Vicksburg offers several specific ways to explore its history and surroundings: the 47-day siege, museums covering the city’s and river’s history, and connections with nature along the Mississippi. If you are considering Vicksburg as a destination, you can choose what to focus on based on whether you are especially interested in Civil War history, river exhibits, culture, or landscape.
Siege and Remembrance
Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates the 47-day siege of Vicksburg. The official NPS app offers information about the park’s history and audio tour options. Check the app’s availability before your visit.
Vicksburg National Cemetery was established in 1866 as the final resting place for soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil War campaign, the siege, and the occupation of Vicksburg. Seventy-five percent of the Civil War dead recorded there are listed as unidentified. This places the siege and the commemoration of the dead in a specific historical context.
Pemberton’s Headquarters is a house occupied during the siege by Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton. There, he held a council of his senior officers to discuss plans to surrender the city. The house thus connects a personal historical account with a pivotal moment in the siege.
River History and Museum Collections
At the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum, visitors can see Mississippi River fish up close in a 1,515-gallon aquarium. They can also explore a scale outdoor model of a section of the river. The aquarium and model offer two different ways to experience the Mississippi: through its fish and through a representation of a section of the river.
The Catfish Row Museum is located in the Christian and Brough Building, constructed in 1905. Its exhibitions explore how the experiences of African Americans have influenced the cultural heritage of Vicksburg and the Mississippi Delta. They also address the relationship between the river and the people who settled here. The museum thus covers both cultural history and the connection between the river and settlement.
The USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum includes an original Civil War ironclad; many USS Cairo artifacts are now on display at the USS Cairo Museum. The Old Depot Museum focuses on different aspects: it contains a detailed diorama of the siege of Vicksburg and 40 original war-themed paintings by Herb Mott.
At the Old Court House Museum, architectural and collection histories come together: the building originally served as the Warren County courthouse. Its collections on display include antique furniture, Confederate flags, Antebellum-era clothing, Native American and pioneer-era items, and fine portraits. The Vicksburg Riverfront Murals offer another stop in the city’s history: their 32 lifelike images depict periods in Vicksburg’s history.
One detail of local economic history also dates back a long way: Coca-Cola was first bottled in downtown Vicksburg in 1894.
Nature and Trails Through Vicksburg
The natural landscape includes the waterfall at Mint Spring Bayou, designated a Mississippi State Natural Feature. Prairie Nymph (Herbertia lahue) grows abundantly along the mowed landscape beside Tour Road. Vicksburg is also an important location on the National Audubon Society’s Great River Birding Trail.
For routes through the city, the Vicksburg Heritage Walking Trails offer five routes with 35 markers in downtown and the historic districts. The national Mississippi River Trail runs through the heart of downtown. These details distinguish a network of several marked routes from the described route of the national trail through downtown.
For the broader travel overview: Warren.
