What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm Saturday 8:30am - 5pm Sunday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Vicksburg National Military Park

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Vicksburg, MS
Vicksburg National Military Park

Preserving and interpreting the story of Vicksburg in the Civil War and Reconstruction. Department of the Interior. Both the park's Visitor Center and the U.S.S.

Vicksburg National Military Park, established in 1899, is a unit of the National Park Service, U.S. The 1800 acre main portion of the park preserves the eastern Confederate defenses and Union siege lines of the Vicksburg Campaign of May - July, 1863. The park also includes several sites along the Mississippi River and Pemberton's Headquarters in downtown Vicksburg, a three acre remnant of Grant's Canal in Delta, Louisiana; and the preserved Union ironclad gunboat U.S.S. Cairo, as well as artifacts retrieved from her raising. Cairo and Museum are in the main park, along with a 16 mile tour road through Union and Confederate lines.

09/11/2026

We Remember

08/29/2026

This Staff Saturday, we’re celebrating the employees and volunteers whose time, talents, and dedication help make Vicksburg National Military Park a place where history is preserved, stories are shared, and visitors feel welcome.

From caring for park resources and maintaining historic landscapes to assisting visitors and supporting programs, each person contributes to the work of protecting this special place for future generations.

Swipe through to meet some of the people who help Vicksburg National Military Park fulfill its mission every day.

During National Park Week and throughout the year, we’re grateful for the many hands and hearts behind the park.

Image Credit: NPS/Chloe Fields 2024

08/26/2026

Hello Friends! For National Dog Day, I wanted to introduce myself as a frequent-furry friend of Vicksburg National Military Park. My name is Josie and I love traveling to all the National Parks to explore and sniff around! I recently became a BARK Ranger here, and I had so much fun! My mom and I made sure we followed the B.A.R.K. Ranger principles, and you can too!

Sometimes pups like me have to use the bathroom while exploring. When we do, we Bag our p**p and take it out of the park for the safety and wellbeing of other dogs and their humans.

Ranger Josie pro tip: There are pet waste trash bins located in the Visitor Center and U.S.S. Cairo museum parking lots.

I am one year old, and I catch the zoomies quickly! My mom Always keeps me on a 6-foot leash, so I don’t go galivanting off into the earthworks and monuments. This also helps me Respect the wildlife of Vicksburg National Military Park, even those pesky squirrels!

Mommy tells me I’m a good girl and I can be well-behaved, but I Know I cannot go into some areas of the park. Some other BARK Rangers who have special skills to service their human’s needs are allowed in areas I am not and that’s okay. We check in with park rangers and keep watch for signage to know where I can explore!

Practicing the B.A.R.K. Ranger principles helps keep Vicksburg National Military Park safe and enjoyable for visitors, wildlife, and pets alike!

🐾 B – Bag your pet’s waste

🐾 A – Always use a leash

🐾 R – Respect wildlife

🐾 K – Know where you can go

This National Dog Day, bring your canine companion along for an adventure and ask a ranger how your pup can become an official B.A.R.K. Ranger!

📸 Already have a B.A.R.K. Ranger in the family? Share a photo of your pup enjoying the park in the comments!

NPS Photo: Bark Ranger Josie poses for the camera in front of the park entrance sign.

08/21/2026

Open again for access: Grant Circle and a section of Union Avenue after completing an extensive, multi-year rehabilitation project to repair catastrophic damage caused by heavy rainfall in early 2020.
At Grant's Circle, the park constructed a 50-foot gabion basket retaining wall to improve road slope stability and form a foundation for the reconstructed road surface. This sustainable design allows water to pass through reducing the risk of drainage pipe failures. The design is also a nod to the historical context at Vicksburg. During the siege, both armies used gabion baskets woven with cane reeds and filled with earth and stone to strengthen trenches and ramparts. While the materials have changed, the core engineering remains the same to reinforce an 1863 fortification or a present-day road.

Additional work at Grant's Circle included milling and asphalt paving, new striping, curb and gutter replacements and installation of a new drainage system on the west side of the circle. Along North Union Ave, the park installed 900 aggregate piers under the new roadway as reinforcement to improve vertical load transfer and reduce the risk of lateral soil failure. The permeable aggregate system allows subsurface water to drain freely, helping prevent moisture buildup, which caused the failure in 2020. New improvements will support the long-term sustainability of the roadway.

Find out more about the project: https://go.nps.gov/37eo81

08/13/2026

See the Illinois Memorial restoration taking shape.

New before-and-after photographs reveal the results of careful cleaning and repairs to the eagle-and-shield cornice, dome, and portico roof.

The project is funded through a private donation from Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign and a matching Centennial Challenge federal grant.

See more photographs and follow the restoration’s progress:
https://www.nps.gov/vick/planyourvisit/illinois-memorial-restoration.htm

08/09/2026

Happy !

