NORFOLK, Va. — For those looking to get outside, the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) is kicking off National Park Week by waiving entrance fees this Saturday.
National Park Week takes place every April as a time for exploring amazing places across the country and discovering America's history and culture.
The first day of National Park Week is one of five fee-free days NPS is offering this year. The next ones are Aug. 4 for the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act, Sept. 24 for National Public Lands Day and Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.
There are several places within the national park system close to Hampton Roads. Here are some places that you can visit without paying fees on Saturday:
Colonial National Historical Park
Located on the Peninsula, the Colonial National Historical Park is comprised of Historic Jamestowne, the Yorktown Battlefield and the Colonial Parkway.
This park gives people a glimpse into how America began, from the founding of Jamestown in 1607 to the end of the Revolutionary War at Yorktown in 1781.
The Colonial Parkway is a 23-mile roadway that connects the Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, and showcases the natural beauty of the area.
Wright Brothers National Memorial
Located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, this is where Wilbur and Orville Wright made history with the first successful aircraft flight in 1903.
Here, you can see markers of where the flights landed, a towering monument dedicated to the Wright Brothers and reconstructed camp buildings where the Wright Brothers lived while working on their experiments.
Other parks in the area
There are several national parks near Hampton Roads that are always free to enter:
- Fort Monroe National Monument (Hampton): The location of the first arrival of enslaved Africans in English North America.
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Outer Banks): A portion of unspoiled barrier islands along North Carolina’s stretch of the Atlantic Coast.
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Manteo, North Carolina): The location of known portions of England's first New World settlements from 1584 to 1590.