New or Rehabilitated Facilities
Opening in 2007 - 2009

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2007 

Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Illinois
New Permanent Exhibits, January: A model of 1860 Springfield, a recreated log cabin float from a rally parade that passed by the Lincoln Home, a photographer's camera set up to capture the Lincoln Home and a teamster's wagon are adding new life to the streetscape and Visitor Center at Lincoln Home National Historic Site.  The new permanent exhibits are designed to put Abraham Lincoln and his family's lives into context with their neighbors and friends.  The model includes fiber optic paths that show the path Lincoln wandered to work every day, the many places he visited on Election Day 1860 and the route his casket took around Springfield on its way out to Oak Ridge Cemetery in 1865.  Audio soundsticks recount newspaper articles of various events happening around Springfield before during and after Lincoln's run for the White House, including a moving rendition of Lincoln's Farewell Address to the people of Springfield, read by Sam Waterston (Law & Order).  Outside, a work table illustrates the daily chores experienced by the Lincolns, a photographer's set-up showcases the Lincoln Home through the years, a sitting area wayside provides an audio reading of some letters Mary wrote to neighbors and relatives, and two wagons add life-size props to the streetscape while providing information on Lincoln's presidential campaign and the ethnic and economic diversity of his neighbors.  The exhibits were designed by Krister Olmon, Inc. of Los Angeles, CA and fabricated by Exhibitology in Paterson, NJ.  In addition, new orientation signs and new safety signs were added throughout the park. The park Visitor Center is open 8:30-5, daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Days). Outdoor exhibits are open at all times.  For more information about this new permanent exhibit, contact the park at (217) 492-4241.      

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Washington, D.C.
The Frederick Douglass Home has been closed to the public for major repair/rehab since April 2006.  The anticipated reopening is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on February 14, 2007.

Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Maryland
Grand Opening Ceremony for New Visitor Center, Tentative Date - March 24, 2007, Time: to be determined. Location: Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Port Tobacco. Opening ceremony to unveil the newly completed park visitor center facility. Free. For more information, contact the park at (301) 392-1776. 

Boston National Historical Park, MA
Bunker Hill Monument National Historic Site Reopening, April 2, 2007: Closed since May 2006 for a $3.7 million rehabilitation, the Bunker Hill Monument and grounds will reopen to the public on April 2, 2007. Built between 1825 and 1843, the Bunker Hill Monument commemorates the American Revolution's first major battle. Visitors may climb the monument's 294 steps. 

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Colorado
Dedication of the establishment of the Sand Creek Massacre NHS, April 28:  The public portion of the event will take place on Saturday afternoon, at the Kiowa County Fairgrounds, Eads, Colorado.  The afternoon activities will feature displays, American Indian cultural programs, and other information relevant to the history and establishment of the Sand Creek Massacre NHS. 

The non-public (by invitation only) portion of the event will be held at the massacre site on Saturday, April 28, 2007.  The morning program will be limited to approximately 400-500 people (tribal members, educators, partners, neighboring landowners, Congressional staff, NPS Reps., etc.).   Featured activities will include speeches and memorialization activities.  Tentative start time is 9:00. 

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Grand Re-Opening of the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center, including new exhibits will take place in May 2007 - exact date TBD. 

Homestead National Monument of America, Nebraska
The grand opening of the new heritage center is set to coincide with the 145th anniversary of homesteading on May 18, 2007.  Agriculture Secretary Johannes may be attending this event. The new Homestead Heritage Center will share with the public the national aspects of the Homestead Act of 1862 and its effects on the people, land, and world. The center will be a 10,600 square foot facility housing a museum and a curatorial storage area. It will also serve as repository for the Homestead Land-Entry Case files. This distinctive, two story building will provide a visual connection to natural and cultural resources found on the Freeman Homestead Claim.

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, Pennsylvania
Zane Grey Museum re-opening, May 26.  Devastated by the June 2006 flood, extensive repairs were made to the utilities and foundation of the Zane Grey House.  Join us for the grand re-opening of the Zane Grey Museum. 

Monocacy National Battlefield, Maryland
The new Visitor Center at Monocacy National Battlefield is scheduled for completion in April or May 2007.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Virginia
The Main Gate Project is scheduled to be completed in the early Spring of 2007.  This is a $3,000,000.00 line item construction project.  We will be coordinating with the Wolf Trap Foundation for any ceremony to celebrate its completion.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, California
Completion, re-christening, and launching of the C.A. Thayer is scheduled for late Spring 2007.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, South Dakota
The park has announced an exciting visitor opportunity for Summer 2007.  For the first time ever, the park will be opening Launch Facility (Missile Silo) Delta-09 to drive up visitation.  On weekday mornings (Monday – Friday), 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., from Memorial Day to Labor Day the site will be staffed by a park ranger ready to provide interpretation of this historic resource.  Visitors will be allowed access to a site which housed a Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile for nearly three decades.  Inside the site, visitors can peer down through a glass viewing enclosure at a Minuteman training missile on display. Launch Facility Delta-09 is located just off exit 116, Interstate 90. It is approximately 15 miles west of park headquarters.  Minuteman Missile NHS was established by Congress in 1999 to tell the story of the Minuteman ICBM system, the personnel who served at the 1,000 sites throughout the upper Great Plains, the impact of the system on the communities nearby and the story of the Cold War.  Following the transfer of the property from the United States Air Force in September 2002, the National Park Service began preparing the site for public tours.  More information about the site can be found on the internet at www.nps.gov/mimi or call the park at 605-433-5552.

