The USS Cairo Gunboat & Museum in Vicksburg National Military Park presents a rare glimpse into Civil War naval history through its preservation of one of the first ironclad warships in U.S. naval history. The Cairo was sunk in 1862 in the Yazoo River and lay forgotten until it was raised in 1964, revealing a time capsule of life aboard a Union gunboat. The restored vessel is a formidable testament to 19th-century engineering & military strategy. Inside the museum we saw an array of artifacts recovered from the Cairo displayed, including personal items of the crew, naval armaments & the ship's massive steam engines. Exhibits detail the Cairo's role in the river campaigns of the Civil War, its sinking by an electrically detonated mine, and the incredible salvage operation. This museum educates about the technical and military aspects of the era and tells a compelling story of innovation, warfare, and preservation. read more

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I can't help to be amazed when I come across exhibits like this. It's not necessarily the exhibit itself, but as I stand and contemplate what type of technology was available, and then try to understand how they put things like this together, it just amazes me. American history can sometimes be thought of as dull, but I think the people who believe that lack the ability to imagine a time different than they live in. What the shipwrights had to do to create this vessel, and then consider the soldiers that served on it and the accommodations they put up with to defend our country this is just incredible. Very few today could've dealt with this type of environment. Take a few moments and close your eyes and imagine the life of a soldier on an iron side boat. This exhibit is well laid out, but it is what you make of it. Well worth the experience. read more

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The museum portion of this is amazing. Artifacts from the vessel, a thorough description of the workings of the boat. I would recommend this for anyone in the area. I love that this is part of the National Park Service and gives details without the skew of one side of the war between the states. What an amazing piece of history! From what I understand, this is the most intact boat remaining of this type. It is crazy to think about how it worked, and how those worked it. This is free to visit. It really is a sight to behold. read more

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Really interesting exhibit. Part of Vicksburg National Military Park. Has a nice museum and gift shop. Really enjoyed visiting. read more

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Super cool! Lovely drive up to it as well. Pretty amazing how they've brought it up from the water and put it back together with old and new wood. Recommend going if you're in the area. You're able to walk thru it which is neat. read more

The Union USS Cairo was sunk by a Confederate mine (then known as torpedoes) on December 12th, 1862. These early torpedoes, consisted of a five-gallon glass container filled with black powder. A copper wire ran from the underwater mine to the near bank of the river to a hidden Confederate soldier who would detonate the mine by sending an electrical current through the wire to the black powder when a ship came close enough. Cairo sank in 36 feet of water in just 12 minutes. Even though some of the 175 crewmen were injured, none of the injuries were serious and there were no fatalities. It was the first ship ever to be sunk by an electrically detonated mine. For 94 years, the U.S.S. Cairo sat undisturbed on the bottom of the Yazoo River. The Cairo was found in 1952 by 3 history buffs using nothing but a compass. Whenever they went over a particular spot in the river, the compass needle deflected from its true bearing. The boat was only in about 40 feet of water. It was raised 2 years later on December 12, 1964 (102 years to the day) by being cut into 3 sections. Finally, in 1977 the ship was brought to Vicksburg National Military Park. read more

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An impressive part of the memorial park. Just looking at the massive structure that was the USS Cairo boggles the mind. I enjoyed walking around the boat and reading the plaques. I regret not allowing myself enough time to enjoy everything in the park. I was there about 4 hours, and needed 6 I think. read more

The USS Cairo (Kay-Row) Museum is one of the coolest things you can ever see. I realize that is a bold statement, but let me explain why. The USS Cairo is a civil war ironclad that was sunk in the nearby Yazoo River. The ship was salvaged and reassembled as best as possible and is on display in the Vicksburg National Battlefield. While I had read about these ships before, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how grand these ships were. The amount of iron and cannons were very impressive. I could be wrong, but I don't think there is anywhere else that you can visit one of these ships. Besides touring the ship, there is an actual museum. It is air conditioned and contains lots of artifacts from the recovered shipwreck. There is also a good amount of information about the Cairo including how it was built, the crew and the armament. This is a must stop if you are in the Vicksburg area, especially if you are touring the battlefield. After touring the museum, I also highly recommend a drive through the Vicksburg National Cemetery that is right next to the Cairo Museum parking area. read more

