National Park Service
2006 Park Visitor Information

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Midwest Region

Arkansas Post National Memorial, AR
4th of July Cannon Demonstration, July 4, 2006 - Celebrate the fourth with a bang! An opportunity to experience a part of colonial history. Two 30 minute demonstrations will introduce visitors to the type of cannon used in our nation's struggle for independence. 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Civil War Encampment, September 09, 2006 - September 10, 2006 - Commemorate the Battle of Arkansas Post during the park's annual Civil War Encampment, Union and Confederate soldiers will camp at the park and display the arms and equipment used during the Civil War. This years encampment will present both the Union and Confederate sides of the story of the Battle of Arkansas Post.

Effigy Mounds National Monument, IA
R anger Programs - June 17 to Sept. 4, Daily hikes, walks and talks that discuss the mounds history and nature at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. New this year, in addition to our regular public hikes, we will be offering Junior Ranger Saturdays. Each Saturday at 10:00 a.m.the park will host a special Junior Ranger hike or activity which can then be followed up on one’s own by completing the Junior Ranger activity guidebook, signing out a Discovery Pack, or attending one of the other park programs.
Guided Bird Walks - May – September, Departing from the visitor center, one guided bird walk will be held each month at 8:00 a.m., beginning on May13th.
Chautauqua Series - May – October, Visitor center, Friday or Saturday evenings, 7:00 p.m. The traditional 19th century Chautauqua made it possible for scholars to interact with the public in an open, accessible forum. Call after May 1, 2006 for specific information on dates and topics.
Moonlight Hike - Presented annually, these popular activities can include walks along the Yellow River Bridge Boardwalk Trail and hikes the along the Fire Point Trail to the top of the bluff. Effigy mound building culture, the impact of the historic settlement period and moonlit views of the Mississippi and Yellow River Valleys are featured. * Moonlight Hike reservations are required and will be taken beginning on the preceding Monday for each date (July 3rd) Call the visitor center for reservations 563- 873-3491.
HawkWatch - September 23 & 24, Celebrate the annual fall migration ! Live raptor demonstrations, adult educational programs, children's activities, and hawk banding (catch and release). Programs and activities from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For more information about these and many other programs scheduled this summer in the park, contact the park at ( 563) 873-3491.

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, IN
30th anniversary of a Revolutionary War era living history event - Partnering with the Spirit of Vincennes, Inc., the park will celebrate the 30th anniversary of a Revolutionary War era living history event. This event is expected to attract 600+ reenactors and 35 to 40 thousand visitors. The Annual event was highlighted in the 1999 NPS study "Reenactors in the Parks" as an example of NPS and community partnership. www.spiritofvincennes.org or Contact: Frank Doughman, 812- 882-1776 ext. 104.

Hot Springs National Park, AR
National Trails Day ,June 3: Enjoy the trails in the park to celebrate National Trails Day. Join a hike leader at the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center in the historic Fordyce Bathhouse for a choice of morning hikes beginning at 9 a.m., weather permitting. Wear sturdy shoes and insect repellent, and bring water.

 Wildlife Connections, June 10: Hot Springs National Park is home to many animals. See (and maybe touch!) a variety of these during presentations by the Delta Rivers Nature Center, Lake Catherine State Park and the Little Rock Zoo. Learn how to “keep wildlife wild” through Leave No Trace. Programs begin at 9 a.m.

Health and Fitness Weekend, July 3-4: On July 3 meet internationally known fitness expert Sheila Cluff when she presents the program "Beyond Fitness - A Question of Lifestyle" at the Garland County Library. This motivational talk will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the library auditorium and is free of charge. Ms. Cluff is the owner and founder of The Oaks at Ojai health and fitness destination spa in Ojai, California. She has been a successful figure skater, teacher, model, fashion expert, and radio/television host in addition to being a fitness expert and motivational speaker.

