If you’ve been thinking about exploring California’s historic state parks this summer, now may be the perfect opportunity.<\/p>\n
Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom have announced a free special edition of the California State Parks Historian Passport, giving visitors unlimited admission to more than 30 participating state historic parks.<\/p>\n
The announcement comes in celebration of Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating June 19, 1865. Union troops arrived in Texas and informed enslaved people they were free more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday recognizes the end of slavery in the United States and honors the contributions of African Americans throughout the nation’s history.<\/p>\n
\u201cBuilding on our Outdoors for All initiative, we\u2019re creating even more opportunities for Californians to explore the natural beauty and rich history that define our state,\u201d Siebel Newsom said. \u201cAs we celebrate Juneteenth and our nation\u2019s 250th anniversary, the free special edition Historian Passport provides an incredible avenue for California families to immerse themselves in nature while gaining a deeper understanding of the remarkable place we\u2019re proud to call home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The passport, which typically costs $50, can be claimed through July 6 and will remain valid until the end of the year.<\/p>\n
Among the participating locations is Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, a California town in Tulare County dating back to 1908 which was founded, financed and governed by African Americans pioneers.<\/p>\n
The passport also grants access to other historic parks including Sutter\u2019s Fort Historic Park in Sacramento, museums and cultural sites that tell the stories of Native Americans, immigrants, Gold Rush-era settlers, civil rights leaders and other communities that helped shape California.<\/p>\n
The free passport program is funded through donations from the California State Parks Foundation and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation.<\/p>\n
California State Parks Capital District Director John Fraser said it gives residents a chance to visit places that often receive less attention than the state’s better-known outdoor destinations while supporting the department’s Reexamining Our Past initiative.<\/p>\n
\u201cUtilizing this passport promotion is going to be a way to not only experience these amazing sites, but get a taste of how California State Parks is trying to be a more accurate and inclusive and complex interpreter of the state’s rich history.\u201d<\/p>\n
The announcement also comes amid a broader national debate over how American history is presented at public institutions and historic sites.<\/p>\n
Last year, the Trump administration ended free admission days<\/a> at national parks for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, replacing them with what officials described as “patriotic fee-free days,” including Flag Day and Trump\u2019s birthday on June 14.<\/p>\n Administration officials said the changes were an example of Trump’s \u201ccommitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people.”<\/p>\n