National Park & Recreation Month, celebrated every July, is a time to appreciate the great outdoors and recognize the unifying role that parks play in our communities. Established in 1985, this month is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the many park and recreation professionals and volunteers who maintain the country’s local, state, and community parks—many of which also have museums and historical sites to celebrate. Museums across the country can join in this celebration by offering a range of programs and activities that highlight the beauty and importance of our national parks. Below are a few of the ways museums are recognizing National Park & Recreation Month this year and beyond.
Inspiration for how you or your museum might get involved:
Get inspiration from other museums recognizing National Park & Recreation Month:
- The California State Railroad Museum hosts day trips for senior citizen communities to celebrate the month.
- The Maidu Museum & Historic Site hosts senior citizen communities to roast marshmallows and make s’mores at their site.
- The Huntsville Museum of Art invites people to create their own chalk art masterpieces for the local Community Chalk Art Festival held in front of the museum.
- The Smithsonian Institution celebrated 100 years of National Parks with a new photography exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History. The exhibition highlights the Smithsonian’s role in creating many national parks and includes a documentary on how Smithsonian scientists are deepening the knowledge of America’s heritage in today’s national parks.
Explore resources:
Proclamation tips and a Park and Recreation Month Toolkit from the National Recreation and Park Association
Recreate Responsibly tipsheet from the National Park Service
Free to Use and Reuse: Gardens from the Library of Congress
5 World-Class Museums at National Parks from AARP
History of the National Park Service Museum Collections from the National Park Service
Search for National Park Service parks with online museum collections
Explore Museum Management Program digital exhibits from the National Park Service via Google Arts & Culture
Sharing with the field
Did your museum celebrated or recognized National Park & Recreation Month? Consider pitching an idea about your museum’s work with your community, how your museum worked internally on the initiative or program, or another relevant angle for museum professionals. We are always looking for posts that empower museum professionals to do their best work; reveal new ideas and connections; and speak to a wide breadth of museum types, sizes, and disciplines.
About National Park & Recreation Month:
July is Park and Recreation Month – National Recreation and Park Association
On the historical significance of National Park & Recreation Month:
“Celebrating 30 Years of Park and Recreation Month“ from the National Recreation and Park Association