Palo Alto Battlefield Is a National Historical Park Near Brownsville

On May 8, 1846, U.S. and Mexican forces fought at Palo Alto — what became the opening battle of the Mexican-American War. The battlefield is now a unit of the National Park Service, located on the north side of Brownsville. It is one of the few preserved Mexican-American War battlefields in the United States.

The site has a visitor center and trails. There is no admission fee to most NPS sites. The battle at Palo Alto, followed the next day by the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, led to the U.S. occupation of the Rio Grande's north bank and ultimately the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that created Cameron County.