Vicksburg Bed and Breakfast Association beings homes tour Thursday, goes through April 9

Published 9:32 am Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Eight of Vicksburg’s historic homes will be on display as the Vicksburg Bed and Breakfast Association holds its Spring Pilgrimage Thursday through April 9.

The event is in part the inspiration of Baer House Inn Bed and Breakfast owners and association members Corey and Patricia Rickrode, who purchased the home in 2016.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

“We wondered why Vicksburg didn’t have a pilgrimage of historic homes like Natchez,” Patricia Rickrode said. “We heard that at one time there was a tour, but it fizzled out.”

Until 2014, Vicksburg held a spring historic tour of homes called Tapestry, but the bed and breakfast association discontinued it because of a lack of business.

“We had people ask about a pilgrimage, so the association decided to try again,” she said, adding Tapestry was dropped over confusion about its meaning, “And everybody knows what pilgrimage is.”

She said a Christmas Pilgrimage was well-received, spurring the move to the spring event.

Homes on the spring tour include:

4 Baer-Williams House, 1117 Grove St.

4 Duff Green Mansion, 1114 First East St.

4 McRaven Tour Home, 1445 Harrison St.

4 McNutt House, 815 First East St.

4 George Washington Ball House, 921 Main St.

4 Mary Harwood House, 600 Fort Hill Drive

4 Steele Cottage, 1201 Adams St.

4 The Loft at Keystone Building, 1106 Washington St.

Visitors will be able to choose from three tours, listed as Package A, B or C.

Package A is an afternoon tour for $45 per person with children under 12 free with the purchase of an adult ticket. The tour includes three homes and a guided city tour via van shuttle, and is limited to 12 people each say.

Package B, another afternoon tours, is $30 per person with children under 12 free with the purchase of an adult ticket. It is a self-driving tour of three homes.

Package C is a morning tour and is $30 per person with children under 12 free with the purchase of an adult ticket. It is also a self-driving tour of three homes.

Besides the tours, other separate ticket events scheduled during the pilgrimage include performances of “19th Century Narratives: I Varina” at Duff Green Mansion; Morgan Gates will offer cemetery tours in the mornings and ghost tours in the evening during the tour except April 6; and McRaven House, known as “Mississippi’s time capsule of the south,” will offering haunted tours every evening during the pilgrimage.

Tickets can be purchased on line by going to vicksburgpilgrimage.com. For more information, go to the website or call 601-456-0420.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

email author More by John