Become Part of the Legacy
Experience and help re-build a War of 1812 historical landmark
VISITOR CENTER INFORMATION
⚠️ JULY 16, 2026 Air Quality Alert, Heat Advisory ⚠️
Hazardous Air Quality in Monroe, Michigan. Due to elevated levels of particulates produced from wildfires in Canada, if possible, avoid strenuous outdoors activities especially those with heart disease and respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Please visit the Visitor Center for a hydration station and seek shade during high heat windows.
PROGRAMS:
July 22 NPS Program: Diplomacy on the Detroit Frontier with Guest Speaker Dr. Bruce Way at 7:00pm
August 22-30 National Park Week
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The River Raisin Education Center, presented by La-Z-Boy Foundation, is now open to the public!
Battlefield site trails open from dawn to dusk.
Visitor Center HOURS: 9:00AM to 5:00PM Daily
River Raisin Trade Depot Gift Shop: 10:00AM to 5:00PM Daily or
go online for Park only merchandise in our ONLINE SHOP
**Please refer to the Events Calendar tab for upcoming activities.**
Who Are We?
A Largely Untold Legacy
Every day, people otherwise unaware, drive by a battlefield where the course of American history was changed forever. In the early 1800s, significant events happened in Southeast Michigan which most know nothing about. River Raisin National Battlefield Park aims to tell the dramatic, little known story of one of the greatest military defeats in U.S. history, a calamitous series of clashes that took place not long after the outbreak of the War of 1812.
Frenchtown, Then & Now
The battles at Frenchtown (present day Monroe) had deep sociocultural, political and geographic impact on the Native American, French and American people cohabiting the area at the time. While Frenchtown is no more, the battlefield remains. Hundreds of thousands of students and guests from around the world visit the River Raisin National Battlefield Park each year. During their stay, they not only learn the history that took place on these solemn grounds, but also what led us here, and what came to pass in the aftermath.
Why a Battlefield Foundation?
The goal of the foundation is to develop a world class educational experience
to connect the past to our shared future in a unique and interactive way.
By rebuilding historic Frenchtown visitors will have the opportunity to explore life in the 1800s, while learning about the critical battles that happened here and their impact on what followed. The engagements directly affected not only the course of the war, but relations between Americans and Native Americans to the extent that they were never the same. The chance to see Frenchtown meticulously recreated will immerse visitors in an experience that will not only impart the War of 1812’s significance in American history, but also challenge mindsets in a way that could positively impact the future.
Our Journey to Become…
Establishing an authentic 1800’s Frenchtown, complete with ribbon farms, trading post and vineyards, as well as developing a state-of-the-art education center, will greatly enhance visitors’ engagement and interactivity with the historical site. Because the federal government only funds Park staff salaries and maintenance of the Battlefield grounds, our Foundation needs your help to make the Old Frenchtown and improved educational facilities a reality.
