Vicksburg National Military Park
To Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Vicksburg was the "nailhead that holds the South's two halves together." President Abraham Lincoln remarked "Vicksburg is the key" to victory, and could be the north's lifeline into the south. As the federals closed in on the Fortress City, they were met by a ring of forts with over 170 cannon. The resulting battle would determine the war's outcome.
Alerts
- ClosureNPS ↗Illinois Memorial Closed for Restoration
The memorial itself closed for restoration starting on September 16, 2025. Starting on March 2, 2026, access to Tour Stops 2 and 3 will be temporarily closed. The closure point will be at the Shirley House. Visitors will still be able to continue north along Union Avenue and access the remainder of the Tour Road.
- ClosureNational Cemetery Closed to Vehicles; Open to Pedestrians
Due to weather related incidents, Vicksburg National Cemetery is closed to vehicular traffic, however it is open to pedestrians. Visitor can park in the adjacent USS Cairo parking lot and walk into the cemetery.
- ClosureLouisiana Circle Closed
Louisiana Circle is closed to vehicles and pedestrians due to slope instability. Navy Circle is open and also provides views of the Mississippi River.
Fire nearby
- WildfireDowling
41 mi from the park's reference point · 106 acres · 5% contained
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleThis pass admits the driver and all passengers in a private, non-commercial vehicle to the park. | $20 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. The park requires all visitors to pay an entrance fee except children under 16 years of age. | $15 | |
| Per PersonGood for 7 days You are purchasing a digital site pass that is valid only for weekly entrance fees at Vicksburg National Military Park. The park requires all visitors to pay an entrance fee except children under 16 years of age. The pass covers entry for one pedestrian or cyclist. | $10 | |
| Non-commercial Groups$10 per person, not to exceed commercial group rate. | Free | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| Sedan$25.00 plus $10 per passenger (not to exceed $40). | $25 | |
| VanAs provided by non-NPS charter tour companies. | $40 | |
| Mini-busAs provided by non-NPS charter tour companies. | $40 | |
| Motor CoachAs provided by non-NPS charter tour companies. | $100 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkGood for 12 months from the date of purchase The pass covers unlimited entry for one vehicle and passengers. | $35 | |
The National Park Service’s Recreation Fee Program supports the NPS mission in a variety of ways. Fee Program employees not only collect fees, but they also perform activities related to resource stewardship, visitor facility improvements, education and visitor use management.
Hours
| Visitor Center | Varies by day ▾
|
| Vehicle Access to Tour Road | Daily · 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| USS Cairo Outdoor Exhibit Area | Daily · 8:30AM - 4:30PM |
| USS Cairo Museum | Daily · 8:30AM - 4:30PM |
| Vicksburg National Military Park Grounds | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
Visitor Center: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day - Park Closed | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day - Park Closed | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day - Park Closed | Closed |
Vehicle Access to Tour Road: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day - Park Closed | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day-Park Closed | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day- Park Closed | Hours not published |
USS Cairo Outdoor Exhibit Area: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 8:30AM - 4:30PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day - Park Closed | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day - Park Closed | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day - Park Closed | Hours not published |
USS Cairo Museum: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 8:30AM - 4:30PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day - Park Closed | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day - Park Closed | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Years Day - Park Closed | Closed |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Inside the Visitor Center, Park Rangers are ready to answer your questions and assist with your orientation to park areas. To help ensure that their visit is safe and enjoyable, large groups or tours should check in with the ranger at the desk when they arrive.
- USS Cairo Museum ↗Passport stamp
Visitor Center and museum to the USS Cairo. Exhibits include a film, artifacts from the USS Cairo, models, and the actual USS Cairo that visitors can walk on.
Explore
Things to do
- Become a Vicksburg BARK Ranger
Learn how your pet can become a BARK Ranger!
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Junior Ranger at Vicksburg National Military Park
This program is designed for children making a visit to Vicksburg National Military Park. Children can explore the park and learn about Vicksburg through activities of varying difficulty.
Opens on the Park Service site - Watch Vicksburg National Military Park's Orientation Film20 Minutes
This orientation film plays every half hour at the park's visitor center.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- "Every Man Was at His Best": Cannons and Artillery at Vicksburg10/1410:00 AM · runs through Nov 28 · freeVisitor Center Flagpole
- Life of a Soldier10/1510:00 AM · runs through Nov 20 · freeVisitor Center Demonstration Area
- Vicksburg National Cemetery Walking Tour10/2410:00 AM · free
- The King of Battle: Artillery Drill and Firing Demonstrations11/0709:00 AM · freeVisitor Center Demonstration Area
News
- Vicksburg National Military Park Invites Public Feedback on Plans to Redesign Park Entrance ↗2026-10-05
Vicksburg National Military Park invites public feedback on plans to redesign its main entrance at Clay Street and Old Highway 27.
