Pea Ridge National Military Park in Fall
America’s National Parks™ continues its work with the America’s National Parks™ 250th Grant Program – History Happens Here by awarding an additional round of funding totaling $250,000 to 13 National Park Service units to support the parks’ efforts in the upcoming celebrations for the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. America’s National Parks™ is thrilled to support these 13 parks to fulfill educational programs supporting America’s 250th. Keep an eye out on our website for more info about he exhibits and events being funded by this grant.
National Capital Parks-East
Star-Spangled Stanton Park . . . a Revolutionary Place
National Capital Parks-East in Washington, D.C. will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds for two interpretive waysides and a community event at Stanton Park on Capitol Hill.
The permanent legacy waysides will focus on Revolutionary War General, Nathanael Greene with one specifically about his statue in Stanton Park.
The National Park Service at Stanton Park, in collaboration with Friends of Stanton Park, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (fife and drum corps), will host a community event to dedicate the markers in celebration of America’s 250th. The event will feature a honorarium for the 1st Maryland with living history Revolutionary War soldiers’ demonstrations, a fife and drum concert, a Revolutionary encampment set-up, and group talks for bot kids & adults.
Colonial National Historical Park
250 Adventure Ranger Program
Colonial NHP will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. The park is creating a special family-friendly 250 Adventure Ranger Program, inviting visitors of all ages to embark on an engaging journey through Virginia’s American Revolution history. Inspired by the popular Junior Ranger program, this interactive experience will encourage visitors to complete challenges at designated sites and collect stamps in a special booklet that documents their adventure. By collecting stamps and completing their quest, participants will feel a deeper connection to their place in history and can earn a special medallion. The park is proud to collaborate with local community partners to provide this fun and meaningful way for visitors to explore regional historical sites, engage with the stories and places we protect, promote stewardship and civic awareness, and reconnect with revolutionary history.
Pea Ridge National Military Park
Thunder on the Ridge (Thunder 250)
Pea Ridge NMP the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to commemorate the Semiquincentennial of the United States and the 1862 Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge. The park will have live demonstrations of historic cannon and musket firings and will host living history demonstrations depicting lifestyles of the people in that region during Revolutionary War times. The educational and interpretive programming will focus on connecting the throughline of American history from approximately 1752 to present, with a special emphasis on armed conflict during the Revolutionary and Civil War eras.
Special programming is expected June 20th, July 4th, and August 15th. Additional musket demonstrations are planned to occur weekly from Memorial Day through Labor Day. These events will be held in collaboration with Fort Smith National Historic Site, Pea Ridge National Military Park Foundation, Daughters of the American Revolution’s Arkansas State Society and The Arkansas Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Gateway National Recreation Area – Sandy Hook Unit
Cloth and Conflict: Uniforms of the Revolution
Gateway NRA – Sandy Hook will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to purchase reproduction clothing to help tell the story of the Revolutionary War by demonstrating how soldiers looked and lived during the era. The clothing will be used in living history demonstrations to explain how uniforms were adapted to climate, resources and battlefield needs. It will illustrate what soldiers wore during the Revolution through time accurate demonstration clothing and show comparison between the British and Continental Army attire and what it reveals about each side.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Activating Canal Exploration Center for America’s 250th Anniversary and the 200th Anniversary of the Ohio & Erie Canal
Cuyahoga Valley NP will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to increase activation of the historic Canal Exploration Center (CEC) as a signature site for both America’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 200th anniversary of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Funding will support expanded visitor hours, enhanced programming, increased volunteer capacity, special events, and improved transportation access via the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
The grant funds will allow an increase Canal Exploration Center hours by opening one additional day each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, increase drop-in interpretive programming availability, enhance living history experiences as part of these programs, rebuild and expand the volunteer corps, expand the scale of the annual Canal Days event held as part of Cleveland History Days, and more.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
“Launching the Lincoln Learning Lab: A Scalable Learning Platform for America’s 250th and Beyond”
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to transform its educational programming to align with the expectations of modern audiences and the national significance of the 250th commemorations. At the center of this effort is the development and launch of the Lincoln Learning Lab, a digital first, scalable education platform designed to expand access to Lincoln’s story and the enduring ideals of the American Revolution beyond the boundaries of the park. The Lincoln Learning Lab is grounded in onsite, ranger led programming created and delivered in real time within the park landscape and at partner sites. These experiences will function as both live educational programs and content creation opportunities, where high quality video is captured during delivery and refined for broader use. This ensures that programming remains rooted in place, authentic to the park experience, and directly connected to visitor engagement.
