Going to be in Vicksburg in June. Can we(two adults) do justice to the park and possibly the 30 minute film if we only have a couple hours to do it all?

Beth, it's been a very long time since I was in Vicksburg, but we used to live nearby and my dad, who was a civil war buff (his grandfather was taken prisoner of war there), loved to drive through that park. We always groaned when he took us there because there was no way to get out of the park once you went in except to drive through the whole thing, which seemed to take forever. So, to answer your question, 2 hours may JUST cover it. Maybe some other Mississippians out there will have more current info for you. It's definitely worth seeing - it's a beautiful park and memorial to both sides of a bitter, terrible war.

My 80 year old father (who grew up in Vicksburg)and I did it in an hour. We drove through with a book, and didn't stop at every monument, only the ones that seemed special. We spent more time over at the park by the Mississippi River bridge. There is a ship (forgot the name) that was sunk in the war, then dug up and restored. It was fascinating. My dad has trouble walking so I saw it all in record time, but still really enjoyed it.

My 80 year old father (who grew up in Vicksburg)and I did it in an hour. We drove through with a book, and didn't stop at every monument, only the ones that seemed special. We spent more time over at the park by the Mississippi River bridge. There is a ship (forgot the name) that was sunk in the war, then dug up and restored. It was fascinating. My dad has trouble walking so I saw it all in record time, but still really enjoyed it.

I would say you can visit the park, inc. the film in 2 hours. You will not be able to stop and get out of your car as much as you would like, but you will get a good feel for the place. When I was there, we rented the taped driving tour guide. It really made the visit better - you can get a better understanding of what you are seeing, rather than jsut looking at a bunch of stone monuments. I think we spent maybe 2.5 to 3 hours there, NOT inclduing the film and visitor center time. Close to the end of the park (and the tape) - maybe 85 0or 90 percent thruough, we pretty much had had enough, so we zipped thru the final sections.

You can spend as much or as little time as you want in the park. The whole route is 17 miles, and basically follows the seige lines. with the 1st half being the Union side, the 2nd the confederate. Its been a while since Ive been there, and longer since Ive seen the film. You'll probably also want to stop at the Cairo Ironclad Exhibit.

Being a "Son of Conderate Veterans", my heart and interests naturally lie with the history of the Confederacy, that being said, the Union side of the tuor is more interesting, and has better monuments. Each state monument is paid for by the state, there fore when most were erected in the early 20th century the Norhtern state had more money to build them and it shows, especially the Illinois monument.

30 minutes can gove you a quick drive thru, but I'd allocate more time. Although I doubt its on your agenda, I wouldnt waste my time seeing Grants Canal which is actually loacted in Louisiana, and is part of the Park. Granted, its an interesting story, theres not much to see.

Check out the National Park website at nps.gov.Plenty of info.