Springfield Armory NHS – Photo Credit: NPS / Victoria Stauffenberg
America’s National Parks™ has awarded a total of $250,000 to 11 National Park Service units through the America’s National Parks™ 250th Grant Program – History Happens Here 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 11 parks to fulfill educational programs supporting America’s 250th over the course of the next year and a half. These programs will be underway no later than Spring 2026. Here are the parks and programs that receive this funding.
Andersonville National Historic Site
From Prison Ships to Freedom: The Revolutionary War POW Story
Andersonville NHS will use the America’s National Parks™ grant funds for travel assistance to take their new America’s 250th traveling trunk program to schools and other off-site locations in the park’s commuting area. The trunk is a tool to teach classes and groups the story of our nation’s Prisoners of War, especially those during the American Revolution. The traveling trunk program was initially funded by America’s National Parks™ to bring the park experience and stories of the Revolutionary War to schools to show reproductions of the artifacts at Andersonville NHS. The America’s 250th Grant will help expand this program throughout Georgia and beyond during 2026 to further education around America’s 250th commemoration of the American Revolution.
Boston National Historical Park
Bunker Hill 250th Commemoration
Boston National Historical Park will use America’s National Parks™ grant funds to support commemorative events for the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill with multi-day events. This project encourages local visitors and tourists to engage in a variety of experiences around citizenship, national identity, and belonging.
In the days leading up to the battle anniversary, Bunker Hill Monument will host a USCIS Naturalization Ceremony for 250 new citizens. This program will include issuing participants Passport To Your National Parks® Books as well as inviting them to take part in a Flag Planting Ceremony in front of the monument. Their 250 flags will be the first of the 1,500 US and British flags planted over the next two days to represent the lives lost in battle. This program will be offered in partnership with Homebase, the American Legion (Bunker Hill Post 26), and the British Consulate to New England. The Passport Books and flags will be provided by project funding.
The partnership with the British Consulate will continue in the following days with a moderated discussion between prominent Bunker Hill historian Nathaniel Philbrick and a British military historian selected by the British Consulate. This conversation at Bunker Hill Community College will move beyond a battle read out to a town hall discussion with interpretation about the perspective of participating nations and individuals on each side of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Funding for this project will support author and moderator fees, as well as support a sound engineer.
Fire Island National Seashore
Revolution and Legacy: Stories of Labor, Service, and Sacrifice at The William Floyd Estate
Fire Island National Seashore will use America’s National Parks™ grant funds to develop a series of exhibits that explore the multifaceted history of the William Floyd Estate and its inhabitants as part of America’s 250th commemoration. Using museum objects, archival documents, and historic photographs, these exhibits will illuminate key themes, including the role of labor at the estate, the experiences of women within the household, the military service of both the Floyd family and the laborers who lived and worked on the estate, and William Floyd’s contributions to the Revolutionary War and the founding of the nation.
Funding from this grant will support the acquisition of essential exhibit infrastructure, including new display cases, security systems, and dress forms, ensuring the professional presentation and preservation of historic artifacts. Additionally, funds will facilitate consultations with local tribal partners to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and histories into the interpretation of the estate. These enhancements will allow us to provide a more comprehensive narrative, engaging visitors in a deeper understanding of the estate’s significance in American history.
By investing in these resources, this project will strengthen the William Floyd Estate’s role as a site of education and reflection during America’s 250th commemoration, offering a nuanced exploration of the Revolutionary era and its lasting impacts.
Fort Stanwix National Monument
Developing Collaborative Education Programs and Exhibit for America’s 250th at Fort Stanwix NM
The America’s National Parks™ grant funds will be used to create a professional development experience for local teachers, a traveling exhibit about child life/involvement at Fort Stanwix and in the Continental Army, an America 250 ranger-led offsite education program geared towards 4th and 5th-grade students, and an America 250 lesson plan to reach schools too far away from the park to either visit or schedule an offsite program.
As a part of the America 250 commemoration, Fort Stanwix National Monument will continue to highlight the lesser-known stories of the fort and its impact on the broader NY campaigns and the American Revolution as a whole. Through a focus on enlisted men, local area participants, and the women and children who accompanied the Continental Army, the War goes beyond the few who made their way into the history books. As part of this initiative, the park has partnered with local school districts, museums, and educational support programs to bring the history of Fort Stanwix and the American Revolution to life for students in Central NY state. Introducing local teachers to the impact and history that Fort Stanwix had on the creation of America will empower them to further the legacy of those rarely mentioned participants in the fight for independence. Consequently, this provides an opportunity to instill a sense of pride in their students about how a historic site in their area helped to forge a nation.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Outdoor Art Exhibit Representing 250 Years of American History
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park will use America’s National Parks™ grant funds by installing five high-quality reproduction artworks at key locations throughout the park. Each piece will represent a distinct era in America’s 250-year history, including the Cherokee period, European settlement, the American Revolution, the Antebellum era, the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement, and the present day. The installation is scheduled for completion by Spring 2026, aligning with the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
By bringing museum-quality artwork into the park, the project seeks to reach individuals who may not otherwise visit an art institution. Additionally, these installations will deepen visitors’ understanding of history, providing a meaningful sense of place while offering visibility and promotional opportunities for partnering organizations.
