Bentonville Battlefield To Offer Sunday Hours This Summer

FOUR OAKS, N.C. — Visitors will soon have another opportunity each week to explore one of Johnston County’s most significant historic attractions.

Beginning June 14, the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site near Four Oaks will open on Sundays as part of an eight-week pilot program authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly.

The site, which is typically open Tuesday through Saturday, will welcome visitors from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays through Aug. 2.

Bentonville Battlefield is among 13 state historic sites selected to participate in the pilot program. The initiative was mandated by the General Assembly through the 2025 “mini budget” legislation and is intended to gauge public interest in expanded weekend access to state-operated historic attractions.

Located just outside Four Oaks, Bentonville Battlefield preserves the site of the largest Civil War battle fought in North Carolina. More than 80,000 Union and Confederate soldiers clashed across the rural Johnston County landscape during the Battle of Bentonville from March 19-21, 1865. The battle marked Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s final attempt to stop Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s march through the Carolinas.

Today, the battlefield attracts thousands of visitors annually and hosts educational programs, living history demonstrations, guided tours and the popular annual Battle of Bentonville reenactment.

State officials hope the additional Sunday hours will make it easier for families, travelers and history enthusiasts to visit the site during the summer months.

In addition to Bentonville Battlefield, the Sunday-hours pilot program includes the Aycock Birthplace in Wayne County, Historic Bath, Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, Historic Edenton, Fort Fisher, Historic Halifax, Reed Gold Mine, Roanoke Island Festival Park, Somerset Place, the State Capitol in Raleigh, and the Thomas Day State Historic Site. The selected locations represent a diverse cross-section of North Carolina history, stretching from the mountains to the coast.

The pilot program runs from June 14 through Aug. 2, with Sunday operating hours set from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Bentonville Battlefield is one of 27 sites managed by the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites, which preserves and interprets locations important to the state’s history.