What to bring?
Stroller?
Yes
Restrooms
In the parking lot
We made the stop to Little Bighorn National Monument pretty short, but we were definitely glad we made it! We did not realize it was the anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand, making it so much more of an experience. We were there about an hour but if you are a true history buff and want to do the full experience, expect to spend closer to 2-3 hours. The entrance fee is $20 per vehicle but is also included with the America the Beautiful pass.
Our first stop was the visitors center, which had a great walk through museum. My husband and I both knew a little bit about the Battle of Little Bighorn (Custer’s Last Stand), but walking through the museum and reading the timeline (at least as much as our littles would let us), we learned so much and had so much more of an understanding of why this battle took place.
After the museum, we walked up the hill to the Custer’s Last Stand Memorial, which honored the American soldiers who lost their lives, and then across the street to the Native American monument, which honored the Native Americans who lost their lives. Both were very sombering as you looked over the hill, imagining the gruesome massacre that took place.
Beyond that, there is a trail that walks out into the fields that follows along an audio tour, explaining the events that took place as you walk. There is also a drive through tour that you can listen to the video, “Triumph and Tradegy at Little Bighorn,” as you drive. We opted to instead save time and listen to the video in our later drives.
On our way back to the car though, we noticed there were people setting in lawn chairs looking out over the battlefield site. There were also Native Americans in their ritual attire and instruments. Our assumption was that it was simply more crowded because of it being the anniversary and there may possibly be an event in remembrance. However, we heard a man with binoculars point out a truck with a Fil crew in the distant field. We still didn’t think much about it but as we walked to the parking lot, we heard a “war cry.” When we turned around, a herd of horses with Native Americans on them raced over the hill and circled in celebration. It was so surreal experiencing exactly what it would’ve looked like when the battle occurred. We waited around, along with so many others, but they tied up the horses on the fence post and the scene was over. The little ones were getting restless or we may have stay a little longer. This definitely made our visit to Little Bighorn National Park an experience we will never forget.
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