Vicksburg, Mississippi at a Glance
Location: On the east bank of the Mississippi River in western Mississippi, halfway between Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans
Access: Interstate 20 and U.S. Route 61, America’s Blues Highway; Vicksburg Municipal Airport; Vicksburg Tallulah Regional Airport; Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport
Major Meeting Spaces: Vicksburg Convention Center, Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation, Levee Street Warehouse and The Carriage House, The BB Club
Hotel Rooms: 2,000
Off-Site Venues: Tara Wildlife Herbert Bryant Conference Center, The Inn at Cedar Grove, Oak Hall B&B
Contact Info:
Visit Vicksburg
601-636-9421
Vicksburg, Mississippi, has been known as the “Key to the South,” ever since President Abraham Lincoln said the city was the “key” to defeating the South during the Civil War. He knew that if Union troops gained control of the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, the North could win the war. The Battle of Vicksburg lasted 47 days — during which residents found safety in caves — and resulted in a Union victory.
Today, the 1,800-acre Vicksburg National Military Park brings details of that ferocious conflict to life. It is the second-largest national cemetery in the country and the final resting place of 17,000 Union troops.
There’s much more to this town than history, though. In the past 15 years, Vicksburg’s downtown has undergone a revitalization. “We consider ourselves ‘hip-storic’,” said Ashley Gatain, director of sales and marketing for Visit Vicksburg. “Our downtown is walkable. We have great bars and restaurants, shopping, galleries, spas and salons. There’s even a walk-up daiquiri window.”
Six downtown museums are another feather in this Southern city’s cap. They include the Old Courthouse Museum, in Vicksburg’s most historic building (circa 1858); the interactive Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum; and two Civil War museums. Another favorite, the fascinating Catfish Row Museum, showcases Vicksburg’s diverse culture.
Along the Mississippi riverfront, four riverboat casinos are permanently docked including the Ameristar Vicksburg Hotel Casino, which welcomes groups of 25 to 200 aboard to eat, drink, play and enjoy world-class entertainment.
Vicksburg is known for its antebellum homes and 11 of them are open for public tours. One of them, the 219-year-old McRaven is known as “The Time Capsule of the South” for its collection of museum-quality antiquities. Because some of its former residents seem to like hanging around, this tour home is also Mississippi’s most haunted house.
Several of these elegant mansions now operate as B&Bs, including the 1870 Baer House, which features a two-story privy. Since Vicksburg doesn’t have a hotel attached to its convention center, groups can stay in a grand historic home.
“Often our meetings and overnights are out-of-the-box,” said Gatian. “This gives visiting attendees the experience of real Southern hospitality.”
Major Meeting Spaces
Opened downtown in 1997, the Vicksburg Convention Center (VCC) can host meetings and events for 10 to 2,000 in its 17,000 square feet of meeting space. The nearby 42-room, boutique Vicksburg Mulberry hotel has 1,900 square feet of flexible event space.
Attendees can learn about the culture of the city, the state, the Mississippi Delta and the American South during meetings at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center. Its 1885 Auditorium accommodates around 200, and the 1868 Convent Parlor can hold up to 75.
Refreshing Off-Site Venue
A 30-mile drive from Vicksburg, Tara Wildlife Herbert Bryant Conference Center’s 5,700 square feet of event space includes a 3,000-square-foot lobby, shaded decks and outside seating in a peaceful, rustic setting. Cabins and lodges along the Mississippi River accommodate up to 65 guests.
For team building, groups can try a field course that includes skeet shooting, knife throwing, mountain biking, canoeing and fishing on the property’s 6,800 acres.
“At Tara, attendees can relax, breathe and absorb the sounds and smells of the country, and enjoy a moment away from city life,” said conference center coordinator Mark Bowen.
Antebellum Tour Homes
The Inn at Cedar Grove is another of Vicksburg’s tour homes. Known as the Crown Jewel of Vicksburg, this 1840 mansion overlooking the Mississippi River survived a Civil War siege, with a cannon ball embedded in its parlor wall as proof.
Two blocks from the convention center, the inn is now a hotel, bar and restaurant perfect for business meetings and corporate retreats with a five-acre event lawn and a ballroom for dinners of 50 or receptions of 75. As soon as another guestroom is added, the inn will have 17 guest rooms. For overflow, another tour home next door, The Corners B&B, has 13 guest rooms.
Creative Cuisine
Vicksburg is known for its Southern food, and visitors can learn to cook it or simply enjoy eating it. Catfish Row Museum offers cooking classes and demos as well as event spaces, a café and live music. The building was once home to a blues and R&B hotspot.
Built in the 1830s, Anchuca Historic Mansion and Inn is situated amid live oaks, brick streets and gas lanterns, and its restaurant is known for its luscious Sunday brunches and Southern manners. The inn also has 10 upscale guest rooms and a gorgeous swimming pool.