George Washington Carver National Monument, Missouri
The new park visitor center dedication is scheduled for May, 2007.

Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier NPs Going-to-the Sun Road transit/shuttle System will begin service on July 1, 2007. The new Apgar Transit Center will also be completed in June 2007 and will support the Sun Road transit system.  The transit center will provide exhibits on park areas as well as interactive kiosks for visitor self-service trip planning.  Kiosks will have Pod casts, eTours of the Sun Road, eHikes and later will provide similar state-of-the-art computer features of other park areas and features in the park.  The shuttle system is being phased in, so expect some minor fine tuning the first season out.

Boston National Historical Park, MA
Bunker Hill Monument & Museum Ribbon-cutting Ceremony, June 14, 2007: Celebrate the grand opening of the Bunker Hill Museum. Learn about the Battle of Bunker Hill, the story of the Bunker Hill Monument, and the history of the Charlestown community, where the Monument is located, through historic artifacts and an audio-visual display. The museum is in Monument Square next to the Bunker Hill Monument National Historic Site. 

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
Raspberry Island Lighthouse Grand Opening.  Raspberry Island Lighthouse has been closed for two years while being structurally rehabilitated and furnished to the 1924 era when Keeper Benton was on duty at that light.  The Grand Opening will be held on June 17, 2007.

Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, Hawaii
The grand opening of the new park visitor center is scheduled for July, 2007. 

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia 
The Rehabilitated Plum Orchard Mansion will be completed in August 2007, at a cost of $ 2.1 million in public funds. The rehabilitated mansion will be opened for public tours.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The opening of the new Grand Teton Discovery and Visitor Center near park headquarters in Moose, WY is expected in mid-August this year. The new center will offer innovative and interactive exhibits, and provide exciting ways for visitors to discover the many wonders of Grand Teton National Park. The building incorporates some intriguing architectural designs that will invite visitors in, and focus their attention on stunning views of the Teton Range through floor to ceiling picture windows. Once open, the center will become a "must-see" destination in and of itself for all park visitors.

Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota
The new Grand Portage Heritage Center is set for completion in August/September 2007. The monument’s 710 acres lie entirely within the boundaries of Grand Portage Ojibwe Indian Reservation.  The reconstructed depot (originally built in the early 1800’s) celebrates fur trade and Ojibwe lifeways. 

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Arkansas
The new visitor center at Central High School will be completed in September 2007 during the 50th anniversary of the historic events that took place there in 1957.  The new facility will provide significantly expanded space for interpretive and educational programming, special events, the storage and preservation of historic archives and museum objects.  The new Visitor Center will have about 3,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space to accommodate the high increase in visitation and adequate exhibit space to interpret more of the stories related to the 1957 desegregation crisis and civil rights. The anniversary commemoration will be held on September 24 & 25. 

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The opening of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve (LSR Preserve) welcome center. This innovative new center will encourage visitors to contemplate the natural world, while learning about how philanthropy and stewardship have helped to shape the National Park System. In addition to the LSR Preserve Center, the 1,106-acre former JY Ranch property will be open to the public, providing hiking trails that allow visitors to explore the forests, streams and pristine Phelps Lake that were previously part of a private retreat. Thanks to an incredible donation made by the late Laurance S. Rockefeller, this facility and property will become part of Grand Teton National Park and be available for the public to enjoy (beginning early September).

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
The new Regional Destination Visitor Center will be completed and dedicated in September 2007.  Cost of construction was $6.9 million in public funds.  

Hampton National Historic Site, Maryland
The park will celebrate a grand re-opening of the Hampton Mansion, considered one of the finest examples of high Georgian architecture in the nation, after two years of extensive rehabilitation.  The HVAC system utilizes a geothermal ground loop, making it truly environmentally sensitive.  With the re-opening, the public will also be treated to the complete restoration of the drawing room to its high Victorian taste.  The re-opening is scheduled for November 2007.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
The project is rehabilitating the existing 1950’s vintage Visitor Center to an efficient attractive facility that takes advantage of its unique location and reduces impacts to the park’s primary resource. While all of the buildings systems are beyond their useful life, the proposed solution uses nearly all the existing structure and shell. Completion is scheduled for December 2007 at a cost of $ 7.7 million.

