News Release

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Tourism Creates $894,000 in Local Economic Benefit

Date: February 27, 2013

Contact: Dave Schafer
Phone number: [phone]

Topeka, KS -A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2011 shows that the 21,000 visitors to Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site spent $894,000 in communities surrounding the park. This spending supported 14 jobs in the Topeka area.

"We don't necessarily think of our parks and historic sites as being money makers for our local economies, but independent research shows that these recreational parks and visitor centers bring in substantial revenue to area businesses," said park superintendent David Smith. "In the last year, I have met families and groups from all over the country - and even from outside the country - who come specifically to Topeka because they want to visit the city made famous by the end of segregation in public education. And once they get here, they are delighted to find a revitalized downtown, a world class state museum, and shops, restaurants, and hotels that meet their needs."

The information on Brown v. Board of Education NHS is part of a peer-reviewed spending analysis of national park visitors across the country conducted by Michigan State University for the National Park Service. For 2011, that report shows $13 billion of direct spending by 279 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. That visitor spending had a $30 billion impact on the entire U.S. economy and supported 252,000 jobs nationwide.

In addition to the 14 local jobs supported through visitor spending, the National Park Service also employees 15 fulltime and five seasonal park rangers, maintenance workers, and administrative staff. The economic study does not take into effect the impact of these workers on the local economy though housing, tax impact, and local expenditures.

Most visitor spending supports jobs in lodging, food, and beverage service (63 percent) followed by recreation and entertainment (17 percent), other retail (11percent), transportation and fuel (7 percent) and wholesale and manufacturing (2 percent.)

To download the report visit www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/products.cfm#MGM and click on Economic Benefits to Local Communities from National Park Visitation, 2011.

The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.

To learn more about national parks in Kansas and how the National Park Service works with communities to preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide local recreation opportunities, go to www.nps.gov/Kansas.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in public schools. The site is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas, and is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. For more information call [phone] or visit www.nps.gov/brvb and www.facebook.com/brownvboardnps.