Vicksburg Battlefield Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Vicksburg National Military Park

  Begin your journey through one of the Civil War’s most important battlefields. Discover why both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis viewed control of Vicksburg and the Mississippi River as crucial to the war. This purchase is for an independent GPS audio driving tour of Vicksburg Battlefield. Park admission is not included and must be purchased separately. The tour covers 15+ miles, features 35+ GPS-triggered narrated stories with route guidance, works offline once downloaded, includes lifetime access, and takes approximately 1–2 hours to complete.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 2

  Pass beneath the Memorial Arch, built following a 1917 veterans reunion. Former Union and Confederate soldiers gathered here decades after the battle, this time sitting together in peace.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 3

  See the Minnesota Memorial and its statue of Peace, holding a sword and shield that symbolize weapons laid down after the war. The monument honors Minnesota soldiers who fought at Vicksburg.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 4

  Admire the towering Michigan Memorial and the statue known as “The Spirit of Michigan.” The monument stands near the area where Captain Samuel DeGolyer was mortally wounded during the fighting.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 5

  Visit the grand Illinois Memorial, designed by Civil War veteran W. L. B. Jenney. Inside are the names of Illinois soldiers who fought at Vicksburg, creating a lasting tribute to those who served.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 6

  Discover the historic Shirley House, once home to Judge James Shirley and his family. Surrounded by fighting during the siege, it survives today as the park’s only remaining wartime structure.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 7

  See where Union engineers dug a trench toward Confederate defenses and packed a mine with 2,200 pounds of gunpowder. The explosion created a huge crater, followed by fierce hand-to-hand fighting.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 8

  Learn about the Confederate fort targeted by Union tunneling during the siege. On June 25, Union soldiers detonated barrels of gunpowder beneath the position, triggering an intense struggle that lasted 26 hours.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 9

  Look up at the Wisconsin Memorial and spot “Old Abe,” the famous war eagle of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry. The area also recalls soldiers from diverse backgrounds who fought for the Union at Vicksburg.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 10

  See the West Virginia Monument honoring Major Azra Goodspeed. Though born in Ohio, Goodspeed served under the West Virginia flag and was killed during the fighting.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 11

  Visit the site of the Stockade Redan, a formidable Confederate position protecting Graveyard Road. Cannons and wooden defensive barriers made this one of the key obstacles facing Union forces.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 12

  Take in the commanding position of Fort Hill, where Confederate artillery overlooked the Mississippi River. From these defenses, Confederate gunners successfully struck and sank the USS Cincinnati.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 13

  This is the Vicksburg National Cemetery, the final resting place for 17,000 Union soldiers. For many, it’s their second burial ground. How come? During the war when a soldier was killed, their comrades dug a grave close to the action. There wasn’t time to do anything else! A simple wooden cross with their name carved on it sufficed as a grave marker. Hundreds of markers like that dotted the landscape. When the war ended, the US government tried their best to locate all these markers and made every effort to give these men a proper burial.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 14

  Learn about the vital role the U.S. Navy played in the Vicksburg Campaign. Union gunboats transported troops, passed Confederate defenses and helped Grant’s forces cross the Mississippi River.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 15

  Discover the story of Union gunboats at the USS Cairo Gunboat Museum. The naval campaign around Vicksburg was essential to moving troops and supporting Grant’s operations along the Mississippi.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 16

  Visit the final resting place of approximately 17,000 Union soldiers. Many were reinterred here after originally being buried in temporary battlefield graves during the war.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 17

  See the Missouri Memorial, representing both sides of the Civil War. Missouri was a divided state, with thousands serving both the Union and Confederacy as neighbors found themselves fighting on opposing sides.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 18

  Standing at one of the park’s highest points, the Louisiana Memorial rises above the former site of the Great Redoubt. Its eternal flame symbolizes the memory of soldiers who died during the battle.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 19

  View the Mississippi Monument and the symbolic female figure at its base. Like similar figures found across the battlefield, she represents themes of protection, peace and reconciliation.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 20

  See the site of the Railroad Redoubt, a Confederate fort fiercely contested during the May 22 assault. Union soldiers briefly entered the position before a Confederate counterattack forced them back.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 21

  Discover the site of Fort Garrott, named for Confederate Colonel Isham W. Garrott. Union sharpshooters targeted the position during the siege, and Garrott himself was killed here by a sniper.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 22

  See the Kentucky Monument featuring Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Both men were born in Kentucky, and the memorial recognizes the state’s connection to the two opposing leaders.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Illinois Memorial is closed for restoration (closed since September 16, 2025). Tour stops in this tour (Shirley House & Logan’s Approach): A short section of the Tour Road closes March 2, 2026, and is expected to remain closed until approximately September 2026. Good news: Visitors can still continue north on Union Avenue and drive the remainder of the Tour Road.
• Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
• Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
• At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.

Tags

Rating