Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site
- Status
- Status not postedDaily sunrise – sunset
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- mostateparks.com(573) 546-3454
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
In Iron County, in Ironton, Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site covers about 118 acres.
The park supports historic sites, ranger programs, picnicking, and hiking.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park — Historic Site Grounds | Daily | sunrise – sunset | — |
| Office | Mon–Fri | 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — |
| Tue–Fri | 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — | |
| Visitor center | Daily | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | — |
| Thu–Sun | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | — | |
| Mon–Wed | Closed | — | |
| Park | 2025-2026 State Holidays: On the following days (actual or observed), staff will not be available and site buildings will be closed: Thanksgiving Day; Nov. 28, 2025; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; New Year’s Eve; New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Lincoln’s Birthday; and Washington's Birthday. | ||
Official wording
Historic Site Grounds: Sunrise to sunset, year-round
Historic Site Office - Battle of Pilot Knob April 16 through Nov. 30 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday Dec. 1 through April 15 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday
Visitor Center - Battle of Pilot Knob: (Free tours are offered during these times.) April 16 through Oct. 31 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily Nov. 1 through April 15 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday (except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day) Closed Monday through Wednesday
2025-2026 State Holidays: On the following days (actual or observed), staff will not be available and site buildings will be closed: Thanksgiving Day; Nov. 28, 2025; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; New Year’s Eve; New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Lincoln’s Birthday; and Washington's Birthday.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Chicago).
Pets
Pets welcome; leash no longer than 10 feet at all times; no more than two dogs per campsite recommended; pets not allowed in buildings (except Cabins for Canines units), public swimming areas or waters reserved for fishing.
Statewide rule from Missouri's park system (source). This park’s page doesn’t state its own pet rules, so check for local restrictions.
Fees and passes
Fees apply to camping, lodging and some tours (e.g. cave tours).
Statewide fee rule from Missouri's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Missouri State Parks reservation system (UseDirect / Tyler, 'ICampMO')
- Phone
- 877-422-6766 (877-ICampMO)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Things to do
Historic sites and toursRanger and interpretive programsPicnickingHiking
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
- Playground
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Visitor Center
You feel a sense of dignity as you look upon the visitor center, which is a shrine to those who fought here. This building was designed to be accessible. Two handicap parking spaces are located adjacent to a continuous concrete pathway that leads you to a plaza with benches and on up to the entrance. Just inside the door is the first exciting exhibit: a restored six-pounder cannon. To your left are accessible restrooms and a water fountain.
As you follow the tourist assistant into the museum, you pass by a very scenic view of the fort battlements. All along the walls are interpretive exhibits that lead to an audio-visual room for a 22-minute presentation. After the presentation, you are treated to an eight-minute "automated battle map." This exhibit shows how the different commands maneuvered while you listen to the historic battle. Afterward, follow the field interpretive stations laid out on the field as you head to the fort.
Read more from the park
Picnic Area
The picnic area has a large parking lot with two handicap spaces and three covered individual picnic sites with paved pathways. Four group shelters are also available. Shelter 1 provides a group grill, an electrical outlet and seating for 35 people. Shelters 2, 3 and 4 accommodate 20 people. All four are accessible. The area also contains a playground, which has Kiddie Mulch as a base. The nearby restroom is mostly accessible, but some may need assistance.
Exercise Trail
Brogans Trail is a 0.5-mile trail, fully asphalted, that has several exercise stations situated along it. There are gentle slopes and the only hazard may be that it can be partially flooded at times by a nearby creek.
Additional Resources
The site maintains:
- Written text for the fiber optics map.
- A copy of the video with open captioning.
- A flip-book of all the field markers.
All of these resources are available upon request. Written information about the local area driving tour of the battle is also available upon request.
For more information, contact the historic site:
Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site
P.O. Box 509
Pilot Knob, MO 63663
573-546-3454
1-800-334-6946
1-800-379-2419 TDD
Last updated: January 2017
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 118 E. Maple
Pilot Knob, MO 63663-0509 - Nearest town
- Ironton
- Coordinates
- 37.6164, -90.6383
- Phone
- (573) 546-3454
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Missouri State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- Quick List of Parks and Historic Sites (HTML) + MoDNR ArcGIS boundary layer for coordinates
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology