Illinois Memorial at Vicksburg National Military Park

State Memorials Master Index

Hands down the best monument in Vicksburg National Military Park, the Illinois State Memorial is located at the Shirley House battlefield tour stop, though it can be seen long before you get there. Based on the design of the Roman Pantheon, the base and stairway are made of granite from Stone Mountain, Georgia, and the upper section is made of marble from north Georgia. Forty seven steps make up the staircase, symbolizing the forty seven days of the siege. Opulent on the outside, it gets even better on the inside—it is the only monument in the park that you can go inside. Sixty bronze tablets containing the names of every Illinois soldier who fought at Vicksburg line the inner walls. The memorial was dedicated in October 1906. Illinois must have been doing well, as this behemoth cost nearly $200,000. Most of the other memorials in the park cost less than $20,000.

Inside the Illinois Memorial at Vicksburg National Military Park