History, Natural History & the Arts
The National Park Service announced last week that our national parks will no longer provide free admission on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.
The park service removed the two official federal holidays that honor Black American history from its 2026 list of free entrance days — and added Donald Trump’s birthday. [Read more…] about National Park Service Cancels Free Admission on MLK Day, Juneteenth, Adds Trump’s Birthday
The lifelong home of America’s 32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) in Hyde Park, Dutchess County, NY, was purchased by Roosevelt’s father James Roosevelt I in 1867 and named “Springwood.” [Read more…] about Heritage Spotlight: Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Dutchess County
Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established clear rights for every human around the globe. As chairperson of the UN Committee for Human Rights, Eleanor Roosevelt spearheaded the drafting of the declaration and shepherded it through a divided UN to adoption. The tenets of the Universal Declaration remain strongly relevant today. [Read more…] about Human Rights Day Expo to Take Place at Roosevelt Sites
“Last week I acquired from my husband’s estate about two-thirds of the land which he owned here in Hyde Park. My son Elliott and I have gone into partnership and we are going to farm the land on a commercial basis,” Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her “My Day” column on August 19, 1947.
This would be the beginning of a joint venture with her third child Elliott to turn a profit from the estate lands of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. [Read more…] about Elliott Roosevelt’s Christmas Tree Sales At Val-Kill
Spring is finally here and the National Park Service is offering an opportunity to photograph it at the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (Val-Kill), approximately two miles east of Springwood, the Hyde Park Roosevelt family home.
On May 18th from 8:00 am until 10:00 am, Park Ranger Andrew Swan will share information about the many signs of spring on a stroll through the grounds of Val-Kill. Visitors who enjoy photography are encouraged to bring cameras and capture images of the natural beauty of the season. The program is part of the continuing Community Photography Workshops offered by the park service. [Read more…] about Signs Of Spring Photography Stroll at Val-Kill
The National Park Service has released a draft Trails Master Plan and Environmental Assessment for public review and comment. The plan is being undertaken to guide development and use of the trail system at the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites in Hyde Park, NY. There will be a public meeting on Thursday evening, June 28, 2012 at the Henry Wallace Visitor and Education Center at the FDR Library from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The project will include the trails at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (Val-Kill), and the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. It will lay the groundwork for a comprehensive, well-designed, sustainable trail system which provides a variety of visitor experiences that support the parks’ missions.
The 30-day public comment period is June 15 through July 15, 2012. For more information and to obtain a copy of the plan, visit the NPS Planning, Environment & Public Comment website.
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