Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

National battlefield in Missouri, United States

After the battle, Price and McCulloch strongly disagreed over command issues. Price would move towards Kansas, fearing a counterstroke from Union troops there, leaving McCulloch with an army that soon dwindled after terms of enlistments expired and some of the remaining troops were reassigned elsewhere. Price followed up Wilson's Creek with a strike northwards towards the Missouri River, and was victorious at the Siege of Lexington. However, news that Union troops were marching to intercept his army led Price to retreat back towards Springfield. In March of the next year, Price and McCulloch would command wings of a Confederate army under the command of Earl Van Dorn at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. The Confederate army was defeated and McCulloch was killed. The defeat at Pea Ridge ended any serious Confederate chance of holding a position in Missouri.

The battle site was established as Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Park on April 22, 1960, and was re designated a National Battlefield on December 16, 1970. The battlefield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The official area of the park was expanded by 615 acres in 2004 in accordance with Public Law 108 394, and an additional 60 acres were added in 2018 after the land was purchased by the American Battlefield Trust, formerly known as The Civil War Trust. The park is located near Republic, Missouri, which is southwest of Springfield in Greene County, Missouri. The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved of the battlefield, most of which has been sold to the National Park Service and incorporated into the park. In total, the park preserves 1,750 acres of the battlefield.

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield is open seven days a week from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. The visitor center contains exhibits about the battle, a short film, fiber optic maps and a bookstore. The battlefield is accessed by a five mile long self guided automobile tour loop, which connects eight stops highlighting historically important facets of the battlefield. The tour loop also features hiking trails and a seven mile long horseback riding trail. On August 10, the anniversary of the battle, the park hosts commemorative events. The battlefield also includes several features besides those on the tour road. One of these is the John K. and Ruth Hulston Civil War Research Library, which was founded in 1985. The library contains over 12,000 books about the Civil War, with an emphasis on the Trans Mississippi Theater. The library also has digital access to Civil War genealogical information and some regimental histories.

The Mathew H. Ritchey House and 25 acres of battlefields of the First Battle of Newtonia and Second Battle of Newtonia including the Old Newtonia Cemetery in Newtonia, Missouri, about 45 miles away, were added to Wilson's Creek National Battlefield in 2022 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, despite National Park Service opposition due to the lack of connection, need for protection, or enhancement of public enjoyment.