Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their national parks. With the help of volunteers and park partners, we safeguard these more than 400 places and share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. Find a few of those stories here and then Find a Park to find more of all Americans' stories.
Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty National Monument. From 1892 to 1924, Ellis Island was America's largest and most active immigration station, where over 12 million immigrants were processed. On average, the inspection process took approximately 3-7 hours. For the vast majority of immigrants, Ellis Island truly was an "Island of Hope" - the first stop on their way to new opportunities and experiences in America. For the rest, it became the "Island of Tears" - a place where families were separated and individuals were denied entry into the United States.
Ebey's Landing National Historical Preserve:This stunning landscape at the gateway to Puget Sound, with its rich farmland and promising seaport, lured the earliest American pioneers north of the Columbia River to Ebey's Landing.
Whitman Mission National Historic Site:Discover the continuing relevance of the history and impacts of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman's religious mission to the Cayuse Nation in the early nineteenth century.
Cristiansted National HIstoric Site.No place in the Caribbean still demonstrates the architectural, economic, and political influence of Europe like Christiansted National Historic Site.
Last updated: April 13, 2016