Vicksburg National Military Park and former park lands exhibit over 1300 statues, busts, relief portraits, monuments, markers, and tablets collectively regarded as one of the most extensive collections of outdoor art in the world. Most of the pieces were created by leading artists of the early 20th century, and students of art study these masterful creations today. The collection consists of a full range of art: simple cast iron tablets conveying various information about troops and military action, modest to elaborate stone markers and monuments placed strategically to represent troop location; modest to elaborate state monuments and other memorials depicting intricate details of symbolism and design; bronze relief portraits, busts, and statues of officers and other military personalities. The collection is impressive and fascinating.
Preserving the park’s historic features requires the park to carry out a comprehensive program of routine maintenance and restoration every five years. Preservation includes annual inspection, documentation, cleaning, re-pointing the mortar, repairing the foundation and periodic restoration of the bronze finish, paint, gilding, etc. By making a donation for monument restoration donors will be contributing to a fund for a monuments' annual maintenance and periodic restoration. Yearly costs include annual maintenance costs and amortized portions of the periodic restoration for one five-year cycle.
| Feature | Total Cost of Five Year Cycle |
Annual Cost Amortized Over Five Years |
| Bronze Equestrian Statue | $11,800 | $2,360 |
| Bronze Statue | $4,670 | $934 |
| Bronze Bust atop Granite Pedestal | $2,245 | $449 |
| Regimental Monuments (w/o Bronze Plaque) | $1,880 | $376 |
| Bronze Relief Portrait | $1,035 | $207 |
| Regimental Monuments (w/ Broze Plaque) | $1,010 | $202 |
| Large Cast Iron Tablet | $905 | $181 |
| Bronze Tablet | $665 | $133 |
| Regimental Position Marker | $660 | $132 |
| Small Cast Iron Tablet | $540 | $108 |
If you choose to donate to a specific monument, donations for the specified feature will be accumulated (please indicate your monument preference in your paypal notes section). Once the total cost of a five-year cycle has been received, future donations will be deposited as the donor designates: into an account to pay for maintenance of other features, into the general donation account to pay for other projects; or into an interest-bearing endowment account for maintenance of all park features.