National Park Service 97th Birthday Celebration at Carlsbad Caverns

Date: August 12, 2013
Contact: Jennifer Evans, [phone]

CARLSBAD – In celebration of the National Park Service’s 97th birthday, Carlsbad Caverns National Park will offer free general entry to the cavern on Sunday, August 25. Entrance will be free for the two self-guided trails in the cave, the Big Room and Main Corridor trails. All other ranger-led tours will require normal fees on this day.

The park also will offer a special temporary exhibit and activities for visitors on August 25. In the temporary exhibit visitors will be invited to learn about the history of the National Park Service and share their favorite National Park Service memories and birthday wishes. Special activities will include a free National Park Service-themed scavenger hunt, available at the visitor center information desk.

Established in 1916, the National Park Service currently comprises more than 400 sites in all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Each year, the National Park Service welcomes about 275 million visitors to sites that include national parks, national monuments, historic sites, national seashores, and national trails. Ninety-seven years after its founding, the mission of the National Park Service remains the same: to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

Entry into the cavern begins at 8:30 a.m. Through September 3, last entry via the Main Corridor is at 3:30 p.m. and last entry into the Big Room via elevator is at 5 p.m. For more information on self-guided and guided tours, visit www.nps.gov/cave or call [phone].