National Parks…in New York City?

On September 27, acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns’ much anticipated new documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, will premiere on PBS. What better time to let New Yorkers know about the national parks right here at home.

That’s right. There are national parks in New York City. Most people, especially New Yorkers, are surprised to learn that there are 10 of them with more than 23 separate destinations, covering nearly 27,000 acres of the city (www.nps.gov/npnh).

From national monuments, memorials, historic sites and a recreation area, the National Parks of New York Harbor welcomes more than 12 million visitors per year. There are more than 200 national park rangers in the canyons of New York, the same ones that can be found in the Grand Canyon. We even have the only wildlife refuge managed by the National Park Service in the nation, Jamaica Bay.

Each of the parks tells its own story, but the stories are closely connected and when woven together they form a more vivid image, an image that defines the origins of a great city, one that tell us why the America we know today began right here in New York Harbor.

African Burial Ground National Monument will celebrate Family Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 26. The park has planned a day filled with family friendly activities -- arts and crafts workshops, dance performances and ranger led art tours. Additional events during the week include:

"Uncover the Story of the Burial Ground through Archeology" on Sept. 21 and Sept. 25, from
10 to 11:30 a.m. Replica artifacts will be used to demonstrate how archeologists and anthropologists reconstructed the history of the African Burial Ground. Reservations are required.
"Children’s Story Time" will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 22-24. Young children explore the history of the African Burial Ground during a group reading and tour. Reservations are required.
On Sept. 24, join several artists at 7 p.m. for "Honoring the Ancestors: Artists Reflections." This event is a viewing and discussion of art and architecture created to commemorate the African Burial Ground. Reservations are required.
Teens and adults are invited to join the walking tour "A Broader View: Exploring the Early African Presence in New York" to get a fuller perspective on the role of free and enslaved Africans in the development of New York City. "A Broader View" will be offered at 2 p.m.
Sept. 20-27 and at 7 p.m. on Sept. 22. Reservations are required for the walking tour.
The events will take place at the African Burial Ground National Monument, located on the first floor of the Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway. Upon entering the building, members of the public must go through airport-like security.



Castle Clinton National Monument will offer a "History of the Castle" tour each day at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. This free 20-minute ranger guided tour illustrates the colorful history of Castle Clinton and how it served as a fort, entertainment center, immigration depot and aquarium.



Federal Hall National Memorial will commemorate September 1776 on Sept. 24 with a full day of costume interpretation, complete with period music and a lecture by historian Barnett Schecter, author of “The Battle for New York." Federal Hall will also host the special exhibition "Obata's Yosemite" from Sept. 8 through Sept. 25. Chiura Obata was one of the earliest Japanese artists to live and work in the U.S. In 1927, he visited Yosemite National Park. This exhibition of 27 prints and watercolors and a series of 20 progressive proofs offers insight into the work he did while visiting Yosemite.


Gateway National Recreation Area is holding an array of events at its three units: Jamaica Bay, Staten Island and Sandy Hook, N.J. Here are a select few.

Jamaica Bay

Enjoy a 3-hour "Jamaica Bay Sunset Cruise" boat tour of Jamaica Bay with the American Littoral Society on Sept. 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. Learn about the history, ecology, and wildlife of the bay, and see many migrating species. The $45 ticket includes a narrated tour and onboard snacks. Reservations are required.
Staten Island

Take a "Lantern Tour of Fort Wadsworth" Sept. 23 or Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy one of Gateway's most popular tour as you explore the historic sites of the fort on this ranger-led lantern tour. Reservations required.
Sandy Hook

Visit a Nike Missile radar site restored to the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis on Cold War Day, Sept. 20 from noon to 4 p.m. beginning in the Sandy Hook Visitor Center, Parking Lot L at Horseshoe Cove. Veterans of Fort Hancock are welcome to join us and share their stories.


General Grant National Memorial will honor the president who signed the legislation creating Yellowstone National Park with a special program called Grant's Tomb After Dark. This candlelight tour at 8 p.m. on Sept. 22 of the memorial offers a new way to experience this important site.


Governors Island National Monument explores its links to other National Parks on Sept. 20 at
1:30 p.m. with the NPS Ranger-led talk "The National Park Connection." The presentation delves into the stories of several of the officers, soldiers and civilians who were part of the history of Governors Island who also have significant ties to sites such as Yellowstone and Gettysburg.



Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site invites visitors to join the staff for a walking tour of this National Historic Site, encompassing an orientation program, museum exhibitions, the 18th-century stone and brick church that served as a Revolutionary War hospital, and one of the nation’s oldest cemeteries. The free guided tour is offered Sept. 21-25 at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.



Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island has planned two special events: An Evening at Liberty Island on Sept. 24 and An Evening at Ellis Island on Sept. 25. Each evening will include a ferry ride, an NPS-Ranger led tour of the island and light refreshments. Details regarding time and ticketing will be announced in the coming days.



Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site will offer "TR, the Making of a Legend" tour of the historic site Sept. 22-26 at 10 and 11 a.m., noon and 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.m. Visit the birthplace and boyhood home of Teddy Roosevelt and see what it was like to grow up in the "gilded age."