Books? Oh yeah, we have some of those here. Just a few. Actually, here’s a small selection of books about Vicksburg and the Civil War.

What are some of your favorite books about the Civil War and Vicksburg?

08/01/2026

The Crisis (1916)
First Ever Major Motion Picture Filmed in Mississippi Shot at Vicksburg National Military Park

Vicksburg can rightfully claim its place in Mississippi motion picture history with the filming of battle scenes for the silent movie, The Crisis, 110 years ago. Scenes were shot on location from May 20 to June 2nd, 1916, at South Fort (on Washington Street between Navy Circle and Louisiana Circle), at Fort Garrott (Tour Stop 14), and on the Yazoo Diversion Canal opposite the Vicksburg National Cemetery (Tour Stop 8).

500 Mississippi National Guard troops portrayed US and Confederate soldiers and river barges were mocked up to look like ironclad gunboats moored across from the Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Lasting only seven minutes, the battle scenes of the Siege of Vicksburg captivated audiences and critics alike for their realism and are some of the most dramatic depictions of warfare in early motion picture history.

In May 2013, the Strand Theatre in Vicksburg showed a16 mm copy of the film to a full house and had another showing accompanied by live music in November 2023. Today, we are fortunate that many silent movies in the public domain are available online, and we invite you to watch The Crisis linked below:
To watch The Crisis on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9puCDo3Cquk

Images and Credit:
Advertisement for the film from The Moving Picture World November 11. 1916.

The Three Leading Characters (Right) Stephen Brice (played by Tom Santschi), (Center) Virginia Carvel (played by Bessie Eyton), and (Left) Col. Comyn Carvel (played by Matthew Snyder, then an 80-year-old US Navy Veteran who served on the ironclad U.S.S. Essex at Vicksburg from 1862-1863) (Still Image from The Crisis- Public Domain).

Mississippi National Guard troops portraying Confederate soldiers filmed at Fort Garrott on May 25, 1916 (Still image from The Crisis- Public Domain).

Photo of Fort Garrott (Tour Stop 14) today (NPS Photo).

07/31/2026

International Friendship Day was this week and is the perfect time to remember one of Port Gibson's most remarkable friendships.

On May 1, 1863, William Duffner marched with Union forces during the Battle of Port Gibson. He could not have known that the home where part of the fighting took place belonged to the Shaifer family—or that after the war he would become close friends with Abram Keller Shaifer Jr., who had served on the opposite side of the conflict.

Years later, Duffner wrote to the Port Gibson Post Office requesting a map of the battlefield. His letter reached Abram Shaifer, who replied that the battlefield Duffner was trying to locate had been his family home. That unexpected connection sparked a friendship that lasted for years.

The two veterans exchanged letters, visited one another during reunions, and shared gifts. Among the most meaningful was the "Duffner Chair," painted with a scene of the May 1, 1863, battle – a reminder that a place once marked by war had become a symbol of friendship.

Their story is a powerful reminder that even after our deepest divisions, understanding and respect can bring people together. Happy International Friendship Day!

NPS Photo: Abram Keller Shaifer Jr. poses next to a double rocker chair depicting the battle of Port Gibson gifted to him by William Duffner. The “Duffner chair” is a part of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History museum collection and is on display at the Museum of Mississippi History.

NPS Photo: Group of Civil War veterans adorned with medals pose in front lawn of Shaifer house. Amanda Guice Shaifer and Abram Keller Shaifer Jr. are pictured second and third in the front row from the left.

NPS Photo: Group of Civil War veterans pose in front of an unknown home circa 1901. Image is captioned, “Survivors of The Battle of Port Gibson, May the first 1863. From The Blue to The Gray.” Seated from left to right – William Duffner, I. Phipps, A. S., G. Flora, Major Kelley, J. Keynon, and Lieut. Moore. Back row, left to right – Captain Moore, W. Walker, H. Craimer, Allen Edward, R. C. Hart, G. Barnard, W. H. Edwards

07/06/2026

As we commemorate the 163rd anniversary of the surrender of Vicksburg this month, come check out our new temporary exhibit at the visitor center, where we explore how the surrender has been remembered over the years.

Image: Temporary exhibit at the Vicksburg National Military Park Visitor Center featuring historic photographs, artifacts, and interpretive panels that explore how the Surrender of Vicksburg has been remembered and commemorated over the past 163 years.
Credit: P. Winfrey

07/04/2026

Cannons, camels, crafts, and generals! Here are some images from today's events celebrating the 4th of July/Victory at Vicksburg/Day of Jubilee for the 250th at Vicksburg NMP.

On July 4, 1863, after 47 days of the siege, Vicksburg was officially surrendered. It was a key turning point in the Civil War. The city would become a beacon of freedom as it was also emancipation day for thousands of now formerly enslaved African Americans.

Address

3201 Clay Street
Vicksburg, MS
39183

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday	8:30am - 5pm
Sunday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+16016360583

Website

http://www.nps.gov/vick

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