For more information about these programs, contact Gail Sears at (501) 620-6701.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, IN
"Celebrating 40 years of Dunes Stewardship 1966 - 2006" - The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, in partnership with the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission, will open a new visitor center in the fall of 2006. This joint visitor center is being built by the County and will feature a shared visitor information area, auditorium, and space leased to the park for exhibits and a bookstore operation. The center, located along IN 49, the major access road to the dunes, will increase the number of visitor center contacts from 60,000 to an estimated 252,000 per year. Contact: Bruce Rowe, 219-926-7561 ext. 231.

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, AR
Summer Hours - The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (CHSC) Visitor Center will now be open Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. from June 18 until August 20, 2006. The Visitor Center hours will remain 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

In addition, join park rangers every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from July 15 until July 31 for summer walking tours at 10:00 a.m., lasting approximately 45 minutes. Visitors will have the opportunity to walk on the historic grounds where the events of the 1957 desegregation crisis unfolded. Visitors will also learn about the impressive architecture of Central High School, which gained the honor of “ America’s Most Beautiful High School” from America’s Institute of Architects in the 1920’s.

Educational Summer Programs - Thursday, June 29 – “The Constitutional Crisis of Central High School” at the Visitor Center

Thursday, July 13 – “Philander Smith College and the 1957 Crisis” at the Visitor Center

Thursday, July 27 – “The role of the NAACP during the 1957 Desegregation Crisis” at the Visitor Center

49th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High School - In partnership with Unity in the Community, CHSC presents a special program featuring Sylvia Mendez and Sandra Robbie September 23, 2006. Mendez is the daughter of the plaintiffs in the 1946 Mendez et al.v. Westminster et al. case which set the precedent for the historic Brown v. Board case in 1954. Robbie is a filmmaker who produced a film about the case called, “Mendez vs. Westminster: For all the Children / Para Todos Los Ninos,” a 27-minute documentary about school segregation among Mexican Americans in Orange County, California.

“From Central to Civil Rights” - In commemoration of the 50 th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High School, CHSC has partnered with KUAR Public Radio, local NPR affiliate, to create one-minute radio vignettes highlighting stories of the 1957 –’58 desegregation crisis at Central High School. About forty 60-second vignettes will be produced; featuring previously recorded sound bites from oral history interviews, as well as newly recorded material. The vignettes will air on KUAR from September 2006 and run through September 2007.

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, MN
Explore the River with Mighty Mississippi Discovery Backpacks - Check out a FREE, fun Mighty Mississippi Discovery Backpack at three Metro river parks. The backpacks include everything small or large groups need to explore the park and the Mississippi River including activity cards, binoculars, magnifying lenses, bird calls, easy-to-use nature guides, and more! Scouts and other groups can check out a “Group Pack” which includes activities and supplies specially designed to help groups of 10-20 people have fun and learn while exploring along the Mississippi River. Discovery Backpacks are also great for families, friends and individuals. Check-out a Mighty Mississippi Discovery Backpack at the Mississippi River Visitor Center of the National Park Service (651-293-0200) at the Science Museum of Minnesota, Fort Snelling State Park (612-725-2724), and North Mississippi Regional Park (763-694-7693.) Call any check-out site for more information. Visit http://www.nps.gov/miss to learn more about the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Bike with a Ranger - This summer, explore the Mississippi River a little closer. Beginning June 3rd, you can join our Bike with a Ranger program every Saturday morning, or come along on our Ranger Walks every Sunday afternoon. Both programs are free, but reservations are required for our 9-mile, 3-hour biking trips. Call the Mississippi River Visitor Center at 651.293.0200 or visit the web site at http://ww.nps.gov/miss for more details!

Ozark National Scenic Riverways, MO
Two festivals of traditional Ozark culture - the Ozark Heritage Days, held each June at Big Spring near Van Buren, Missouri, and the "Haunting In the Hills" held at Alley Mill near Eminence, Missouri each October. (dates TBA) Both events feature live music, storytelling, demonstrations of traditional crafts such as barrelmaking, candlemaking, soapmaking, wood carving, etc.