The Lincoln Learning Lab is built on a “Create Once, Learn Everywhere” model. Educational content developed through these programs will be deployed across multiple platforms, including: Onsite experiences enhanced through mobile based access and digital tools, Student focused programming and facilitated learning experiences within the park, Distance Learning and Virtual Field Trips, Social media and digital platforms (including a dedicated YouTube channel), the National Park Service App and the park website. Funding from this grant will support the purchase of video production equipment and staff training.
Fort Stanwix National Monument
Building Community Engagement for America’s 250th Anniversary at Fort Stanwix National Monument and with History Partners
Fort Stanwix NM will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 50th anniversary of Fort Stanwix National Monument being open. Through cultural arts, the park will explore overlooked aspects of the war in the Mohawk Valley and show how the Revolutionary War affected ordinary people and their community relationships.
This initiative will highlighting the contributions of lesser-known participants in the Revolution including Native Americans, enlisted soldiers and their families, and the everyday residents of the Mohawk Valley, while presenting their experiences through diverse formats.
The America250 ™ Speakers’ Series, held at both the park and the Rome Historical Society, will feature local historians and PhD authors presenting topics on America’s 250th and the fort’s construction.
Funding will also be used to support programming provided by the “First Allies” Oneida Indian Nation including cultural demonstrators from the Oneida Indian Nation ‘First Allies’ program to present two days of Native dance, music, lacrosse, and oral history connected to help audiences understand the Oneidas’ role as America’s first allies during the Revolution and their ongoing presence in the region’s cultural landscape.
Grant funds will support Cultural and Arts Demonstrations. The park will host a historic cricket demonstrator and professional musicians specializing in 18th century music for events in August and September. The musicians will present a concert and the cricket demonstrator will facilitate visitor participation in activities historically undertaken by Revolutionary War soldiers.
Lastly, funds will be used for film series at the Historic Capitol in collaboration with the Rome Historical Society. It will showcase two movies about the American Revolution set in 1776, along with a documentary on the opening of Fort Stanwix National Monument.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
America250: Pictured Rocks Community Parades & Outreach Initiatives
Pictured Rocks NL will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to support participation in local Independence Day parades and an outreach booth for Pictured Rocks Days as part of the nationwide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The funds will support National Park Service staffing at Pictured Rock Days (June 12-13, 2026) to set-up a booth highlighting the commemoration of America’s 250th and participate in both gateway community parades at Grand Marais and Munising (July 4th, 2026). Funds will also provide a professionally designed America’s 250th banner and a historically significant Betsy Ross flag carried by uniformed rangers at the parade.
George Washington Birthplace National Monument
Birth of a Patriot: Digital Reconstructions for the July 4th National Celebration
George Washington Birthplace NM will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to develop a high-resolution, three-dimensional cutaway model that transforms the unfurnished shell of the room where George Washington was born into a comprehensive narrative tool to help visitors better visualize the space.
The park will also construct a chronological phasing of the site by integrating multiple lines of archaeological evidence as well as relevant information on the site’s occupational history. These datasets will be spatially linked through GIS to track temporal changes across features and activity areas, resulting in a rendering of the early-18th century landscape.
