(FOX40.COM) \u2014 In honor of Juneteenth and America’s 250th birthday, through July 6, Californians can download a historian passport for free.<\/p>\n
Each pass allows up to four people unlimited access to more than 30 state parks across California at no cost.<\/p>\n
FOX40 went to Sutter’s Fort Thursday afternoon to see one of the sites included. Our team spoke with John Fraser, District Superintendent for California State Parks Capital District.<\/p>\n
“That’s where Sutter’s office was and I think kids can visualize that a bit more in their own minds,” Fraser said while showing FOX40 around the site.<\/p>\n
FOX40 also met Maximus and Natalia.<\/p>\n
“It feels like the wild west,” Maximus said.<\/p>\n
The mother and son visited the site on a whim Thursday.<\/p>\n
“You feel there is some story here,” Natalia said. “[You are] just wondering, walking around and learning what it’s all about.”<\/p>\n
Officials shared how the goal of the passport program is to unlock a glimpse into California’s history, one park at a time.<\/p>\n
“This might be an opportunity to rekindle your curiosity with history,” Fraser said.<\/p>\n
These passes usually come with a $50 pricetag.<\/p>\n
“Oftentimes our fees are barriers for people,” Fraser explained. “That’s why we do a lot of programming like the historian passport program.”<\/p>\n
While these opportunities may represent a blast to the past, it is not a race against time. The passes last through the end of the calendar year.<\/p>\n
From California’s State Indian Museum to the Folsom Powerhouse and beyond, Fraser said visiting these sites can open up your mind \u2014 showing California’s role on the global scale and highlighting how storytelling has evolved.<\/p>\n
“We call it reexamining our past,” Fraser said. “Sutter’s Fort is a good example of that, where we emphasize the impact on the native American population, how that changed their whole culture, to this day.”<\/p>\n
Natalia is originally from Ukraine, so she said these experiences help unlock new pieces of knowledge about her new home and its stories.<\/p>\n
“We all grew up from different countries,” Natalia said. “We need to learn what is this land or history we come from. I think it’s very important.”<\/p>\n
Fraser said more than 80,000 passes have already been downloaded. The free downloads end July 6. For more information, you can visit the state park’s page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n