ghost that day. Also, for many years, the park road was my daily workout. It’s 6 miles around the park, and I always felt watched or followed when working out. This feeling is very prevalent between miles 1-3 and passing the Elkhorn Tavern.
A. Confederate soldier…in blue…?
Am not ignorant. I know historically there was no conformity in uniforms. That said, you lost credibility with that comment. And the fact that you (potentially) saw a reenactor there but dismissed the obvious conclusion because there were no cars in the lot misses a huge possibility. It may have been a re-enactor waiting for his ride.
Can’t pass of as supernatural when the natural isn’t eliminated.
A reenactor at 7 PM on a Friday night waiting for his mom to come pick him up – not one other soul in the park, gate was closed and locked…. Hahaha! And you said you’re not “ignorant”! Haha! Well, you were not there with me, and you didn’t witness what we witnessed, and I don’t need your validation. But thanks for feeling like you needed to chime in about something you clearly know zero about.
It may have been a Federal, but then again the Confederates did wear blue in 1861, at Bull Run, but they ended up abandoning it.
In May, I visited Pea Ridge to get my Jr. Ranger badge. At Stop 7, The Overlook, as soon as I began walking towards the overlook, I began having excruciating pain all over, which I was not in before. Within a few minutes of reaching it, I had to rest due to the pain. Then, the exhaustion began including mental, emotional, and physical. I had to force myself to walk back to my car. When I got back into my car, I was not in any pain or feeling exhausted. I drove to Stop 8, Elkhorn Tavern. Again, as soon as I left my car, the pain intensified even more than at Stop 7. I forced myself to walk around the tavern. As I was looking through the window, I heard a female walking around inside and coughing; but, no one was inside.
My Great-grandfather gathered all the interviews from soldiers who were there. He was instrumental in getting the battlefield made into a national park. My das went with him to investigate Elkhorn Tavern and saw the bloodstained basement walls and saw many other unusual things. Objects move by themselves at the tavern and the armies still march to the battle along Telegraph Road. I have heard them. Come on the anniversary and you can march with them;)
I remember going here once, as a History Nerd, it is essentially a requirement. I was walking along a trail, I don’t remember what trail it was, I think it was Elkhorn Tavern(?) somewhere around there. Wherever it was, I heard sounds of explosions in the distance which I assume to be a cannon. There wasn’t any event happening as the current event was a Missouri State Guard showcase, which had just ended. I’m still wondering if it was a reenactor or ghostly cannons. I love how perfect it was because I made a joke to my friend talking about different ammunitions about cannons from the war, I said “FIRE THE SLAVERY GUNS!” and 1 second after I said that I heard two cannons blast. I found it funny until I realized that it was probably paranormal. It came from the large field. I laughed my lungs out of my chest on the way back home.