2024 Memorial Day Events at Stones River National Battlefield
Stones River National Battlefield and Cemetery will host a series of events to commemorate Memorial Day in 2024. On Saturday May 25, 2024, at 10 AM, scouting and other youth groups are invited to place flags on more than 7,000 headstones in Stones River National Cemetery. Volunteers and groups should register at https://forms.office.com/g/gwdSr7NWfY.
Participants should plan to arrive by 9:30 AM. Please carpool if possible. Parking will be adjacent to the park visitor center. Later arrivals may have to walk five to ten minutes to reach the cemetery. All leaders will check-in their group Saturday morning before receiving their flags and section assignments. The check-in table will be located just inside the pedestrian entrance to the cemetery.
At 11 AM on May 25th, living historians and veterans representing the major military actions in which veterans buried in Stones River National Cemetery served will offer visitors the opportunity to see uniforms, weapons and equipment used from the Civil War through Vietnam and learn more about the soldiers who served in those conflicts. The living history event will run through 3 PM with a noon lunch break and will be located near the national cemetery rostrum.
Sunday May 26, 2024, will feature our Memorial Day ceremony at 1:30 PM. Parking will be near the park visitor center. The Memorial Day ceremony will take place at the national cemetery rostrum. Limited seating under tents is available. Guests are encouraged to bring their own seating and shade provisions.
Hundreds of visitors will walk the grounds of Stones River National Cemetery on Monday May 27, 2024. Park staff will be on duty in the cemetery to answer questions from 9 AM through 7 PM. Parking in the cemetery will be limited to those who have accessibility needs. All other visitors will need to park near the visitor center and cross Old Nashville Highway at our lighted crosswalk.
We ask that visitors not bring coins to lay on the headstones. That practice is not permitted as it can cause damage to the historic headstones and coins that fall to the ground can become safety hazards during mowing operations. Please also note that the only decorations permitted at gravesites, other than the flags placed on Saturday, are fresh cut flowers.
The Stones River National Battlefield main entrance is located at 1563 N. Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro. Additional information is available at the park website (http://www.nps.gov/stri) or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/StonesRiverNPS/).