The initiative will serve as an educational tool, connecting children to art through field trips and summer programs. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park facilitates programming for roughly 5,000 youths each year, and this project will further enrich their experience, fostering an appreciation for history, culture, and artistic expression.
Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site
“The Great and Common Cause”: Exploring Washington’s Legacy in Cambridge through Community Events
Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site will use America’s National Parks™ grant funds to engage the public and community partners in exploring the history and legacy of George Washington’s first Revolutionary War headquarters through dynamic programming. Spanning the 250th anniversary of Washington’s nine months at Cambridge Headquarters (July 1775–March 1776)—his first in command of the Continental Army—the initiative will launch with a community kickoff event at the park on July 5, 2025, featuring living historians, family activities, speakers, and deep-dive house tours. Throughout the commemoration period, a series of engaging conversations, led by scholars, public historians, community leaders, living history professionals, poets, and musicians, will bring this history to life. Funding will support speaker honoraria, event filming for future online access, and outreach efforts to expand audience engagement.
Minute Man National Historical Park
North Bridge Visitor Center Musket Ball Exhibit Design and Reconfiguration
In July 2024, Minute Man NHP announced the discovery of the “shot heard round the world” through an archeological investigation near the North Bridge in Concord, MA. Currently, the musket balls have only been displayed in public twice at the North Bridge Visitor Center under the watchful eye of the park’s curator because the park does not have an appropriate and secure exhibit case to display these important artifacts. America’s National Parks™ grant funds will be used to create an exhibit space in our current exhibit room, adjacent to the America’s National Parks™ Store, at the North Bridge Visitor Center. The grant includes an exhibit case for the musket balls, new exhibit panels, and reconfiguring the exhibit room to include an original piece from the North Bridge for display.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
Increase Accessibility for all Visitors to Moores Creek National Battlefield for America’s 250th and Beyond
America’s National Parks™ grant funds will be used to create audio descriptions of park exhibits and create a tactile map of Moores Creek National Battlefield. This will ensure that more visitors to the park can enjoy and understand the park story by making it as accessible as possible.
Moores Creek National Battlefield will be the kickoff park for the America’s 250th celebration in 2026. This celebration will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, as well as the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. Moores Creek has many exciting events planned to commemorate this important moment.
One of the park’s main goals for the 250th is to ensure all visitors can enjoy and understand its history by becoming as accessible as possible. To do this, the park has added ADA accessibility ramps, new trail surfaces, accessible picnic areas, and ranger programs. However, there is still more to do, especially regarding the exhibits in the visitor center and along the walking trail. Many of the park’s exhibits are two-dimensional and don’t have audio descriptions, making it hard for some visitors to fully enjoy them. This two-part project will create audio descriptions for visitor center and wayside exhibits and create a tactile map of the battlefield to allow more visitors to experience all parts of the park story.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
America’s 250th: Unraveling the Revolutionary Journey of William Rotch Sr.
America’s National Parks™ grant funds will provide an honorarium for a scholar, an honorarium for an artist, and the necessary funds to mount an exhibition, all related to an upcoming book about William Rotch Sr.
William Rotch Sr., a Quaker from Nantucket, was one of the unluckiest men of the eighteenth century. Accused of disloyalty four times in three countries over two decades (1775 – 1795), he became a cautionary tale for any who dared dissent. A prominent member of the Religious Society of Friends and thus a pacifist, Rotch vehemently opposed the wars for American independence and empire during the late eighteenth century.
And yet William Rotch, a whaler from Nantucket, was also one of the most fortunate men of the eighteenth century. A dominant force in the whale oil trade, he amassed extraordinary profits by exploiting the very political fragmentation he so adamantly protested. Whaling was an exceptional industry in that the factory was a floating one. Ships could be at sea for years at a time, staffed with a motley crew, frequenting ports the world over. Rotch shrewdly used these factors to his advantage. Beginning with the Boston Tea Party (his family owned two out of the three ships involved), the Rotches stretched the bounds of acceptable business practice by claiming residency – simultaneously – in two, then three separate countries. On paper, if not in the court of public opinion, William Rotch Sr. was an innocent and extraordinarily wealthy man.
