In Mississippi, learn about a battle that changed the course of the war
by Margaret Littman, AARP, May 24, 2021 |
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David Lyons / Alamy Stock Photo
COVID-19 update: The VNMP visitor center is closed, but you can pick up free brochures at the fee station and use the restrooms. The USS Cairo Museum is also closed, though you can still walk aboard the gunboat. The National Cemetery is closed to vehicles. Check the park s website for details.
Visit Mississippi s massive Vicksburg National Military Park it covers more than 1,700 acres just two miles from Vicksburg to relive a pivotal battle in the Civil War. There s much to see: 1,325 historical monuments and markers, 20 miles of reconstructed trenches, two antebellum homes, 144 cannons, a national cemetery, and a restored ironclad gunboat. Plus, it s beautiful. “Visitors are usually overcome with the park s unique topography of rolling hills and steep ravines, and many remark how stunning every monument i