All 401 national parks across the country will have free entrance on Monday, January 21 in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Get outdoors and celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by taking advantage of free admission to all 401 national parks in the United States.
“National parks are well-known for scenic beauty and outdoor recreation but they are also fantastic places to learn about the people and events that have shaped our nation,” says National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “Historic sites, battlefields and memorials across the country preserve the places and tell the stories of our national struggles and accomplishments. I encourage everyone to take time to visit a national park on Monday, especially one of the many dedicated to Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement.”
National parks directly associated with Dr. King include the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama and the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C., which includes the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. King made his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
Among the dozens of other national parks that celebrate African American achievements are New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park in Louisiana, Sequoia National Park in California, George Washington Carver National Monument in Missouri, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Alabama, and Nicodemus National Historical Site in Kansas.
The National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places also recognizes key locations associated with African American history. Their travel itineraries, We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement and Aboard the Underground Railroad, provide details on more than 100 significant sites, including several in our region.
In addition to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 8 other days in 2014—Presidents Day weekend (Feb. 15-17), the first weekend of National Park Week (April 19 and 20), the National Park Service’s 98th birthday (Aug. 25), National Public Lands Day (Sept. 27), and Veterans Day (Nov. 11).
National park passes that provide free or discounted admission are available for active duty military members and their dependents, senior citizens, and people with permanent disabilities.
