National Park Service celebrates 110th birthday with free admission

The National Park Service is turning 110 next week and in honor of the anniversary, sites that usually charge for admission will be free to enter on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

“America’s national parks preserve the places where our nation’s story was written and where it continues to inspire future generations,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a March statement about the anniversary. “As we celebrate the 110th birthday of the National Park Service and mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Trump administration invites everyone to visit their national parks and experience the history, beauty and spirit that make our country exceptional.”

President Woodrow Wilson signed the “Organic Act” on Aug. 25, 1916, that created the National Park Service, a federal bureau within the Department of the Interior, according to its website.

The act detailed the agency’s overall mission, stating, “The service thus established shall promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations hereinafter specified by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purposes of the said parks, monuments, and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

“America’s 433 national parks tell the story of the United States — from the battlefields where the nation was forged, to the landscapes that shaped our identity, to the historic sites that honor the people and events that built the country,” National Park Service Comptroller, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Director Jessica Bowron explained in a March statement.

The park service’s birthday coincides with National Park Week this year, Aug. 22 to Aug. 30. The theme of National Park Week in 2026 is “Celebrate America’s Story” in commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.

“Each site within the National Park System represents a chapter in America’s story, and America’s semiquincentennial year is the perfect time to celebrate those stories,” Bowron said in a statement earlier this month. “Dedicated employees at parks nationwide are ready to welcome visitors to join in the celebration during National Park Week.”

Each day of National Park Week has a theme.

■ Saturday, Aug. 22 — “Kickoff Saturday and Freedom 250 Grand Prix”

■ Sunday, Aug. 23 — “Safety Sunday”

■ Monday, Aug. 24 — “America in Motion Monday”

■ Tuesday, Aug. 25 — “National Park Service 110th Birthday and Fee-Free Day”

■ Wednesday, Aug. 26 — “Watch Wildlife Wednesday”

■ Thursday, Aug. 27 — “Thankful Thursday”

■ Friday, Aug. 28 — “Freedom Friday”

■ Saturday, Aug. 28 — “Staff Saturday”

■ Sunday, Aug. 30 — “Junior Ranger Day”

For more information about the National Park Service’s 110th birthday, National Park Week and 2026 fee-free days, visit nps.gov.

Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com