Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site

Steve’s take

The last major Civil War battle — fought in March 1865, just weeks before Lee surrendered. The battlefield is about twenty minutes off I-95 through back roads that look like a time machine. The Harper House served as a field hospital and still has bloodstains on the floors. Heavy? Yes. But for families with older kids interested in history, this is one of those places where the textbook stops being abstract. Free admission. Bring the gravitas.