Vicksburg National Military Park

State: Mississippi. Type: National Park Service Civil War battlefield park in Vicksburg, Warren County. Established February 21, 1899; transferred from the War Department to the NPS on August 10, 1933. Encompasses 2,524 acres with 1,325 historic monuments and markers, 20 miles of trenches and earthworks, and a 16-mile tour road. 2025 visitation: 410,300.

Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the ground where Union and Confederate forces fought the Siege of Vicksburg, a 47-day campaign from May 18 to July 4, 1863, that ended with the surrender of the city and gave the Union control of the Mississippi River. Confederate President Jefferson Davis called Vicksburg "the nailhead that holds the South's two halves together," while President Lincoln viewed capturing it as key to Union victory. Today the park's 16-mile tour road winds past more than 1,300 monuments and markers, roughly 144 historic cannons, and 20 miles of preserved trenches and earthworks, giving visitors an unusually dense and well-preserved Civil War landscape. A major highlight is the restored ironclad gunboat USS Cairo, sunk by a torpedo in the Yazoo River in December 1862 and raised in 1964. The 116-acre Vicksburg National Cemetery within the park holds over 18,000 Civil War-era burials, more than 12,900 of them unidentified. The park's official film, ranger programs, and a mobile app with audio tours give context to the sprawling battlefield.

The park is located at 3201 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183, flanking the Mississippi River in Warren County in western Mississippi, with a smaller associated unit across the river in Louisiana. The park's 16-mile tour road loops through the main battlefield grounds near downtown Vicksburg.

Vicksburg has a humid subtropical climate typical of the Mississippi River Delta region, with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Because most of the tour is along an outdoor driving/walking route with limited shade at many stops, summer heat and humidity are worth planning around.

Spring and fall generally offer more comfortable temperatures for touring the 16-mile road and walking among the monuments and earthworks than the height of summer. Weekdays outside major holidays tend to be less crowded than weekends.

The park was established by Congress on February 21, 1899, to commemorate the siege and defense of Vicksburg, and was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933. It preserves the site of the Siege of Vicksburg (March 29-July 4, 1863), in which Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant besieged the Confederate-held city for 47 days after failed direct assaults, eventually forcing its surrender on July 4, 1863 - a turning point that gave the Union control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy. The battlefield today holds 1,325 monuments and markers erected by veterans, states, and other groups in the decades after the war, along with 144 preserved cannons and 20 miles of original trenches and earthworks. The USS Cairo, an ironclad gunboat and the first U.S. Navy ship ever sunk by a torpedo (a Confederate mine) on December 12, 1862, was recovered from the Yazoo River in 1964 and is now displayed at the park. The 116.28-acre Vicksburg National Cemetery within the park received Civil War-era burials from 1866 to 1874, totaling 18,244 interments, and is no longer accepting new interments.

Visitors can drive or bike the 16-mile tour road past monuments, cannons and preserved earthworks, watch the park's official film "Here Brothers Fought: The Siege of Vicksburg," and tour the restored USS Cairo gunboat and its museum. The Vicksburg National Cemetery offers a quiet, reflective stop within the park. Families can take part in the Junior Ranger Program, and the park periodically hosts ranger-led and living-history programs; the NPS mobile app provides self-guided audio tours for those touring independently.

The USS Cairo Museum displays the restored ironclad gunboat and artifacts recovered with it. The Illinois Memorial, with its 47 steps representing each day of the siege, is one of the park's most striking monuments. Vicksburg National Cemetery holds more than 18,000 Civil War-era burials. The 16-mile tour road itself, lined with over 1,300 monuments and 144 cannons along 20 miles of trenches and earthworks, is the park's central feature.

The park sits at 3201 Clay Street in Vicksburg, Mississippi, accessible by car via nearby interstate highways serving the city. A rental car is the most practical way to reach the park and to drive its 16-mile tour road; the visitor center serves as the starting point for a self-guided or ranger-assisted tour.

Specific current operating hours and visitor center hours were not available in the official park pages reviewed; confirm current hours directly with the park (601-636-0583) or its official hours page before visiting.

As of research, entrance fees were $20 per private vehicle (covering the driver and all passengers), $15 per motorcycle (up to 2 motorcycles/4 passengers), and $10 per person for those on foot or bicycle (ages 16+ free under 16); an annual park pass costs $35, and the America the Beautiful annual pass ($80 for U.S. residents) is also accepted. Passes are valid for seven days, and the park does not accept cash - only credit/debit cards. Confirm current pricing on nps.gov/vick before visiting.

Plan at least half a day to drive the 16-mile tour road, visit the USS Cairo Museum, and stop at the national cemetery; a full day allows more time to explore individual monuments and any ranger programs.

Downtown Vicksburg, adjacent to the park, offers a range of hotels, motels and historic bed-and-breakfast-style lodging typical of a small Mississippi River city, giving visitors options within a short drive of the park entrance.

Downtown Vicksburg has a variety of local restaurants, including Southern and riverside dining options, within a short drive of the park's Clay Street entrance.

Downtown Vicksburg's historic district and riverfront, including its murals and casino riverboats along the Mississippi, are a short drive from the park. The Old Court House Museum in downtown Vicksburg is another nearby historic site for visitors extending their stay.

The park is best reached by personal or rental vehicle; specific nearest-airport details were not found in the sources reviewed for this destination and should be confirmed before publishing.

Because the tour road and earthworks trails are largely outdoors with limited shade, carry water and sun protection, especially in summer. Only credit/debit cards are accepted for entrance fees, so plan payment accordingly. For any emergency, dial 911.

Water, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes for the tour road and monument stops; a credit or debit card for the entrance fee, since cash is not accepted; and a phone or device to use the park's mobile app for audio tours.

Download the NPS mobile app before arriving for self-guided audio tours of the 16-mile route. Because the park does not accept cash, bring a credit or debit card for the entrance fee. Starting at the visitor center for orientation and the park film helps make sense of the battlefield's scale before driving the tour road.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The park's general visitor information line is 601-636-0583.

Vicksburg National Military Park (National Park Service) - https://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.