160th Bentonville Battlefield Reenactment

On March 15-16, 2025, hundreds of living historians from across the country will descend on Bentonville Battlefield for the 160th anniversary reenactment of the largest battle fought in North Carolina during the Civil War. Tickets for the event, "A Terrible Storm," are on sale now.

The Bentonville Cannon sits on a grass lot while a car passes in the background.

The 160th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Bentonville will take place March 15-16, 2025. Tickets for the event, “A Terrible Storm,” are now on sale.

The battle scenarios on Saturday and Sunday are the only events that require tickets. The two-day commemoration event also has numerous free activities planned. Visitors can walk through the soldiers’ camps, smell period cooking, listen to lectures, learn about 19th-century medicine, shop the dozens of “sutlers” — vendors selling Civil War-related items — or just relax while listening to old-time music. Concessions will be available for purchase from food trucks and the Bentonville Volunteer Fire Department.

Tours of the Harper House will also be happening throughout each day. The farm home of John and Amy Harper, built in the late 1850s, played a key role in the Battle of Bentonville. Occupied by Union troops on the first day of fighting, the house served as a field hospital for Sherman's XIV Army Corps. Over 500 wounded soldiers, including 45 Confederates, were treated at this facility. John, Amy, and seven of their children remained at the home throughout the battle, helping to care for the wounded men.