little bighorn national monument

For anyone interested in Native American Indian and U.S. Army 7th Cavalry history of the mid-west and west this is a must-see battlefield. I happen to have had an ancestor Pvt. Henry Seafferman (aka, Siefferman) who rode with Custer and who was killed during the battle along with Custer and was a must-see site for me. I was there previously three years ago and was rushed through the battlefield because we arrive early afternoon so had to return. You can walk the trails or take your R/V, motorcycle or auto to see the various sights on the trail map. There is a wonderful museum and introductory movie and guide discussion of the battlefield. The various tombstones at each site where an Indian or soldier were found after the battle were very haunting at best. Last stand hill is the site to see with it's tombstones where soldiers fell and were killed and the imposing white stone monument at the top of the hill with the names of all soldiers killed in action engraved on the monument. There is also a National Cemetery with rows of white polished stones marking the graves of Veterans buried there after the action. Action at the Valley Fight (where my ancestor was killed at the tree line along Little Bighorn River), the Indian Encampment, the Indian Memorial, Custer's Advance Medicine Tail Coolee, Greasy Ridge Hill, Last Stand Hill and other battlefield tour stop areas have maps and explanation of the events at each site. There are a number of restaurants to eat near the site as well as other historic sites, Indian sites and small museums. You can see most of the sites in a 2-3 hour tour, but if you really want to study and see the site in detail, plan to spend three or more hours there especially if you don't expect to return.

This is definitely a sensual altering experience. I first visited this place 18 years ago and now just recently and it has only depend my feelings/emotions from that first time. If you are so inclined to visit this place then please do so with an open mind and heart. Let your senses be your guide and I am sure you will come away with a unique experience. Please keep in mind that the information you will see at the Interpretive centre is from the non native side.

pretty much the same review as my review for the battlefield site, guess I didn't know these were separate sites. go to both

50 yrs after seeing the Twilight Zone episode," The 7th Is Made Up Of Phantoms",I finally got to the beautiful Montana plains, and feel the phantoms of this battlefield brush my cheek & whisper in the wind.

This site does a great job of giving a true and realistic picture of what actually happened and more importantly, why it happened. It portrays an honest representation of the conflicts between the govenrment and local tribes at the time. It does not glorify Custer's actions, nor make him a hero or villain. It tells the story including the WOUNDED KNEE MASSACRE of Indians. Please take one of the monument's guided tours. Our tour guide was a Native Indian and we thorough enjoy his informative and historical guided tour of the site. On our way to Little Big Horn, we had stopped and visited the actual site of Wounded Knee before coming here. However, we actually learned more here at Little Big Horn, than at Wounded Knee.

Stopped in to see this monument, the museum is very interesting there is a video to watch where I learned things i never knew about the Battle of Little Bighorn. It was very very interesting

Must see for history buffs. Since we live so close, we visit many times a year. Would suggest taking the time to read and visit all parts of the park.

I am impressed at the respect that was shown to show both sides of the massacre story. The grave stones laid out on the hill draw your attention to where Custer made his last stand. And the fairly new addition of the white and brown grave markers outstretch a five mile area to mark where those who were killed, fell; both for the Cheyenne, Lakota and Arapaho Warriors and the 7th US Cavalry.

Powerfull site and story. The addition of the granite stones for the first americans is telling, the circle not so much. Best to go when one of the NPS interpretive staff is giving tours, they are pros. Good gift shop, HQ needs to spend money on the exhibits.

We have always wanted to see where Custer and his men lost their lives in the so-called "Indian Wars." This beautiful, solemn, hill with a 360 degree view of the Montana prairie is an incredibly sacred place. Both the museum and the slide show tell a very balanced story of how these two cultures clashed and the price they both paid for it. A quietly sober spot to meditate on the folly of war.

Just what really did happen here. Read all the different interpretations you want...I suspect everyone comes away wondering just what really did happen. Not so much troop movements, (yes, lots of maps of who was where and where the backup came from and most importantly, where it DIDN'T) But I left thinking that perhaps Custer and his troops weren't really planing on killing one and all. They were there to move the settlement...still wrong, but...once threatened, the young braves feeling that they were there to kill all...women and children...things got ugly. Standing up top the hill....I could only imagine what was going through the Calvary's minds....Great displays inside, easy walk to the mound or there is parking if you're not able to walk it.

Go see where some of the great history of the west took place. Native American tour guide was excellent! She gave the facts in a wonderful non biased narrative. Try and imagine yourself back in this vast area as a soldier or warrior with no phones and no outside help.

I hadn't originally planned to visit Little Bighorn on my 16-day journey through the American northwest. However, I'd heard that it was not far from my planned route. Since this was Memorial Day, it seemed like a most appropriate place to visit. This visit was indescribable, seeing the many markers where soldiers had fallen and imagining how many Sioux must’ve died there, too. The organizers did an excellent job of representing both sides of the conflict, especially considering that, for many years, the focus was mostly on the Union side, with few markers placed where Sioux fighters' had fallen. Outside the visitors' center, a road took me further into the battlefield, where markers denoted the Union fallen and several signs described the combat. It was a somber site that left me feeling an almost haunted sensation. There were surprisingly few people there considering it was a holiday, but I actually appreciated the greater sense of intimacy.

If you have any interest in the battle of Little Bighorn you need to come here to really understand what happened that day. Reading is fine, and watching movies, but you need to see the terrain to grasp how events unfolded. And you need to take time and make use of the resources available, otherwise it will just look like a bunch of grassy hills.I'll start with the not-so-great aspects. Cars were parking way out when we got there late morning so we grabbed the first spot we saw. When we walked to the visitor's center there were a lot of empty places close in, probably people who'd already left. The visitor's center itself is small. There are a few exhibit cases but not nearly as much information as such an important site needs. There is also a nice film on a small TV but it's in a small room with lots of windows. They bring down the shades but it's still bright. When we were there it was standing room only and that was in the middle of the week not in high season.Now for the good things. We had an excellent ranger program that explained the events leading to the battle, the people involved, and the battle itself. In the gift shop we bought an audio tour CD for the car. That's what really made the experience. There are a few stops on the way to the far end but most of the stops are on the way back since that's the way the battle unfolded. Seeing the rolling landscape and having the audio tour really helped make sense of what happened here. Seeing the monuments to both Custer's men and the Native Americans (and the horses) who fought and died were thought-provoking.A very good experience to learn an important piece of American history.

I was completely underwhelmed by this National Monument. The visitor's center was not very engaging. The outdoor area was better, and I found it to be more interesting. We were there in January (our fault), and the weather was cold. Even so, I was dressed for the weather and we just walked around for about 1/2 hour outside. I was disappointed. I expected more in a monument memorializing such a major event.