Department of Parks
150th Anniversary of Battle of Perryville Set for Oct. 6-7

PERRYVILLE, Ky. – Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site is commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the largest Civil War confrontation in Kentucky on Oct. 6-7, with three battle re-enactments.

The weekend will also include living history demonstrations, artillery demonstrations, military camps, expert speakers and paranormal tours.

The Battle of Perryville was the largest Civil War battle in Kentucky. The number of soldiers killed, wounded or missing totaled more than 7,600. Each year Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site commemorates the battle with hundreds of re-enactors representing the Union and Confederate armies, horses and cannons recreating the battle on the same ground where the actual conflict took place.

The three battle re-enactments will be at dawn (7 a.m.) Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Kentucky Department of Parks is offering advance tickets for the first time, with savings of from $5 to$7.50 on the ticket price. Advance sales are available through Sept. 28.

Online tickets for adults are $15, compared with $20 at the gate. Advance tickets for children ages 6-12 are $7.50, compared with $15 at the gate. Guests ages 62 and older can purchase advance tickets for $10, compared with $15 at the gate. (There is a per ticket convenience fee of 95 cents charged for online purchases)

To purchase advance tickets, visit http://kentucky.gov/perryville. You will receive an email confirmation and should bring that with you on the day of the event at the will call booth.

Also new this year is free admission for fourth-grade students who are studying Kentucky history (in fourth grade as of October 2012) with a paid adult admission. Online tickets for paranormal tours are also available (for ages 12 and above). Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform will be admitted free. (Scouts who are camping pay a $5 fee, but need to register in advance by visiting www.perryvillebattlefield.org . Adult leaders not camping pay regular admission.) All current and former members of the military also are free with military ID.

Food vendors, gift shops, and sutlers will be at the park during the weekend.

Visitors should be prepared to walk by wearing comfortable shoes. They may also want to bring a chair and allow time to get to the park and battlefields due to the crowd. (There is no seating at the battles.)

Perryville Battlefield is 45 miles southwest of Lexington. Take US 68 west to US 150 west. For more information about Perryville and the events on Oct. 6-7, visit www.perryvillebattlefield.org. For more information about Kentucky State Parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov

150th Anniversary Battle of Perryville

Tentative Schedule of Events
Times subject to change.

Friday, Oct. 5, 2012
6 p.m. Admission Gate Open
  “SHOCK” Paranormal Investigation Tours
6:30 pm Tour 1
6:45 pm Tour 2
8:30 pm Tour 3
8:45 pm Tour 4

Saturday, Oct.6, 2012
5 a.m. Admission gates open
6 a.m. Food court open
7 a.m. Sunrise battle re-enactment
9 a.m. Camps, Sutlers, Museum, Gift Shop, and History Mobile Open
9 a.m. Chautauqua performer - John G. Fee, Abolitionist in Kentucky
10 a.m. Loomis Battery Exhibit open
10 a.m. Speaker and book signing – “Serving Uncle Sam in the 50th Ohio”
10:30 a.m. Speaker and book signing – “Kentucky’s Civil War Battlefields”
11 a.m. “Undressing the Civil War” clothing demonstration
11 a.m. Horse-drawn artillery demonstration
Noon – Keynote Speaker - Stuart Sanders – “Perryville Under Fire”
2 p.m. Battle re-enactment
3:30 p.m. Chautauqua performer - Johnny Greene of the Orphan Brigade
4:30 p.m. Meet General Hardee
4:30 p.m. Camps and Cannon Exhibit close
5 p.m. Sutlers, Museum and History Mobile close
6 p.m.  “SHOCK” Paranormal Investigation Tours
6:30 p.m. Tour 1
6:45 p.m. Tour 2
8:30 p.m. Tour 3
8:45 pm Tour 4
 

Sunday, Oct.7, 2012
7:30 a.m. Admission gate and food court open
9 a.m. Camps, Sutlers, Museum and Gift Shop, History Mobile open
9 a.m. Chautauqua performer - Reverend Newton Bush
10 a.m. Loomis Battery Exhibit open
10 a.m. Lecture - Civil War Medicine
11 a.m. Horse-drawn artillery demonstration
11:30 a.m. Chris Kolakowski – The Battle of Perryville
1 p.m. Battle re-enactment
2:30 p.m. Speaker and book signing – “The Man Who Carried a Drum”
3 p.m. Speaker and book signing – “The 24th Ill. Infantry”
3:30 p.m. Chautauqua performer - Abraham Lincoln
4 p.m. Camps, Sutlers, Cannon, and History Mobile close
5 p.m. Museum and Gift Shop close