VICKSBURG – Mississippi officials Wednesday celebrated plans to build a $114 million Civil War museum and visitor center next to Vicksburg National Military Park, one day after President Donald Trump signed legislation that will help with the development.

Historians consider the Siege of Vicksburg a key turning point in the Civil War. The Confederate surrender to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant on July 4, 1863, helped Union forces take control of the Mississippi River and effectively cleave the Confederacy into two.

“What you have here today is an opportunity to continue to expand the real story about who actually fought here and saved this country of ours, and ultimately put it back together,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson said during the ceremony.

The expansive new building, set on nearly 13 acres adjacent to the national park, already one of the state’s largest tourist attractions, is expected to be completed by 2030.

The federal government established a national park in 1899 to commemorate the battle.A study cited by project supporters estimates the visitor center will help draw an additional 200,000 visitors to the region, pump $231 million into the local economy and create 1,630 jobs during its first seven years.

The planned 60,000-square-foot facility will include a museum exploring Vicksburg’s history from the prewar era through the siege, Union occupation and Reconstruction.

The space will also feature an event space, gift shop and cafe. Outdoor areas, officials said, will be used for educational programming such as living history demonstrations.

The federal government established the national park in 1899 to commemorate the battle.

Wednesday’s event featured a rare bipartisan appearance between Thompson, Mississippi’s lone Democrat in Congress, and Republican U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is campaigning for reelection.

“We’re here today as an exercise in bipartisanship,” Wicker said. “Today is a nod to persistence. This is a day to be remembered.”

Wicker called the project a lesson about the “complicated history” in Mississippi and across the country.

Thompson, who introduced the Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act on March 16, 2026, said many Black Mississippians believe their stories have been overlooked at historic sites across the state. He expressed hope the Vicksburg center will be different by including exhibits that recognize Black soldiers who died during the war.

The legislation signed into law Tuesday transfers a small piece of the park to the state of Mississippi, which has given $56 million thus far to fund the visitor center and its operations, according to the state Department of Archives and History. State officials said the land will be used for trails to connect the park to the new visitor center.

The state Department of Archives and History said private donors have committed $15 million to the project. This combines with the state funding, plus $3 million so far from the federal government and up to $15.5 million from the City of Vicksburg and Warren County. Supporters also expect to raise more private money.

The state will own the new facility, with the National Park Service serving as its long-term tenant and interpretive partner, while the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign is leading private fundraising and marketing.

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, a Vicksburg native, helped secure the state money to get the project off the ground. He said his great, great grandfather fought for the Confederacy about half a mile from the patch of grass where the visitor center will be constructed.

“It’s fair to say the Hosemanns haven’t moved very far,” he said.

Spence Flatgard, who presides over the state archives and history board, said the visitor center will give ample space to “tell many, many stories.”

“Mississippi has the most compelling history of any state in America,” Flatgard said. “We’ve got it all. Civil War, civil rights, Native American history, birthplace of American music. We have a lot to be proud of.” 

The new facility, which has been under design for the past three years, will modernize the park’s aging visitor center, which officials said was prone to flooding. 

Mississippi Today Senior Editor Bobby Caina Calvan contributed to this report.

Correction, 10/21/2026: This article has been corrected to show that organizers describe Wednesday’s event as a celebration. It also has been updated with additional information about funding for the project.