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The museum is closed but you can see the battleship itself which is found in the very northwest corner of the park. To reach it, follow the auto tour route or head for confederate avenue and then down the hill, sharp right onto Connecting avenue and keep driving until the end of the road. The ship is impressive to see and there are a few panels with basic information. Like some of the reviews below, I think with the covid situation not being resolved any time soon, the NPS has to find a way to open this museum with social distancing and crowd restrictions. I'm sure this could be done and it's disappointing that no progress has been made. read more

Unique, historical exhibit - worth a visit! It was awesome to see such a large & tangible piece of civil-war history! It was fascinating to see the ship, walk on & around it, and compare it to drawings of the ship in prime condition. It was also interesting reading the plaques about how the ship was used in battle, how it was raised, and how it degraded once it was exposed to air. If you like history or ships, plan on a visit. read more

This is in the Vicksburg national park and it is awesome seeing the USS Cairo.. You can go inside the boat and there are many plaques to read.. The ship was sunk and then salvaged.. The inside of the museum has many interesting artifacts as well.. It is so worth it if you are in the area to see this park and the museum.. read more

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I have to agree with John L.H. This is one of the coolest things you can ever see. And this is coming from a girl who has little to zero interest in a battleship type of boat. I like boats, but I tend to lean more towards the type of the boats that are taking me to do or see somewhere fun. The only thing I thought was sort of going to be cool going into this museum is that it was a Navy vessel and the US Navy is special to me because I think their uniforms are cute. Hahaha just kidding. I have family who have retired from the Navy. First of all the USS Cairo is just massive. I couldn't believe my eyes walking up to it. The size of the guns, even, are bigger than my head. Being able to walk around the ship and really take in the majesty of it was so cool. After really exploring the ship itself, I was eager to learn about it's history. Did you know that this was the first US ship in history to be sunk by an electrically detonated torpedo? No lives were lost thank goodness, but that was it for the time being for Cario. There she sat in the Yazoo River for decades and then an attempt to bring her up and preserve as much as possible and restore what could be saved began. Because of this, we all now are able to see this ship, beautiful and proudly on display at the Vicksburg National Military Park. It's way cool. Worth a visit for sure! read more

A must visit. If you're a Civil war Buff this display is breathtaking. History you can see and touch. Be sure to listen to the Park Ranger presentation outside by the boat. Very informative. read more

Very cool and interesting Civil War era gun boat raised from the Mississippi River after 100+ years of being submerged. The museum was not open yet when we visited, but it is hoped that it will reopen soon. Our guide said it housed many of the artifacts found on the boat as it sunk within minutes and there was little time to salvage anything. All hands were saved read more

Interesting to see one of the original submersibles. Definately worth a stop to see some out nation's history at the Military Park, cemetery and museum. read more

Loved this so much! Who gets an opportunity to really feel as though they are in an ironclad warship? And an authentic one to boot! Also, the park rangers were super friendly and helpful. read more

Very cool. Well preserved and a great way to teach the kiddos about our history. It is great that things like this exist for us to remember today. Definitely make time to check out the attached museum. read more

U.S.S. Cairo is site no. 7 right next to the Vicksburg National Cemetery site no. 8 of the battlefield tour. U.S.S. Cairo was a ship that sunk in the Yazoo River (which is right next to the site, and opens to the MS River) on Dec. 12, 1862. The battery consisted entirely of naval cannons by the US Navy. The plaque there tells us that despite the iron ship sinking, ALL U.S. Navy sailors lived! The ship has been rescued and reassembled. You should definitely park and walk through this tour. You should also check out the small museum with tools/instruments that were in the ship at the time. read more

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Well preserved and a wonderful way for adults and children to learn about our history. The USS Cairo is a civil war ironclad that was sunk for over 115 years in the Yazoo River. Enjoyed the musem and the artifacts on displayed there. Great job in persevering our history!! read more