Two Parks, One Mission

Superintendent Teri Gage

NPS Photo

Welcome to Pullman National Monument and State Historic Site! We celebrated a truly GRAND opening of the new NPS Visitor Center in the Administration Clock Tower Building and the re-developed historic factory grounds over Labor Day weekend 2021. We’ve enjoyed welcoming thousands of visitors in the months since.

We recognize the importance of public lands more than ever as we head into the third year navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re glad to see visitors and neighbors enjoying the outdoor space of the IDNR historic factory grounds. Inside the NPS Visitor Center, we pay close attention to current public health best-practices and thank our visitors for doing the right things to protect each other.

Pullman has been accurately described as a “partnership park.” With the co-location of Pullman National Monument and State Historic Site, nothing could be truer as we work closely to ensure a seamless experience for visitors to Pullman. We recently completed a Cooperative Management Agreement between the National Park Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to identify how we will work together and share resources, maximizing our ability to provide a high quality visitor experience.

Superintendent Levi Brey.

NPS Photo

Pullman is a great example of state and federal governments working side by side to serve the public. The two agencies have a shared commitment to preserving and protecting the historic Pullman resources. Our goal is to further the public understanding of and appreciation for the stories and the significant role Pullman played in American history. In the words of President Barack Obama, who established Pullman National Monument in 2015, “That’s the story of this place – that, together, we can do great things that we cannot accomplish alone.”

While we’ve already made great progress in opening the Visitor Center and Car Works (factory grounds) to the public, but there is more work to do. We are collaborating on a joint General Management Plan that will provide direction on a variety of topics such as resource preservation, visitor use, future development, and community relationships. General Management Plans are prepared by interdisciplinary teams including park staff, landscape architects, community planners, resource management specialists, historians, interpretation experts, and key stakeholders. YOU will have an opportunity to be part of this planning effort in 2022. Early and continued public involvement is an essential element in a successful planning process. Stay tuned for more information to come.

Thank you for visiting Pullman National Monument and State Historic Site!