(Photo from the National Park Service)
- No history of the United States is complete without the Battle of Vicksburg and its impact on the outcome of the Civil War, writes Senator Roger Wicker.
Mississippi’s most visited tourist attraction is poised for a major upgrade. The Vicksburg National Military Park will gain a 60,000 square foot, state-of-the-art visitor’s center, with an expected opening date in 2030. It will host classrooms, an event space, and a museum dedicated to Vicksburg history.
A battlefield of such consequence deserves a facility that can tell its full story. The Confederate surrender at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, along with the Union victory at Gettysburg a day earlier, changed the course of the Civil War and of American history.
Congress created the Vicksburg National Military Park in 1899, a milestone roughly halfway through the 250-year history of the United States.
Today, the park preserves 1,800 acres of battlefield and more than 1,300 historic monuments. These tributes represent 22 states, hundreds of regiments, and the thousands of soldiers who fought there. The new center will help generations of visitors appreciate Mississippi’s central role in our nation’s story.
Testament to Partnership
In October, a group of Mississippi officials from all levels of government joined private donors and volunteers to celebrate the progress we have made on this project. Like most ambitious projects, the center will be the fruit of productive collaboration.
Local city and county governments have committed up to $15.5 million, the state of Mississippi has pledged $56 million, and the federal government has so far agreed to contribute $3 million. Private individuals have donated another $15 million. Senator Hyde-Smith, Congressman Thompson, and I participated at the federal level. We introduced and successfully passed legislation to transfer federal land to the State of Mississippi, allowing construction to move ahead.
We are taking these steps not only to preserve history but also because the center will boost economic development and job creation. A study found that during its first seven years of operation, this center will attract 200,000 visitors, facilitate 1,600 jobs, and bring $230 million to the neighboring economy. Local hotels, stores, and restaurants will benefit. Tourists will devote more time to the military park and spend more to stay, shop, and dine in Vicksburg.
Testament to America’s Exceptional History
It is fitting that we gathered in Vicksburg in 2026, the year Americans have spent commemorating the country’s 250th birthday. No history of the United States is complete without the Battle of Vicksburg and its impact on the outcome of the Civil War.
Our founding reminds us of the ideals that first animated the nation: individual liberty, equal justice, and the separation of powers. Studying our history reveals the ways we have fallen short of—but then worked toward—those values.
This summer, I introduced bipartisan legislation that would help future generations learn that story. The bill would name a month as “National American History and Founders Month.” The designation would be permanent. It would serve as an annual reminder for schools, parents, and communities to celebrate, study, and remember America’s founders and founding principles.
Our founders established a system of government that has held firm these 250 years. As the United States has grown from a fledgling nation into a world leader, the ingenious system has endured. And it will remain strong—but only if we pass down the founding ideals. My hope is that this legislation and the new visitor’s center in Vicksburg will have the same goal: sharing the complicated, exceptional history that has ultimately made our country the envy of the world.
Roger Wicker
