The Southern Heritage Air Foundation (SHAF) Museum is a hidden gem nestled between airplane hangars and the main terminal at the Vicksburg Tallulah Regional Airport, and Saturday it was officially re-opened to the public after extensive upgrades.

“We were going to do just one room, and then it went to the next room, and the next room,” SHAF President Patty Mekus said of the renovations that began in November. “And then we decided we wanted to put all of the people we had in a timeline a little better.”

And the people Mekus mentioned include numerous Vicksburg and Warren County natives, residents, and other military members with local ties who served during World War II.

“Around the corner, there are two guys from Mississippi who were at D-Day,” she said. “In Battle of the Bulge, we have one Mississippi and one from Louisiana that were in it.”

The SHAF museum puts emphasis on aviation and its role in WWII and Saturday’s re-opening event came during Vicksburg’s Classic ‘Sip Fest celebrating 130 years since Coca-Cola was bottled for the first time by store owner Joseph A. Biedenharn in the River City.

Mekus said the renovated museum features 30 new exhibits, as well as an expanded history in existing exhibits.

The SHAF museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at 179 VTR Airport Road in Tallulah, just off Highway 80.

For more information, visit  https://southernheritageair.org/