Quite off the beaten path is the Battle of Athens State Historic Site in Revere, MO. The state historic site sits right along the riverfront along the Missouri and Iowa border. The site consists of several buildings and fields where the Battle of Athens took place during the Civil War. At the time, the city of Athens, MO was a fairly prosperous due to its river location, making it an important location for control during the war. The Battle of Athens remembers the northernmost battle west of the Mississippi in which the Pro-Southern state guard tried to overthrow the Pro-Union home guard forces. The forces were outnumbered 3-1 won, but the Pro-Union home guard was victorious and retained Athens. Following the battle and economic changes, the town was eventually abandoned and now only a few buildings and the fields where the battles took place remain.

Visitors can explore the sites, but also hike, boat, camp, picnic, fish, participate in interpretive programs, and utilize the playgrounds. When we visited we walked around and read the signs outlining the site. We also had the pleasure of exploring one of the houses that were open and were able to see where a canon went through one of the remaining buildings. The site was quite unique and provided an opportunity to learn a part of Missouri history that is not often shared. While we were there, we did not encounter anyone else outside of one person, making it a nice, quiet getaway.