VICKSBURG TRAVEL MEANS HISTORY AND SOUTHERN CHARM
Vicksburg, Mississippi, is widely known for its role in the Civil War. But on a recent visit, my husband and I found so much more. Vicksburg travel meant discovering a vibrant town steeped in history, surrounded by natural wonder and just oozing with Southern charm. Oh, and also haunted.
PLACES TO STAY IN VICKSBURG
Anchuca Historic Mansion and Inn
We stayed at an absolutely wonderful inn, Anchuca Historic Mansion and Inn. It was built as a home in the 1830s and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion itself has 10 lavish guest rooms, but we stayed in the attached Old Quarters. Our room was elegant yet comfortable, and the inn provided so many thoughtful touches. The clawfoot bathtub all by itself was worth the visit.
Anchuca features a cozy upscale restaurant, where we dined our first night in town. The Paneed Catfish, in particular, was stunningly delicious. And, as is often the case in small towns, the inn and restaurant were both very reasonably priced. (NOTE: We received no discounts or benefits for any part of the trip and entirely paid our way.)
Other places to stay in Vicksburg
Here are some charming bed and breakfasts with a strong sense of local history.
THINGS TO DO IN VICKSBURG
Mississippi River Museum
Certainly, we knew that Vicksburg’s position on the Mississippi River was significant and that was why it was so important to Union forces during the Civil War. But we hadn’t really considered the long history that Vicksburg, the United States and native Americans had with this part of the Mighty Mississippi. Our visit to the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum opened our eyes.
The museum is run by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and admission is free. We learned about the 1927 flood, still the deadliest flood in U.S. history, and the way it changed the Army Corps of Engineers’ approach to flood control. The museum also features a real tugboat that you can explore on your own. This was one of the highlights of our visit — and it was free and unexpected.
Haunted McRaven House Museum
Really, with a history like Vicksburg’s, there are bound to be ghosts. And no place takes better advantage of that than McRaven House, which dates to 1797 and welcomes ghosts and spirits from the past 226 years — maybe even longer. It bills itself as the most haunted place in Mississippi.
We took the Candlelight Tour and found ourselves the only guests. It was definitely creepy, but did I really feel a cold draft as the ghost of Mary Elizabeth Howard swept by? Maybe it was only a prop? We’ll never know. The tour was entertaining, nevertheless.
Civil War history
So much is out there on Vicksburg’s Civil War history that you don’t really need more from me. Suffice it to say that the Vicksburg National Military Park was a lesson in the reality of how the war was fought. The national park encompasses the battlefield where Union and Confederate forces fought over Vicksburg. Over the 1,800-acre park, you can see the battle lines — how close they often were and how they zig-zagged across fields and farms. It brought home the hand-to-hand combat and the nature of this intense battle.
PLACES TO EAT IN VICKSBURG
We loved dining at the Anchuca Restaurant, and we also visited several other outstanding restaurants.
Walnut Hills Restaurant
At Walnut Hills Restaurant, we feasted on fried chicken and blackened catfish in a homey dining room with mismatched chairs. The circa-1880 house became a restaurant in 1980 and is world-famous for its down-home southern cooking. The scratch-made rolls and cornbread were served in abundance, and I still can’t stop thinking about the caramel cake.
10 South Rooftop Bar and Grill
10 South Rooftop Bar and Grill was a lovely place for a drink and quick bite to eat. The food was good, but it’s the view that takes your breath away. We dined at sunset and watched from on-high as the city and river went to sleep for the night.
Small town travel
My husband and I love small town travel, finding those villages and towns with unexpected opportunities. You can find more of our discoveries here.
You’ll find more ideas on Vicksburg travel at VisitVicksburg.com.
