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Contact: Chris Wilkinson, 440-717-3745
Every experience in a national park is unique, and while everyone recognizes the names of iconic parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, there are hundreds more that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Even at smaller parks like First Ladies National Historic Site, a little trip planning can ensure that your only surprises are happy ones. To help everyone have a great experience, National Park Service rangers share their top 10 insider tips to #PlanLikeAParkRanger.
“We are excited to welcome visitors from around the country to First Ladies NHS,” said site manager Chris Wilkinson, “We hope these insider tips will help visitors to make the most out of their experience to the park. Planning like a park ranger will help our visitors to have great experiences, make lasting memories, and stay safe.”Our Ranger’s Top 10 tips are:
1. Find Information About First Ladies NHS
Looking for all the basic information about First Ladies NHS in one convenient place? Be sure to check out our parks website, www.nps.gov/fila for all your questions about the site. There you can Plan Your Visit, Learn About the Park, or even learn how to Get Involved ! Need to find info about the site on the go? Be sure to download the new NPS Mobile App and have access to information about 425 National Park Service sites right from your phone, including us! You can even download park info ahead of time and have access when low on cell service. Download it now for free through the App Store and Google Play.
2. Know Before You Go
Throughout the National Park System there are dozens of varieties of National Park units. As an urban National Park unit, we are dedicated to serving our community, as well that those who travel to visit us. Any updates or current conditions about the site are always available to you on our website, or by phone. We also care deeply about visitor safety and encourage guests to check the weather and review our safety policies before their visit.
3.Navigating the Site
Navigating the site in an urban setting can be challenging. To help with this, we created a Getting Around First Ladies National Historic Site video for visitors to watch before their visit. We also have written directions along with a series of site maps for use as well. The Getting Around video does cover all accessible parking and entry points, but you can also find additional information on our site’s accessibility page.
4.Visit the Education Center
Begin your visit at the Education Center, located in the historic City National Bank. At the education center visitors can explore our museum of rotating exhibits, watch the film, and get their official Passport to your National Parks cancellation.
5.Become a Jr. Ranger
In the Education Center you can participate in our Jr. Ranger Program. Junior Rangers are those who vow to help Explore, Learn, and Protect our national parks. Our Junior Ranger books are available for children 8 and under and everyone 9 and over online, on site, or you can request a book be mailed to your home! Once you complete your book, you can earn a collectable Junior Ranger badge. There are more than 400+ Jr. Ranger programs and badges you can collect all across the NPS.
6.Tour the Saxton House
We offer guided tours only of the Saxton Home. A knowledgeable docent or park ranger will guide you through the former home of Ida McKinley. By learning the story of this former first lady, you'll be able to understand the difficulties of this very public position. You can also tour the Saxton House from home though our Virtual Video Tour and our Photo Gallery Tour, and earn a virtual Passport to your National Parks cancellation stamp.
7.Discover Downtown CantonIf you're looking for a bite to eat near First Ladies National Historic Site, check out the many restaurants in downtown Canton. There are also a variety of lodging options in Stark County. You can also request a free travel guide for trip planning from the Canton-Stark County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
8.Learn More About Our First Ladies
Interested in learning who is a first lady, or more about a specific first lady?The National First Ladies Library maintains the foremost repository of scholarly research and information about the First Ladies of the United States. The NFLL works collaboratively with the National Park Service and others to operate, support, enhance and promote the First Ladies National Historic Site. To learn more about a specific first lady go to their Research Page for biographies and bibliographies on each first lady, along with additional research tools.
9.Discover Ohio National Parks
Looking to visit other National Parks near by?In Ohio we are fortunate to have 8 different National Park units spanning over 2,000 years of history and culture for the buckeye state. Civil rights and military history, natural and scenic resources, the birthplace of aviation, first lady history, the war of 1812, presidential legacies, and prehistoric culture can all be discovered here in your Ohio National Parks.
10.Recreate Responsibly
While visiting First Ladies NHS, along with other National Park Service locations, we ask visitors to recreate responsibly, leave no trace, and practice patience. National Parks are busy places, and like most attractions you’ll visit this year, we may be short-staffed. But if you can give us a little more time, we are always here to help.
To read more about our Top 10 Tips visit our list at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/top-10-tips-for-visiting-first-ladies-national-historic-site.htm
The National First Ladies Library, non- profit partner to First Ladies NHS, completely restored the Saxton home in the late 1990’s making it one of the unique presidential homes preserved for the American People. The Saxton House became a National Pak Service Site in 2000, and both organizations work together to interpret the history of First Ladies today. For more information, visit us at www.nps.gov/fila, on Facebook or Instagram at @FirstLadiesNPS, email fila_info@nps.gov, or call 330-452-0876. To contact the National First Ladies’ Library, call 330-452-0876, email JHighfield@firstladies.org, or visit www.firstladies.org
Last updated: June 24, 2022