2008

Independence National Historical Park, Pennsylvania
The park’s most recent exhibit at the President’s House site at 6th and Market Streets has entered its next phase. This is the site where both George Washington and John Adams lived while serving as our first two Presidents when Philadelphia was the nations capital from 1790-1800, and where George Washington kept at least 9 enslaved Africans. The archeological dig of the site has been temporarily covered over to protect the architectural findings while a task force evaluates options for incorporating the archeological findings into the design plan for a new outdoor interpretive commemoration. Until construction of the commemorative installation gets underway, the site will remain open to visitors, who will be able to review information posted on the viewing platform and view photographs of the dig. Artifacts unearthed during the dig will be analyzed and eventually displayed for the public at the Archeology Lab in the Independence Living History Center at 3rd and Chestnut Streets.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
The rehabilitated Mammoth Cave Visitor Center will be completed in January 2008 with $7.9 million in public funds.  The funding is being provided from entrance fee revenues

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania
The Wills House in downtown Gettysburg is scheduled to come on-line in the winter/spring of 2008.  The Wills House is on the National Register of Historic Places, and enjoys national renown as the place where President Abraham Lincoln spent the night before delivering the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.  This is a line-item construction project (earmarked by Senator Santorum), which will rehabilitate the structure to its 1863 appearance, and install exhibits for its future life as a public Lincoln Museum.

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania
The new museum/visitor center for Gettysburg National Military Park is currently scheduled to come on-line in the spring of 2008.  This 139,000 square foot facility will contain a new park visitor center, a 24,000 square feet museum of Gettysburg in the Civil War, a new gallery to display the restored Cyclorama Painting, curatorial space, office space, limited food service, and a book and museum store.  Funds for the $68 million facility have been raised by the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation, which will also operate the facility on behalf of the NPS (at no cost to the NPS) for twenty years.  After that, both the land and the facility will be donated to the NPS.

Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center, Alaska
This new facility will house the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center (run by the NPS for all federal and state land managers), the Fairbanks Convention and Visitor Bureau, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and Denakkanaaga's cultural and education programs. Funding to date has been about $16 million in federal funds (through NPS statutory aid), and small amounts of private contributions. State funding is expected to total $4 million. Spring 2008 is the estimated completion date.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming & Montana
Replacement of the current Old Faithful Visitor Center with a building that encourages visitors to enter and explore what they can do in the park and gather information about the thermal features found within the park.  Partners are providing $15,000,000 and the NPS $12,206,000 towards this facility.  Completion date is June 2008.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming & Montana
This project is a restoration of the West Wing of Old House at Old Faithful Inn, including upgrade of utility infrastructure, provide structural stabilization and improve fire/safety. Completion is expected in June 2008 at a cost of $ 11 million. 

Denali National Park, Alaska
Replacement of the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park is under way, and scheduled for opening in Summer 2008. This project was funded with $9.6 million in Federal funds.

Western Arctic National Parklands Heritage & Visitor Center, Alaska
The Western Arctic Center in Kotzebue, Alaska is under construction and should be completed in the Summer of 2008.  The project was funded with $ 12 million in Federal funds.

Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, Washington, DC
NPS, in partnership with Ford's Theatre Society (FTS), will make life-safety and accessibility improvements to the site. The FY 07 Construction Program includes $3.2 million for Phase 1; FY 08 Construction Program includes $3.3 million for Phase 2.  FTS will provide $2.3 million in FY 07 for improvements that are their responsibility (lighting, stage rigging, etc.) under the terms of a general agreement.  Completion of all work is scheduled for August 2008 to coincide with the planned Presidential Gala at Ford's Theatre to be held in September 2008. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Washington, DC
Authorized Nov 1996 (P.L. 104-33), this new memorial will be built by the MLK, Jr Foundation on a 7 acre site on the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin, along Independence Avenue.  Concept design has been approved. FY 06 Interior Appropriations Act provides $10 million for the memorial as a match to private contributions received between July 26, 2005 and November 12, 2008.  Construction could begin in 2007, with completion in 2008.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming & Montana
The Grant Village Visitor Center is being rehabilitated.  The work includes roof and exterior stain, replace heating system, modify entire building to be handicap accessible, and construct backcountry office adjacent to visitor center. Expected completion is September 2008 at a cost of $ 500,000.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
The park is scheduled to complete and open its new visitor center in the Fall of 2008.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Completion of the new Visitor Center and the Paradise Inn Restoration project is scheduled TBA for 2008.  Paradise Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

2009 

Vietnam Veterans Center, Washington, DC
Authorized Nov 2003 (P.L. 108-126), this underground visitor facility "at or near" the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be built by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.  VVMF has begun a $60 million fundraising campaign.  NPS and VVMF are preparing requisite EA to gain site approval for the area south of Constitution Avenue, between Bacon Drive and 23rd Street.  VVMF anticipates completion in 2009.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina
The rehabilitation of Bodie Island Lighthouse will be completed in May 2009, at a cost of $3.8 million in public funds.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, North Carolina
The rehabilitation of the Fort Raleigh Visitor Center Complex will be completed in May of 2009, with $5.2 million in public funds.

Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Florida
The replacement Visitor Center Facilities at Cedar Point will be completed in May 2009 at a cost of $ 3.3 million in public funds. 

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