DESTINATION MIDDLE GROUND

Central Mississippi Is A Trip Unto Itself

BY JILL GLEESON

The famously fertile fields of the Delta, breeding ground for the blues, stretch through Mississippi’s northwestern region. In the southeast, the glorious Gulf Coast beckons with more than 60 miles of scenic shoreline and some of the country’s best seafood. Between the two regions, there’s central Mississippi, the state’s beautiful beating heart. Home to the vibrant communities of Vicksburg, Jackson and Ridgeland, Mississippi’s middle offers blockbuster attractions and special events.

From visiting Vicksburg’s Civil War battlefield and touring the Civil Rights Museum in Jackson to sampling Ridgeland’s wealth of wonderful festivals, central Mississippi boasts some of the finest experiences for groups not only in the state, but in the entire South. Here are enough favorites to fill a week, or more, of touring.

Vicksburg

Perched atop a high bluff on the Mississippi’s east bank, Vicksburg is a city of around 20,000 people. Though small in size, it’s mighty in attractions, with a wide range of cultural and historical stops. Many are fairly new, and likely to wow visitors. In the downtown area alone, five fine museums line the streets, in addition to other enticing locals businesses.

“We do have a lot of group tours that will drop off in our downtown and allow people to have free time to go to the different museums, go to the art galleries, to a dining establishment, or do some shopping and antiquing,” said Ashley Gatian, sales and marketing manager for Visit Vicksburg. “We have so much to see and do in such a small area.”

Among the institutions to explore is the Vicksburg Civil War Museum, opened two years ago. The private enterprise is filled with thousands of artifacts from the owner’s own collection. It zeroes in on the war from the Black perspective. Among the exhibits in this deeply moving museum are all kinds of weaponry, a slave cabin and a 52nd United States Colored Infantry enlistment document. Also opened in 2021, Catfish Row Museum tells Vicksburg’s story through a cultural lens, as it dives into food, music, worship, the arts and other traditions. The museum is free.

Of course, no journey to Vicksburg would be complete without a tour of its top attraction, Vicksburg National Military Park, which preserves one of the most pivotal battlegrounds of the Civil War. Step-on guides hop on motorcoaches to narrate the 16-mile tour road, which takes around two hours to complete. The park is also home to around $5 billion worth of sculpture and architecture, which is covered in a recently debuted Art of Commemoration tour.

“The guide points out the monuments and talks about who designed them, their value, where they were constructed, when they were placed in the park, things of that sort. It’s a wonderful tour,” said Gatian.

Around a dozen historic homes are also open for tours. Among them are a dozen show homes, such as Cedar Grove Mansion, which recently reopened after a year-long renovation. Built in 1840, the Greek Revival home now operates as an inn and can host private group dinners.

And for group travelers looking to stretch their legs, walking tours of Vicksburg are available from licensed guides from the military park or from Vicksburg Old Town Tours, founded by the great-great-grandson of Jefferson Davis. Stops generally include a pre-Civil War mansion and Christ Episcopal Church, home to stunning Tiffany stained-glass windows.