U. S. S. Cairo at Vicksburg National Military Park

My wife and I were there in September; and fortunate enough to chat with a Park Ranger as he was leaving the closed museum.

He let us in the fenced area to take photo; but in speaking with him it wasn't very good sounding news. The Museum is looking at very hard financial times and may close

Interesting.

Since it now belongs to the NPS and they wanted it so badly in the first place - the collection, not the hulk of the boat - it's hard to believe it would be dispersed and disposed of. However, I can easily imagine the museum being closed until times are better!

Agreed !

I'm sure the private entity "Eastern National" was still operating the gift shop , but the actual museum was all National Park Service.
There is no way they would get rid of those artifacts . . . I would hope . . . (but they are the "government" ).

IMO the Cairo museum is more impressive than the primary Visitor Center Museum.
Moreover, I can't imagine anyone that could afford to relocate that massive ironclad.

But thanks for the info @JimW !

This is a situation I will start following.
 
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Interesting.



Agreed !

I'm sure the private entity "Eastern National" was still operating the gift shop , but the actual museum was all National Park Service.
There is no way they would get rid of those artifacts . . . I would hope . . . (but they are the "government" ).

IMO the Cairo museum is more impressive than the primary Visitor Center Museum.
Moreover, I can't imagine anyone that could afford to relocate that massive ironclad.

But thanks for the info @JimW !

This is a situation I will start following.

Its a tax payer funded thing, I have a hard time seeing falling on hard times financially needing to close. Maintenance on the ship, sure, but where they'd need to close? I have a hard time seeing it.

But if so, this just goes to show what I've always said of NPS sites, they need to allow reenactments, more Living Histories, and do other community outreach without so much paper work and overbearing rules that kill such efforts to get the public involved and interested to help themselves out.
 
Its a tax payer funded thing, I have a hard time seeing falling on hard times financially needing to close
Absolutely !

I could say much more about that fact, but I won't.
(violation of CWT rules and such)

The USS Cairo Museum is a gem !

Personally, I only wish some of the roads within the park could be repaired.
 
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If you mean within the park, it depends on the day. This weekend Battery De Golyer was beautiful, but meanwhile at the cemetery limbs were down everywhere, tarps thrown out, etc.

1614985153780.png


If you mean other battlefields, most of them are open. And have been for a while.

Sorry if I misunderstood. I'm on my phone and the text is small.
 
This weekend Battery De Golyer was beautiful
Well, following a major ice storm two weeks ago, that looks pretty good. (even within the cemetery)

My backyard remains covered in fallen pine limbs that were victims of ice.
But I'm not too worried . . . as it will be another few weeks before my little village can remove all of the broken tree limbs.
(Historic low temps around 3 degrees Fahrenheit 14 days ago, and now it's in the 75 degree Fahrenheit range).

What was frozen two weeks ago is now blooming.


Seriously !

:bounce:
 
I remember when the park was free to tour. No entrance fee. Then they went to $3 a car we went ballistic over the charge. Now it's $20 a car to tour the park. Of course, no entrance fee since COVID, but it just shows how much the government is squeezing people to go to parks and keep them maintained.
 
The Cairo looked the same, which I guess is a good thing.
It is a good thing .
:smile:

She did sink, but still survived on the bottom of a very muddy river for over a century.

A little ice or wind storm won't phase her. While the canopy might blow away, the USS Cairo will survive if maintained.
 
I remember when the park was free to tour. No entrance fee.
I remember that very well.

It was also a popular "late night" destination for teenagers back then.
Yep, I was in the middle of some of those late night adventures ... thus I will say no more.
:bounce:
However, I can say we never went into the park with the intent to vandalize or do any harm.
(It was all about a secluded spot to drink beer and hopefully get to know the girls better)

The girls with us were for there for the same reasons.

:laugh:

The USS Cairo was already there, but the Cairo museum was still under construction.
 
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The Cairo is a real treasure! That’s for sure.
I remember that very well.

It was also a popular "late night" destination for teenagers back then.
Yep, I was in the middle of some of those late night adventures ... thus I will say no more.
:bounce:
However, I can say we never went into the park with the intent to vandalize or do any harm.
(It was all about a secluded spot to drink beer and hopefully get to know the girls better)

The girls with us were for there for the same reasons.

:laugh:

The USS Cairo was already there, but the Cairo museum was still under construction.
on several occasions I have found blankets in the woods where guys would get to know their girls better😂😂😂
 
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