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Vicksburg - The Key to the South

Located on Highway 61, America's Blues Highway, Vicksburg is alive with music, arts, entertainment and of course history!

With its commanding view of the Mississippi River, Vicksburg has served as the region’s centre of commerce and culture for nearly 200 years. The French and Spanish established outposts here long before Newitt Vick arrived in the early 1800s to settle in the city that would become his namesake.

Vicksburg offers historic house tours and museums that detail the history of this remarkable river city. The Old Court House Museum highlights the cultures of the region from Native Americans through the early 1900s.

Vicksburg’s newest attraction, the Lower Mississippi River Museum and Riverfront Interpretive Site offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the history, people, and events that have been a part of the Mighty Mississippi. The exhibits detail the Mississippi River’s past as well as the collaborative efforts from all stakeholders in maintaining a healthy river system.

The Biedenharn Museum of Coca-Cola© Memorabilia, located in the 1890s building where Coca-Cola© was first bottled, contains exhibits of bottling works, a 1900s soda fountain, candy store and gift shop. One of the South’s largest collections of antique toys and dolls can be seen at Yesterday’s Children Antique Toy and Doll Museum.

A variety of live music is featured at clubs and casinos throughout the city. If you are in search of Delta Blues, you’ll find it live and alive in Vicksburg which is also home to many art galleries and boutiques that feature the works of local artists and craftsmen.

During the American Civil War Vicksburg was the South’s stronghold of control of the Mississippi River. President Abraham Lincoln stated that Vicksburg was the “key to winning the war” and that the war would not end until that “key” was in his pocket. To that end, the city endured a 47-day siege that ended on July 4, 1863, when Vicksburg was forced to surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. At last, the key was in his pocket.

The Vicksburg National Military Park stands in commemoration of the campaign for Vicksburg and to those served as well as the thousands who lost their lives. The monuments that are contained within the 1,800-acre park represent the works of many of America’s leading artists of the early 1900s. Step-on guides, licensed by the National Park Service, are available for tours of the park and of the city.