News Release

Free Admission to All National Parks from January 14-16

Date: January 11, 2012

Contact: Justin Sochacki
Phone number: [phone]

Topeka, KS -Start your new year with a free visit to a national park! All 397 national parks across the country will offer free admission from January 14 through 16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, including the five national parks of Kansas.

You can literally walk in Dr. King's footsteps at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Georgia, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama, or the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC - just a few of the many national parks that have direct ties to Dr. King.

"Dr. King led the fight to realize his dream of a nation free of discrimination, where every citizen was able to enjoy the inalienable rights promised to all Americans," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "Dr. King's story and those of so many others whose efforts changed our country are preserved in the national parks, places where history happened. I hope every American can take advantage of the upcoming fee free weekend and visit their parks to experience their history firsthand."

Five outstanding national parks also await you in Kansas: Fort Scott National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Nicodemus National Historic Site, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Your local national parks can help you keep that New Year's resolution, whether it is to get more exercise, spend quality time with family and friends, try a new sport, learn some history, expand your horizons, or enjoy the natural world. There's something for everyone at a national park, even in the middle of winter. A list of activities can be found at www.nps.gov.

The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012 - National Park Week (April 21 to 29), Get Outdoors Day (June 9), National Public Lands Day (September 29), and the weekend of Veterans Day (November 10 to 12).

About the National Park Service
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.