During the summer, there will be ongoing craft and cultural demonstrations at Alley Mill, as well as exciting and informative interpretive programs every weekend in the major campgrounds. The historic Alley Mill will be open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day for those looking to get a feel for life in an Ozarks frontier settlement of the 1890s, complete with one room school and blacksmith shop. For more updated information see our website at: www.nps.gov/ozar.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, KS
Natural History Programs – On May 27, 28, & 29, Memorial Day Weekend the park will hold special Natural History programs as scheduled:

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. experience an authentic horse-drawn haying and raking demonstration (weather permitting) in the bottomland field. Visit with living history interpreters as they prepare the noon meal for the harvesters or hear the clang of the blacksmith throughout the day as he demonstrates the art of metallurgy.

Sunday and Monday, visit with living history characters as they go about their daily ranching activities. Historic children’s games at 2 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. Refreshment served.

Symphony in the Flint Hills – On June 10, enjoy a variety of natural and cultural history education programs, prairie bus tours, house tours, nature trails, the one-room school, and more throughout the day. Concert begins at 6 p.m. For more information, visit the web at www.symphonyintheflinthills.org.

Historic Farming Equipment - On June 24 & 25. Once a year the top floor of the barn is opened to exhibit the historic farming machinery from the 1920s through 1940s.

Independence Day at the Ranch – On Saturday, July 1, ride in a covered wagon and watch historic cooking demonstrations. On Sunday July 2, visit with living history interpreters going about their daily ranching activities as they prepare for the holiday celebration. Historic children’s games at 2 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Refreshments served.

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, MO
Parade of the American Soldier - The uniforms, equipment and personal effects of United States infantry soldiers from 1775-2006 will be on display on the front lawn of the Visitor Center On May 29, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Park volunteers and staff members will be available to answer questions regarding soldier life during each of America's major wars.

Union Soldier Living History Program – On June 17 and 18 th the park will present a Living History program highlighting the role of the U.S. Regulars, Kansas Volunteers and Sigel's Missouri Volunteers in the Battle of Wilson's Creek at Stop Number 5 on the Tour Road. A historic weapons firing schedule will be announced.

145th Battle Anniversary Ceremony – On August 10, the park will hold a t raditional ceremony honoring those who fought and died in the Battle of Wilson's Creek. The program is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the park Visitor Center front lawn. No entrance fee will be charged throughout the day.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, MO
Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration: Final Signature Event - On September 20-24, 2006, Jefferson NEM will be part of the final Signature Event of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial commemoration. Superintendent Peggy Odell is one of three co-chairs of the event, along with Robert Archibald of the Missouri Historical Society and Bobbie Connor of the Umatilla Indian Nation. Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery returned to St. Louis on September 23, 1806, officially ending their two-year exploration into the West. Two hundred years later, the National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial and the Osage Nation will partner with American Indian nations, environmental organizations, historians and others to commemorate the Corps' homecoming and examine impacts to the land, rivers and peoples of the West after the expedition. The final signature event, called Lewis & Clark: Currents of Change, will also focus on the bicentennial's lasting legacies for the future.

The event will begin with a two-day academic symposium followed by a weekend of activities along the Mississippi Riverfront adjacent to the Gateway Arch. The weekend begins with a historic opening ceremony on the Riverfront, and will be highlighted by tours to area historic sites associated with Lewis and Clark, a multitude of educational exhibits and activities , and thought-provoking presentations by American Indian tribes, environmentalists, scholars and educators. Lewis and Clark Corps II: 200 Years to the Future, will be set up on the riverfront with their exhibits and speakers in the Tent of Many Voices.

The event will conclude with an evening of lively entertainment, including comedians and musical acts and a reflective closing ceremony, which will provide a transition into the next 200 years. For more information on these events, go to http://www.currentsofchange.org/ .

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