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

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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.

11/04/2026

What can a knitted cap tell us about the Vicksburg Campaign?

This handmade knitted cap belonged to Michael W. Hughes, a second lieutenant in Company C of the 22nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment.

Hughes enlisted on April 27, 1861. During the Vicksburg Campaign, his regiment fought at the Battles of Champion Hill and Big Black River. The regiment remained outside Vicksburg's defenses and avoided capture when the city surrendered on July 4, 1863.

Hughes survived the Civil War and was later buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Today, his knitted cap offers a personal connection to the soldiers and events of the Vicksburg Campaign.

NPS Photo: VICK 52. Knitted cap worn by Second Lieutenant Michael W. Hughes.

10/26/2026

Not all who fought at Vicksburg wore a uniform...
Remembering the Horses and Mules of Vicksburg

They pulled cannons, carried supplies, and moved people. Yet we often overlook horses and mules when we tell the Vicksburg story.

Estimates range from 51,100 to 57,470 horses and mules across the broader Vicksburg Campaign in 1863. These animals served armies and helped people in daily life. Both Union and Confederate troops relied on them. Union cavalry alone used an estimated 12,000 to 14,400 horses.

Many of these animals suffered. They died from hunger, disease, exhaustion, or battle wounds.

Inside Vicksburg, troops ran out of feed. Confederate commander John C. Pemberton ordered most horses and mules sent outside the defense lines. His troops had nothing left to feed them. Soldiers and civilians also faced starvation. Some ate the horses and mules that remained.

Animals serving Union troops faced hardships, too. Long marches wore them down. They often had too little feed. Many grew sick or suffered wounds in battle.

Survey teams at Vicksburg National Military Park have found horseshoes, teeth, and bones. These finds offer a link to the animals that served here. They remind us how much armies relied on animals and how those animals suffered during the war.

On National Mule Day, we remember the horses and mules behind the Vicksburg story.

Image Credit: NPS Photos

10/05/2026

Share your input on proposed changes to Vicksburg National Military Park’s main entrance.

The park is seeking public feedback on plans to redesign the entrance at Clay Street and Old Highway 27. The proposed changes aim to improve safety, traffic flow and access while protecting historic monuments.

Review the proposed designs and submit comments October 5–November 5, 2026 at https://ow.ly/gkaW50ZUtSk. Select “Open for Comment,” then “Preliminary Concepts.”

Read the full news release: https://ow.ly/ESwo50ZUtSl
For questions, contact [email protected].

10/02/2026

Imagine standing watch aboard the USS Cairo on a moonless night. The river is dark, the land around you is nearly invisible, and every sound seems just a little louder. For the sailors and soldiers aboard the ironclad, a small signal lantern like this one could provide one of the only sources of light in the darkness. 🕯️

Used to send signals between ships and people on shore, lanterns were an essential part of nighttime operations on the Mississippi River. But in the darkness, their small glow must have made an eerie sight—one of the few points of light breaking through the night aboard the ironclad.

Today, this lantern offers a connection to the sailors who worked, watched, and waited aboard the vessel after sunset.

🚢 Imagine the river at night. What would you have heard—or seen—from the deck of the Cairo?

NPS Photo: VICKC 982. Parts of a signal lantern recovered aboard the USS Cairo.

10/01/2026

Summer brought some pawsome visitors to Vicksburg National Military Park! 🐾

As we welcome October, we’re looking back at the Bark Rangers who explored the park with their people this summer. Thank you for keeping your humans company and bringing a little extra joy to the trails.

Here’s to more walks, wagging tails, and adventures this fall!

09/14/2026

Our museum Artifact of the Month offers a glimpse into how one veteran shaped his experiences into something lasting.

After the Civil War, Abram Keller Shaifer Jr. turned to woodworking, carving souvenirs for visitors who came to learn about the May 1, 1863, Battle of Port Gibson. A veteran of Company K of the 1st Mississippi Light Artillery, Shaifer may have learned to whittle during his time as a soldier.

Whittling, or carving wood with a knife was a common way Civil War soldiers passed the time. They transformed scraps of wood into walking sticks, pipes, toys, and other keepsakes. These handmade objects offered an outlet amid the hardships of war and preserved memories of these hard times.

Shaifer’s carvings remind us that history can survive not only in battlefields and written records, but also in objects shaped by hand.

Image Credit: C. Plesic

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

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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