For lifelong or almost-lifelong residents of Vicksburg, it’s almost easy to take for granted the beautiful, interesting and enlightening Vicksburg National Military Park.

It might be time to revisit.

In a story last week in The Vicksburg Post, it was announced that the park had been chosen by the National Park Service for its prestigious Keeper of the Light Award. What an honor, and how deserving — and how locals should take note.

The 1,800-acre park off Clay Street and stretching north to beyond the Port of Vicksburg, including adjunct spots such as Grant’s Canal in Delta, La., and Gen. John C. Pemberton’s Civil War headquarters on Crawford Street, are, of course, steeped in history, but local and national officials are not allowing the hallowed ground to rest on its historic laurels.

Instead, new programs using the latest in whiz-bang technology to educate the public and enhance visitors’ education and experiences of how Vicksburg and the soldiers lived during the Civil War are being updated and upgraded. There’s the GPS-guided tour of the battle; there are the cell phone-accessible lessons at various stops along the 16-mile driving route to tell what happened at those exact sites; there are the about 20 volunteers who rise each morning to don woolen suits in the heat of Mississippi summertime for the Living History program, which replicates for visitors the experiences of the soldiers; and the list goes on.

People who keep up with the park know that it, like most of the economically hurting tourist spots in Vicksburg and away, has seen a drop in recent years in the number of visitors. They and we believe the numbers will rise again.

How could they not? The park is a Keeper of the Light.