Photography courtesy of the National Park Service
The National Park Service has been mowing, bronzing, and interpreting our nation’s heritage for 100 years. For this year’s National Park Week, April 16–24, families are invited to the Old Courthouse (part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) for free hands-on games and activities.
On April 16, National Junior Ranger Day, kids can dress up like a park ranger and take a selfie next to Park Ranger Gerald Ford’s likeness. They can also earn special patches and badges by attending a night-sky workshop with a Sky Ranger or by doing crafts focused on American pioneers, Plains Indians, colonial St. Louis, or Lewis and Clark.
At 2 p.m. on April 23 and 24, Henry Chouteau will endure a mock trial, and visitors can be his judge, defense attorney, or prosecutor as they reenact Henry Chouteau v. City of St. Louis trial, a key case that challenged the ownership of the Old Courthouse.
From noon until 4 p.m. both days, National Park Service rangers will recount their experiences and sign The Wonder of It All: 100 Stories from the National Park Service.
Don’t miss the National Park Service’s birthday cake at noon on April 24.
And don’t forget to check out the year-long Every Kid in a Park initiative.
Your fourth-grader can get your family a free pass to the nation’s parks, lands, and waters, and it lasts until August 31.
Meanwhile, for the St. Louis celebration of National Park Week, here are detour updates and parking scoop.
For more information, visit the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial site or its Facebook page or call 877-982-1410.
