Moores Creek National Battlefield Visitor Center

OPERATING HOURS

The Moores Creek National Battlefield Visitor Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, except when closed on Federal holidays. Though the park grounds are open daily, if you are visiting the park to learn about the battle (and not a local resident coming to walk the grounds), I suggest planning your visit to coincide with the Visitor Center opening hours so you can learn something about the battle before exploring the battlefield.

Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to check the official Moores Creek National Battlefield Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the latest schedule.

AMENITIES

• Ranger-staffed information desk where you can pick up a park brochure and ask questions
• Book and souvenir store
• Theater room
• Museum
• Restrooms

Visitor Center information desk and souvenir store

PARK FILM

A 10-minute film about the Battle of Moores Creek is shown on request. The film focuses on the battle only. I found this somewhat lacking and would have liked to have seen more on the events that led up to the battle, as this would have helped put the battle into historical context. The film is a live-action documentary (real actors), and guns and cannon do go off in the film. Dead bodies are shown lying on the ground, but no actual killing. The film is suitable for children who are at least old enough to understand the concept of war and death.

Visitor Center Theater

MOORES CREEK MUSEUM

The museum is similarly disappointing, as it is a general American Revolution museum with a focus on events that happened in North Carolina. Very little about the Battle of Moores Creek is covered. The museum consists of an American Revolution timeline, with national events listed on the upper portion and North Carolina events on the lower. Actual artifacts are on display as well, such as uniforms, cannon, and guns.

Revolution time line

Swivel gun

To learn about the Battle of Moores Creek, be sure to visit the four animated battle maps. Each covers different days before and up to the battle. These not only show how the Patriots and British Loyalists met on the day of the battle, but they also cover the prelude to the battle when armies around North Carolina formed and finally came together at Moores Creek, the aspect of the battle that was missing from the park film. This is the only part of the museum that focuses specifically on the Battle of Moores Creek. I do wish the different militias had been represented with different color lights, for it would have made it easier to keep up with who is who. As is, the Patriots are represented with blue lights and the Loyalists with red lights.

Animated light map that focuses on the Battle of Moores Creek

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Plan to spend up to an hour at the Moores Creek National Battlefield Visitor Center. This would give you time to watch the park film and read all of the information in the museum, which takes about 45 minutes. Of course most people just breeze through the museum, so you could be done in as little as 30 minutes.

Back to the Top