Stones River National Battlefield
Stones River National Battlefield, a 570-acre (2.3 km2) park along the Stones River in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, three miles (5 km) northwest of Murfreesboro and twenty-eight miles southeast of Nashville, memorializes the
A national battlefield, 2 mi north of Murfreesboro
Visits hit a record in 2025
The National Park Service counted 454,614 visitors in 2025, the most in 10 years of counts. Visitors ↓
Murfreesboro is inside the park
Murfreesboro sits inside the park’s boundary. Where to stay ↓
Murfreesboro is the nearest base
Murfreesboro is 2 miles south, with 51 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Sep and Oct
September and October are mild and quieter than average, with highs of 73–84°. When to go ↓
Established in 1960
Stones River National Battlefield dates from 1960 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Crowds and weather, month by month
Bars: average monthly visitors, 2022–2025. Line: the typical afternoon high. Green months are mild and quieter than average.
Stones River National Battlefield
Stones River National Battlefield, a 570-acre (2.3 km2) park along the Stones River in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, three miles (5 km) northwest of Murfreesboro and twenty-eight miles southeast of Nashville, memorializes the Battle of Stones River. This key battle of the American Civil War occurred on December 31, 1862, and January 2, 1863, and resulted in a strategic Union victory.
- Type
- National Battlefield
- Established
- 1960
- Area
- 709 acres
- Elevation
- 561 ft
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966)
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.6K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/stri
Before you go
Where to stay near Stones River National Battlefield
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Murfreesboro (51) and Nashville (415).
- 1Nissan Stadium
- 2Ryman Auditorium
- 3Parthenon
- 4The Hermitage
- 5Bridgestone Arena
- 6FirstBank Stadium
- 7Geodis Park
- 8Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Murfreesboro
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
171,178 people
2 mi south of the visitor center
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murfreesboro | inside the park | 5 min | 51 42 hotels · 5 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins | 171,178 | $402K | C− |
| Nashville | 28 mi northwest | 40 min | 415 328 hotels · 29 motels · 20 inns & B&Bs · 13 lodges & cabins · 4 hostels · 15 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 745,904 | $417K | D− |
| Smyrna | 8 mi northwest | 10 min | 21 17 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 63,321 | $358K | C− |
| Franklin | 24 mi west | 35 min | 57 49 hotels · 2 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins | 90,226 | $705K | B |
| La Vergne | 12 mi northwest | 20 min | 9 4 hotels · 5 campgrounds | 42,146 | $310K | C− |
| Lebanon | 23 mi north | 35 min | 35 24 hotels · 4 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 3 campgrounds | 53,412 | $378K | C+ |
| Brentwood | 20 mi northwest | 30 min | 24 22 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs | 45,313 | $1,031K | B+ |
| Mount Juliet | 23 mi north | 35 min | 13 12 hotels · 1 RV park | 45,172 | $460K | B+ |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Also near Stones River
Other well-known places within 29 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw127 mi Stadium & arenaNissan Stadium
227 mi TheatreRyman Auditorium
328 mi MuseumParthenon
425 mi MuseumThe Hermitage
527 mi Stadium & arenaBridgestone Arena
628 mi Stadium & arenaFirstBank Stadium
725 mi Stadium & arenaGeodis Park
827 mi MuseumCountry Music Hall of Fame and Museum1.3M visitors a yearPhoto credits
Nissan Stadium: Kaldari, CC0 · Ryman Auditorium: Unknown, CC0 · Parthenon: Mayur Phadtare, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Hermitage: Jim Bowen from Zhenhai, China, CC BY 2.0 · Bridgestone Arena: EVula, CC BY 3.0 · FirstBank Stadium: Mhar564, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Geodis Park: CheckeredYeti, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Sean Russell from Knoxville, TN, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
A record 454,614 visitors in 2025
Every full year the Park Service has counted. 2020 (gold) was the pandemic year. Green is the record.
Visiting Stones River
What town is Stones River National Battlefield near?
Murfreesboro, TN, about 2 miles south.
When is the best time to visit Stones River National Battlefield?
September and October, with highs of 73–84°. May is the busiest month (about 50,842 visitors).
How many people visit Stones River National Battlefield each year?
454,614 in 2025, according to the National Park Service.
What is the closest airport to Stones River National Battlefield?
Nashville (BNA), about 22 miles away.
Where should I stay near Stones River National Battlefield?
Murfreesboro (2 mi, 51 places to stay), Nashville (28 mi, 415 places to stay) and Smyrna (8 mi, 21 places to stay).
Tips from people in Murfreesboro
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Murfreesboro’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.