Parks
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.
The Statue of Liberty's meanings have continually changed since her dedication on October 28, 1886. During the late 19th century, one of the largest periods of immigration in American history, Liberty stood as a "Mother of Exiles," and provided thousands of immigrants with their first visual representation of America, liberty, and freedom. Throughout the 19th century, political instability, religious persecution, unstable economies, and vast unemployment prompted many Europeans to leave their homelands to take their chances on a better life in the United States. On the final stretch of their journey, as immigrants made their way into New York Harbor to the immigration station on Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty served as a colossal symbol of freedom and opportunity for all newcomers to the United States.
World War II. National parks tell the stories of America's WWII experience - from Pearl Harbor to the war's atomic end. Discover how a resilient America mobilized its people (and parks!) to triumph over tyranny. Explore places where technological and social barriers collapsed. Confront the war's darker legacies where America incarcerated its citizens and developed nuclear weapons. Stand atop soils where American blood was shed, coastlines defended, wounds were healed and valor was memorialized forever.
A Peace Park: Chamizal National Memorial in Texas is more than just an urban park to recreate or enjoy a quiet afternoon. These park grounds stand for peace;the peaceful settlement of a 100-year border dispute between nations. Not one shot was fired;not one war was waged. The memorial celebrates the culture of the borderland that helped to peacefully navigate an international argument.
Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, Ohio. Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial was established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the War of 1812, and to celebrate the long-lasting peace among Britain, Canada and the U.S. The Memorial, a Doric column, rising 352 feet over Lake Erie is situated 5 miles from the longest undefended border in the world.
San Juan Island National Historical Park, Washington. San Juan Island is well known for splendid vistas, saltwater shore, quiet woodlands, orca whales and one of the last remaining native prairies in the Puget Sound/Northern Straits region. But it was also here in 1859 that the United States and Great Britain nearly went to war over possession of the island, the crisis ignited by the death of a pig.
Other Places
The National Park Service cares for America's more than 400 national parks…and works in almost every one of her 3,141 counties. We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close to home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun. Find a few selected important places outside the parks here and explore the links for more. Then explore what you can do to share your own stories and the places that matter to you.
Spanish Colonial Missions of the Southwest: The stories and legacies of the Spanish Colonial missions are part of our national story and they highlight the common heritage the United States shares with Spain, Mexico and Latin America. Spain was not alone in missionary enterprises throughout the New World. French and Portuguese missionaries also made inroads in Canada, Brazil, and other parts of the Americas.
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail is a bi-national trail, three-quarters of which winds through the central highlands of Mexico. El Camino Real tracks a different European settlement story of the U.S., one that emphasizes the shared history and heritage of Spain, Mexico and the American Southwest. The trail's 16th-century origins pre-date both Jamestown and Plymouth Rock, while its historic faces, places and three-century legacy as a multi-ethnic point of cultural connection and exchange offer new touchstones of American history.
World Heritage Sites in the United States: The United States is proud to preserve and protect its World Heritage Sites. World Heritage Sites are a relatively small number of places on earth that have been formally determined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee to possess "outstanding universal value" to humanity for their exceptional cultural and natural significance.
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and World Heritage Site straddles the northern Rocky Mountains along the border between the United States and Canada. The world's first "international park," the combined site encompasses breathtaking snowcapped mountains, high-altitude lakes, and rivers cascading from glaciers.
Showing results 1-10 of 174
- Natchez Trace Parkway
Gordon House Historic Site, Milepost 407.7
- Locations: Natchez Trace Parkway
The brick home of Captain John Gordon and his family, built in 1818, was one of the impressive homes in the area. It was a landmark for travelers of the Old Trace, letting them know that soon they would be in Nashville, TN, where simple human comforts could be found after weeks of walking on a well-traveled but rustic trail. The Gordon family called it home, but it was a business as well. A ferry provided a safe way for travelers and locals alike to cross the Duck River.
- Boston National Historical Park
Building 5
- Locations: Boston National Historical Park
No other building in the Charlestown Navy Yard has had as many strikingly different uses as Building 5, reflecting the complexity of the 175-year history of the U.S. Navy in Boston.
- River Raisin National Battlefield Park
Hull's Trace
- Locations: River Raisin National Battlefield Park
In 2014 the River Raisin National Battlefield Park established the Hull’s Trace Unit as a satellite park. It is located at 36495 W. Jefferson Ave., Brownstown Charter Township, Michigan. In June of 1812, General Hull ordered a road to connect Fort Detroit with rest of the United States. A part of this corduroy road remains 200 years later near the mouth of the Huron River and is the only known log remnant of the first U.S. military federal road.
- Boston National Historical Park
USS CONSTITUTION
- Locations: Boston National Historical Park
The oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world still calls her birthplace—Boston—home. Launched in 1797 from Hartt's shipyard in the North End, Constitution was one of six original frigates that formed the core of the fledgling United States Navy in the 1790s. During the War of 1812, she earned a legendary reputation in battle, defeating four British frigates.
- Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Peddocks Island
- Locations: Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
One of the largest islands in Boston Harbor, Peddocks Island is a geographically diverse island, containing ponds, marshes, and forests. It is most well known for its military installation, Fort Andrews, which served primarily as a training and staging area for soldiers going during World War I.
Fort Ontario is a historic military installation located in Oswego, New York. From 1944 to 1946, it served as the only shelter in the United States for Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust.
Hawaii Shingon Mission (also known as Shingon Shu Hawaii) is a historic Buddhist temple in Honolulu, Hawaii. It features distinctive Japanese architectural elements, including a steep roof with elaborate decorative carvings. During World War II, prejudice against Hawaiians of Japanese descent—especially Buddhists—turned many temples and shrines into targets.
Madison Square Garden (1925), also known as MSG III, was an arena in New York City that operated from 1925 until 1968. MSG III was the site of several major political events where Jewish Americans spoke out against the Nazi government in Germany and its antisemitic goals. At the arena, American Jews wielded economic pressure against the regime, took direct action against fascism, and raised awareness about the victims of the Nazis’ murderous campaign.
Patapsco Camp, located near Elkridge, Maryland, was the first worksite in the Civilian Public Service program. This World War II-era initiative provided an opportunity for meaningful wartime work for conscientious objectors who refused to enter the military because of religious commitments to peace.
- Locations: National Mall and Memorial Parks, World War II Memorial
The World War II Memorial honors the men and women who joined together to defeat tyranny and restore freedom around the globe. Through stone and sculpture, the memorial honors both uniformed service and the effort on the homefront.
Last updated: November 21, 2019