Professor Sarah Crabtree of San Francisco State University is near completion of the book and together with artist Melissa Philley, Dr. Crabtree is producing the first full-length scholarly treatment of Rotch’s transatlantic (mis)fortunes in the form of a graphic history. Both have chosen to work with New Bedford’s Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park to present a series of programs and an exhibition of artworks related to the book. This project will expand the public’s knowledge and curiosity about the semi-quincentennial of the United States, through a series of programs and a public exhibition related to the graphic novel.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
The American Revolution at Sea: Privateering and the Maritime Economy
America’s National Parks™ grant funds would expand the interpretive story of the park’s rich privateering history by developing four separate exhibits across the park to reach prospective visitors across a full range of locations including the park’s Visitor Center, during Park Ranger guided Derby House tours, visitors to the America’s National Parks™ shared Waite and Pierce store, and outdoor displays on the waterfront.
A new exhibit will be developed at the Salem Armory Visitor Center dedicated to Essex County’s history of privateering during the American Revolution. This exhibit will mix interpretive panels and museum cases displaying artifacts to tell the history and significance of privateering during the American Revolution across the wider Essex County story.
An outdoor exhibit will be created on the Salem Maritime waterfront next to Derby Wharf that includes 4’x 8’ interpretive text panels introducing the history and importance of privateering and Salem’s critical role, with a dynamic map of historic privateering voyages.
An indoor interpretive panel exhibit will be added in the Central Wharf Warehouse as part of the exhibit space in the America’s National Parks™ Waite and Peirce bookstore that introduces the local historic characters from all walks of life who were involved in support of privateering or profited off its economic opportunities.
Grant funds will also be used to create an exhibit case of archeological Counting House artifacts from the Salem Maritime Museum collection in the Derby House to highlight Elias Hasket Derby’s role in privateering and display some contemporary artifacts from his privateering career.
This project will help inform visitors to Salem Maritime National Historic Site about the lesser known, but significant history of how privateering operated as naval and economic warfare against Britain during the American Revolution and provided opportunities for advancement for all levels of society. During the American Revolution, Salem was the most successful privateering port in the nation, with nearly 200 privateers leaving Derby Wharf and the other wharves in the town to capture about 500 British vessels.
Springfield Armory National Historic Site
Revolutionary Springfield: At the Crossroads of History
America’s National Parks™ grant funds will be used to stage three special events designed to recenter and reinterpret the role that the area of Springfield Armory National Historic Site played in the American Revolution. Investing in these events will bring this site’s exceptional history to a broader audience. Those events include:
- “Preparing the Noble Train”: September 13-14, 2025. This two-day event held on the armory grounds will feature hands-on activities including demonstrations of woodworking, blacksmithing, tacking and shoeing horses, and more to show how Henry Knox and his troops prepared for their 300-mile journey to haul cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights. This event will be in partnership with Minute Man National Historical Park and the Eric Sloane Museum to provide world-class Revolutionary War interpretation and period trade demonstrations to the public. The city, community groups, trade schools, and the Massachusetts Freemasons will collaborate to host the daylong event for families to experience life in Springfield in 1775 and the critical skills needed at that time. The weekend following, Springfield Armory NHS and its partners will take our sledge-making demonstrations to the Storrowton living history village at the Eastern States Exposition during the Big E, the “State Fair for All of New England.” This annual fair regularly attracts over 100,000 daily visitors from around the United States.
- “The Continental Arsenal at Springfield”: Opening September 13-14, 2025. This new exhibit at the Springfield Armory Museum will shed light on the critical support that Springfield provided to the Revolutionary War effort, including making musket and cannon cartridges, building wagons and carriages, and forging artillery tools like rammers, sponges, and linstocks. It will feature several historical artifacts known to have been on inventory at the Continental Arsenal, including a unique cannon that was smuggled from France to New Hampshire in 1777, and then hauled overland to Springfield for use by the Continental Army. Additionally, the Armory will commission tactile historical replicas, including barrels of supplies and replica cannon cartridges that visitors can handle.
- “Reenactment of Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery”: January 17-18, 2026. A city-wide winter celebration to welcome a reenactment in real time of the arrival of Col. Henry Knox and the Noble Train of Artillery, as part of an eight-city tour in New York and Massachusetts. The weekend will feature a procession by the Knox Artillery Regiment with draft horses and oxen pulling sledges up armory hill and around the grounds of the park. Area museums, businesses, schools and community groups, and the American Hockey League Springfield Thunderbirds will play a part in the weekend of activities. While the park is still welcoming plans and proposals to enhance this event, they are cultivating partner-led ideas such as a musical theatre performance, special, commemorative beers from craft brewers, traditional Winterfest events like ice-carving, and even a fireworks display.
