Vicksburg has a certain weight to it. You feel it the second you drive past the National Military Park—that heavy, humid air of the Mississippi Delta mixed with a history so thick it’s basically tangible. But if you want to actually sleep inside that history, you go to the Cedar Grove Mansion Inn and Restaurant. It isn't just a hotel. It’s a 1840s Greek Revival estate that quite literally survived the Civil War with a Union cannonball still lodged in the parlor wall.
Honestly, most "historic" inns feel like museums where you’re afraid to touch the wallpaper. Cedar Grove is different. It’s sprawling. It’s slightly eerie in that way only a pre-war mansion can be. It’s a place where the floorboards groan under your feet not because they’re cheap, but because they’ve been supporting weight since John Alexander Klein finished the place in 1852.
The Cannonball in the Parlor and Other Realities
Let’s talk about that cannonball. It’s the centerpiece of the house’s identity. During the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863, the Union fleet was hammering the city from the Mississippi River. Cedar Grove was right in the line of fire. A shell from a Union gunboat ripped through the roof and embedded itself in a door frame in the front parlor.
They never took it out.
It’s still there. You can walk right up to it. Most people expect a tiny little thing, but it’s a jarring reminder that this building wasn't just a witness to the war; it was a participant. While the city was starving and people were living in caves to escape the shelling, the Klein family was trying to keep this estate from crumbling. Eventually, Grant used the house as a Union hospital, which is probably why the "ghost" stories here feel a bit more credible than your average tourist trap.
What Staying at Cedar Grove Mansion Inn and Restaurant is Actually Like
If you’re looking for a Marriott experience, don't come here. You’ll be disappointed. The rooms are filled with period antiques—massive mahogany beds that require a literal step-stool to climb into, gas-lighting fixtures converted to electric, and heavy velvet drapes. Some rooms are in the main house, while others are in the carriage house or the dower house.
The Garden Room is a favorite for people who want to be close to the pool, but the suites in the main mansion are where the atmosphere is. The Grant Suite is where, as legend (and some records) suggests, Ulysses S. Grant actually stayed. Sleeping in a room named after a Union General in the heart of the Confederacy is a weird, humbling vibe.
The Food Situation
The restaurant on-site has gone through some changes over the years. Locally, people still talk about the high-end dining of the 90s, but today it’s more about that classic Southern comfort. You’re looking at shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, and heavy cream sauces. It’s indulgent. It’s the kind of food that makes you want to sit on the gallery (that’s a porch for non-Southerners) with a mint julep and just watch the river.
The bar, often called the Rock Garden Bar, is tucked away and feels like a speakeasy. It’s dark. It’s cool. It’s the perfect place to hide from the Mississippi heat.
The Ghost Stories: Fact vs. Folklore
You can't talk about the Cedar Grove Mansion Inn and Restaurant without mentioning the hauntings. Look, I’m a skeptic by nature, but there are things here that make you wonder.
- The Smell of Pipe Tobacco: Guests often report a sudden, sharp scent of tobacco in the hallways when nobody is smoking. This is attributed to John Klein, the original owner.
- The Crying Child: There are accounts of a young girl’s voice being heard near the stairs. The Kleins lost children in this house—illness was a brutal reality back then.
- The Apparition in the Mirror: There’s a specific mirror in the hallway where people claim to see a woman in a Civil War-era dress standing behind them.
Is it real? Who knows. But when the wind kicks up and the Spanish moss starts swaying outside your window, you’ll probably keep the lights on for an extra hour.
Why Vicksburg Matters
The mansion doesn't exist in a vacuum. It sits on a bluff overlooking the Yazoo Canal and the Mississippi River. Vicksburg was the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy." When it fell on July 4, 1863, the South was essentially cut in half. The city didn't even celebrate the Fourth of July for eighty years after the war ended.
Staying at Cedar Grove gives you a vantage point on that resentment and resilience. You can walk from the inn down to the waterfront or take a short drive to the Vicksburg National Military Park, which is honestly one of the most well-preserved battlefields in the country. Seeing the thousands of headstones at the National Cemetery and then coming back to the luxury of the mansion creates a strange, necessary friction.
Practical Advice for Your Visit
Don't just book the first room you see online. If you have mobility issues, the main mansion is a nightmare of steep stairs and narrow hallways. Ask for a ground-floor room in one of the outbuildings.
Also, check the event calendar. Cedar Grove is a massive wedding destination. If you’re looking for a quiet, contemplative weekend of history, you don't want to be there when a 200-person wedding party is doing the Electric Slide in the courtyard.
The Bottom Line
Cedar Grove Mansion Inn and Restaurant isn't perfect. It’s an old house. Old houses have quirks. The water might take a minute to get hot, and the Wi-Fi can be spotty through those thick brick walls. But you don't stay here for the internet. You stay here to feel the passage of time.
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Go for the cannonball. Stay for the biscuits. Keep an eye out for the ghosts, even if you don't believe in them.
Actionable Steps for Your Trip
- Book Directly: Call the inn instead of using a third-party site. They often have better insights into which specific room matches the "vibe" you’re looking for (haunted vs. quiet).
- The Sunset Walk: Head to the rooftop or the highest terrace around 5:30 PM. The view of the Mississippi River as the sun dips below the horizon is exactly why the Kleins picked this spot.
- Tour the Park First: Visit the Vicksburg National Military Park before you check in. Understanding the 47-day siege makes the physical damage to the mansion much more impactful.
- Check the Restaurant Hours: The kitchen hours can be seasonal. Always confirm dinner reservations 24 hours in advance to ensure the chef is firing up the stove that night.
- Pack Light: Lugging a 50-pound suitcase up those mansion stairs is a workout you didn't ask for.
The history of the American South is messy and complicated, but places like Cedar Grove keep it from being forgotten. It’s a living piece of the 19th century that managed to survive fire, war, and time.