- Vicksburg National Military Park Restores Public Access to Grant Circle and a Section of Union Ave ↗2026-08-21
Vicksburg National Military Park has restored public access to Grant Circle and a section of Union Avenue after completing an extensive, multi-year rehabilitation project to repair catastrophic damage caused by heavy…
- Vicksburg National Military Park Welcomes New Superintendent ↗2026-04-22
The National Park Service today announced the selection of Treacy Stone as the new superintendent of Vicksburg National Military Park. Stone will begin his new role in June.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Vicksburg National Military Park
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 182 birds, 39 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · BALD EAGLE · BLACK VULTURE · Barn Owl · Barred Owl · Broad-winged Hawk · COOPER'S HAWK · Eastern Screech-Owl · Great Horned Owl · MISSISSIPPI KITE · Merlin · NORTHERN HARRIER · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · RED-SHOULDERED HAWK · Red-tailed Hawk · SWALLOW-TAILED KITE · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAMERICAN COOT · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Black-crowned Night Heron · Blue-winged Teal · CATTLE EGRET · Canada Goose · DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT · GREAT BLUE HERON · GREAT EGRET · GREEN HERON · GREEN-WINGED TEAL · Greater White-fronted Goose · HOODED MERGANSER · LESSER SCAUP · Little Blue Heron · RING-NECKED DUCK · RUDDY DUCK · SNOW GOOSE · SNOWY EGRET · TRICOLORED HERON · White Ibis · Wood Duck · Wood Stork · YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
Shorebirds & seabirdsAMERICAN WOODCOCK · BONAPARTE'S GULL · CASPIAN TERN · Common Snipe · Forster's Tern · HERRING GULL · Killdeer · LEAST TERN · PECTORAL SANDPIPER · Ring-billed Gull
Gamebirds & dovesEurasian Collared Dove · Mourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · Rock Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Hummingbirds & swiftsCHIMNEY SWIFT · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAMERICAN GOLDFINCH · AMERICAN REDSTART · AMERICAN ROBIN · ANHINGA · Acadian Flycatcher · American Crow · BALTIMORE ORIOLE · BAY-BREASTED WARBLER · BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER · BLACKPOLL WARBLER · BLUE-HEADED VIREO · BOBOLINK · BROWN CREEPER · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · CAROLINA CHICKADEE · CERULEAN WARBLER · CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER · CHIPPING SPARROW · CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW · CLIFF SWALLOW · COMMON NIGHTHAWK · Canada Warbler · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Common Grackle · Common Yellowthroat · DARK-EYED JUNCO · Dickcissel · EASTERN MEADOWLARK · EUROPEAN STARLING · EVENING GROSBEAK · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Wood Pewee · FOX SPARROW · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET · Gadwall · Golden-winged Warbler · Gray Catbird · Gray-cheeked thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · HORNED LARK · HOUSE FINCH · HOUSE SPARROW · Hermit Thrush · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · LAPLAND LONGSPUR · LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE · LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH · Lincoln's Sparrow · MALLARD · Magnolia Warbler · NASHVILLE WARBLER · NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW · NORTHERN SHOVELER · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Waterthrush · OVENBIRD · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · PINE WARBLER · PURPLE FINCH · Painted Bunting · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Siskin · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Martin · RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rusty Blackbird · SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · WESTERN TANAGER · WHIP-POOR-WILL · WINTER WREN · Warbling Vireo · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wood Thrush · YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-throated Vireo · eastern towhee
Small mammalsAmerican beaver · Norway rat · black rat · cotton mouse · eastern chipmunk · eastern cottontail · eastern fox squirrel · eastern harvest mouse · eastern mole · eastern woodrat · hispid cotton rat · house mouse · least shrew · southeastern shrew · southern flying squirrel · southern short-tailed shrew · swamp rabbit · white-footed mouse · woodland vole
Predatorsbobcat · common gray fox · common raccoon · coyote · long-tailed weasel · red fox · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
BatsBrazilian free-tailed bat · Hoary Bat · Seminole Bat · big brown bat · eastern pipistrelle · eastern red bat · evening bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · domestic cat · domestic dog · nine-banded armadillo · nutria
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks
All 16 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Spring and fall in Vicksburg are always very pleasant with cool nights and warm, sunny days with temperatures ranging from lows of 40 degrees to highs of 70 degrees. Winter weather in Mississippi is usually mild except for occasional cold air invasions which normally last only a couple of days. Temperatures range from lows of 30 degrees to highs of 50 degrees. In the summer, weather is consistently hot, beginning in the low 70's and climbing to highs ranging from 80-100 degrees in the afternoon.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Vicksburg?
Entrance is $20 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, and $10 per person on foot or bike. This pass admits the driver and all passengers in a private, non-commercial vehicle to the park.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Vicksburg?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Vicksburg-only annual pass is $35.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Vicksburg takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Vicksburg free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Vicksburg?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Vicksburg. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Vicksburg?
Standard hours are 8:30AM - 4:30PM on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Vicksburg right now?
3 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Illinois Memorial Closed for Restoration; National Cemetery Closed to Vehicles; Open to Pedestrians; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Vicksburg?
410,300 recreation visits in 2025, number 128 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Vicksburg?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Vicksburg?
Spring and fall in Vicksburg are always very pleasant with cool nights and warm, sunny days with temperatures ranging from lows of 40 degrees to highs of 70 degrees. Winter weather in Mississippi is usually mild except for occasional cold air invasions which normally last only a couple of days.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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