A beautiful monument to those who Illinoisans who served at Vicksburg. The monument reminds me of both the Pantheon in Rome and the tomb of President William McKinley in Canton, Ohio.
I'm very interested in the Civil War and have been to most of the Civil War parks. The visitor center has a good film on the siege and surrender but, the visitor center is very small. The park has a nice driving tour with lots of monuments but lacks trails. The best part of the park is the USS Cairo and it is not to be missed.
Seems some of the locals enjoy the sport of throwing large rocks off the bridges as the cars pass below on the interstate. My welcoming gift from the state will be running me about $400.00, We called the 911 and they ask if I wanted to stop and file a report. I told her I was sure as soon as a police car made a round they would be off and in to destroying something else in the area so me stopping was not going to help fix my windshield.
This was so historical. enjoyed seeing it and what it represented the Monument truly showed what Vicksburg is. It is something to visit
Every citizen owes it to their own history to experience this history. Such a well executed memorial to both sides and those citizens who endured that awful siege during such horrible times. The sacrifices on all fronts is difficult to comprehend without standing in the trenches, seeing the massive amount of dirt work that was done, the locations of the artillery pieces and then taking time to ponder the challenges these men endured. A very well maintained facility, staffed with knowledgeable and personable employees. A must visit but take care to take time. One does not want to rush through here.
There is no Vicksburg National Monument. This is the Illinois Monument, the largest on the state monuments at the Vicksburg battlefield, located on the Vicksburg Campaign Trail. It is very impressive, but the TA attraction is incorrectly labeled.
You could spend a full time seeing all the battlefields and memorials. The USS Cario is the best part, amazing to see the remains of the boat.
This was inside the National Military Park. It had quite a few steps to climb but nothing too demanding. My one criticism is that because it has a circular open roof, there was a lot of mess inside - bird dropping etc. It also has no actual door so birds are able to fly in and obviously leaves and debris also get blown in. I am sure that some glass/Perspex roof could be in keeping and allow the place to be a bit cleaner. Some sort of gates/doors to? Maybe these have been ruled out but I think it needs something.
Vicksburg has played such an important part in our nation's history if you do have the chance to visit you really should. The Civil War monuments, cemetery etc are all very well kept. Many parts of the town are like stepping back in time. This monument is very very well maintained and the surrounding are is very lovely
I've traveled throughout the country and visited many battlefields. Each of course has a fair share of monuments honoring varies people and places. Recently on our trip to Vicksburg, I was amazed at the sheer size and beauty of the Vicksburg National Monument. It sits majestically on a slight rise, as if overseeing the sacred ground which surrounds it. The monument is positively beautiful, and is, on it's own, worth a trip to the battlefield. While there, take the time to leave your car and walk up the many steps leading to the monument and take some time to really appreciate what it's offering those that do. This monument truly does honor all those that fell and fought on this battlefield. Don't miss it.