National parks will be free to visit on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. What to know

To honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, all national parks will be free to visit Monday.

The National Park Service will waive all entrance fees on MLK Jr. Day — Monday, Jan. 18. It is the first free entrance day of 2021.

“Multiple national parks have direct connections to Dr. King and share the stories of the people, places and events that shaped the life and legacy of the Civil Rights icon,” Margaret Everson, counselor to the secretary, said in a news release.

Many national parks usually charge an entrance fee between $3 to $35. There are six free days in 2021, McClatchy News reported.

“Each of the fee-free days celebrates or commemorates a significant event, including the establishment earlier this year by President Trump of the Great American Outdoors Act,” Margaret Everson, counselor to the secretary, said in a news release. “The legislation marks the single largest investment ever in national parks and will result in enhanced facilities and expanded recreational prospects for all visitors.”

Several National Park Service sites will also hold events honoring King and the Civil Rights Movement. Those include The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, Lincoln Memorial, Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

“Traditionally, this holiday is a day of service, a ‘day on, not off’, that attracts thousands of volunteers to community work projects,” the park service said. “This year, some parks will host work projects that have made adjustments based on health and safety guidelines.”

This story was originally published January 14, 2021 at 7:55 PM.