A Broader Story Here: VNMP Interpretive Center Planned for 2028 Completion

VICKSBURG, Miss. – A community engagement session held Wednesday evening, lead by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) and the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campains (FOVNMP), revealed updates on the forthcoming Vicksburg Military Park Interpretive Center project.

Nearly seventy people were in attendance, including Senator Briggs Hopkins, Mayor George Flaggs Jr., Alderman Alex Monsour, members of Perkins and Will architectural firm, Gallagher and Associates design firm (G & A), as well as community members.

“This will be the most exciting thing for the park in a long time,” said Bess Averett, president of the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign.

According to Megan Bankston, MDAH Vicksburg project manager, the VNMP Interpretive Center will be state owned and operated. With the state running the museum, funds can be freed up or shifted to allow the VNMP to focus on other park projects.

Like the museum in Gettysburg, the center will house National Park Service employees, state museum employees, and the Friends of Vicksburg, allowing collaboration and extension of museum services to satellite areas.

The funds for the project were approved during the 2023 legislative session with an initial $10 mil. allocated for the purchase of the land. The project is expected to cost just over $100 mil. in total and is expected to be completed in 2028.

MDAH purchased the twelve and a half acres of land for the project, including the Super 8 Motel and the Battlefield Inn. The new museum will be located on the grounds of the Battlefield Inn.

Not Just Military Generals and Strategies

The museum is currently in the conception stage with Perkins and Will architectural firm and G & A design firm planning to create a unique, beloved, and iconic museum for visitors to learn about the Civil War in this region.

James Lide of Gallagher and Associates said that the new museum will feature personal stories from the individuals impacted by the siege and military activities, including civilian stories.

“It’s not just about military generals and strategies, but to engage in the stories on a personal level, to think about what it was like to march 200 miles with the Texas Legion, or what it was liked to be a formerly enslaved person who fought at Milliken’s Bend,” said Lide. “There will be interactive areas that tell the heart of the story and help visitors understand the perspective of civilians caught in this conflict, facing starvation, facing disease.”

Three Years to Prepare

The project has strong local private sector support as well as generous support from the state. The initial economic impact study has already been done, and as the most visited historic site in the state, there is an expected positive impact to the local economy.

“This is fantastic for the city, fantastic for the state,” said Alderman Alex Monsour. “People have worked hard to put us on the map.”

However, the condition of our main tourist corridors, Clay and Washington Streets, is littered with dilapidated buildings, litter, and weeds. There are also concerns about crime in the city center, and the city will need to do more to prepare for an influx of visitors to the new Interpretive Center.

“We have three years to prepare so that our city compliments the center,” said Dinah Lazer. “If you drive down Clay street, we have opportunity to improve.”