Civil War Trail

Step into history with Visit Independence’s Civil War Trail—an interactive experience where you can explore key battle sites, check in at each stop, earn points, and redeem prizes along the way. Located along the tense border between Kansas abolitionists and Missouri’s pro-slavery residents, Independence was the site of two Civil War battles. The trail features these battlefields along with important landmarks like the 1859 Jail & Marshal’s Home and the Bingham-Waggoner Estate, tied to the First and Second Battles of Independence. The second battle, fought in October 1864, was part of a failed Confederate raid that helped lead to the war’s end in 1865. Sign up today and discover Independence’s Civil War story—one stop at a time.