Boston National Historical Park
Boston – Signature City, Signature Event
Boston NHP will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to expand and enhance visitor knowledge of the multi-layered stories of the Battle of Bunker Hill, including indigenous history, international impacts, and contemporary relevance.
In partnership with Homebase, the American Legion (Bunker Hill Post 26) and the British Consulate to New England, will host a Flag Garden and Ceremony consisting of 1,500 US and British flags, procured using these grant funds, planted over the next two days to represent the lives lost in battle.
In partnership with the Mohegan nation and Bunker Hill Community College, will host a public film screening of a film based on the struggles of Mohegans in the American Revolution and discussion as part of the Bunker Hill commemorative period. Grant funds will support audiovisual needs including a screen rental and sound design and allow for the recording of the film introduction by the co-writer and Council of Elders Vice Chair to partner with the online film for continued visitor access and engagement.
Funds will be used to create clear graphics, wayfinding materials, and programmatic take aways connecting Boston’s revolutionary and maritime heritage in the context of these international events in preparation of increased visitation for America’s 250th and Sail250®.
Fort Pulaski National Monument
Pulaski’s Legacy Lives: Reviving the Spirit of the American Revolution at Fort Pulaski
Fort Pulaski NM will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to acquire two historically accurate Pulaski Legion uniforms, Brown Bess–style flintlock muskets, and accoutrement sets so they can be worn by both of Fort Pulaski’s certified Historic Weapons Supervisors. These will be used in historically accurate America’s 250th demonstrations.
The site will strengthen community presence by participating in offsite Semiquincentennial events while wearing the Pulaski Legion uniforms and present the Legion’s standard at local and regional events in Savannah.
The grant funds will also be used to enhance interpretive materials such as tradeshow banners, brochures, and trading cards, to allow Fort Pulaski to more effectively share Casimir Pulaski’s story with visitors.
Steamtown National Historic Site
Nay Aug Train: Tracks Through 250 Years
Steamtown NHS will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds create a circular track and five interpretive signs highlighting 250 years of U.S. history and the evolution of steam railroading. As visitors ride the Nay Aug Train, they will engage with educational content connecting Scranton’s railroading heritage to the national development of steam railroading from 1776 to today.
The grant funds will be used for materials in the construction of the track including wood for the track, 75 tons of ballast, twenty-pound rail, track bolts, and hardware. This project will serve as a model of how an experience of riding the Nay Aug Train that many locals have cherished can be used to interpret the history of railroading and its impact in the United States.
George Washington Memorial Parkway – Great Falls Park and Clara Barton National Historic Site
Celebrate America along the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway in collaboration with Great Falls Park and Clara Barton NHS will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds to attract new audiences and engage them through interpretive and educational programs throughout 2026, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, Great Falls Park’s 60th Anniversary as a National Park Service site, and the 145th anniversary of Clara Barton’s founding the American Red Cross.
Great Falls Park, and Clara Barton NHS will collaborate for America’s 250th anniversary along with The White House and President’s Park to enhance Girl Scout experiences when visiting these National Park Service sites. They will offer new programing with audience centered, site specific Girl Scout Badge programing that will encourage Scouts from Brownies to Cadettes to visit the three NPS sites, attend Ranger-led badge programs, and compete the requirements for earning their Girl Scout badges in topics such as First Aid, Bugs, Flowers, Trees, Common Ground, and Democracy.
Funds will also be used to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Great Falls Park through a family friendly movie event combining themes for both National Junior Ranger Day and Girl Scout/Scout Ranger Badge activities. Visitors can also relive the sounds of great American music with an outdoor dance and live concert with the Loudoun Jazz Ensemble. This funding grant will also provide additional movie experiences, including the screening of “Hamilton,” during all three NPS fee-free days over the July 3–5, 2026 Independence Day weekend.
Lastly, funds will be used at Clara Barton NHS To celebrate the 145th anniversary of Clara Barton founding the American Red Cross. Award-winning actress Mary Ann Jung will portray Barton in interactive presentations.
