Saving History Saturday: Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park & Campaign

Founded in 2008, the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park & Campaign is the official non-profit partner of the Vicksburg National Military Park (VNMP).

The Friends support projects across the Vicksburg Campaign, with a commitment to enhancing and conserving the battlefield and related historic surroundings. This is accomplished through restoring monuments, historic markers, conserving land, as well as improving access and educational opportunities for visitors.

Projects that they are currently working on include the design and constructions of a new Visitor Center as well as the restoration of the Illinois Monument.

The Visitors Center project is a collaboration with the National Park Service, the State of Mississippi, and the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park & Campaign and has a planned 2028 opening.

You can learn more about the Visitor Center project here.

Work continues on the Illinois Monument restoration. Originally built in 1906, and modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, it features 60 bronze tablets that list over 36,000 names of Illinois soldiers who fought in the Civil War. In March, the section of the Tour Road that provides access to the memorial and Tour Stop 2 and 3 were closed as part of the project and will remain closed until the project is complete. Estimated to be in August of this year. Updates on project progress can be found here.

To learn more about the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park & Campaign, visit their website.