THE GOVERNMENT NEWS DESKPERMANENT NPS STORY ARCHIVE
Organized by publication date and destination. Each story retains its permanent State & Nation address and official NPS source.
You don’t have to travel far to find spectacular fall color. National parks across the Washington, D.C., region offer countless ways to experience autumn, from mountain trails and Potomac River views to historic battlefields, urban forests and the National Mall.
Official NPS source
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will mark the 167th anniversary of John Brown’s 1859 raid on the U.S. Armory with three public programs in October exploring the people, events and consequences of the raid.
Official NPS source
As the nation continues to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the National Park Service sites across the National Capital Area are inviting visitors to explore the region’s rich military history and the people and events that shaped the country. Throughout September, living history programs, artillery demonstrations, ranger-guided hikes and other events will connect visitors with stories spanning from 1775 through World War II.
Official NPS source
Step into the history as Harpers Ferry National Historical Park commemorates the 164th anniversary of the Battle of Harpers Ferry with four days of special programs from September 12–15, 2026. Programs explore the people and events surrounding the battle, which resulted in the largest surrender of U.S. troops until World War II, as well as the battle’s broader implications.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service is excited to welcome visitors to celebrate National Park Week from Saturday, August 22 through Sunday, August 30, as dozens of sites across the region mark the 2026 theme, “Celebrate America’s Story,” highlighting the 250th anniversary of American independence and recognizing our shared American heritage of national parks.
Official NPS source
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival invite the public to a dynamic, free outdoor concert on Friday, August 7, at 7:00 p.m., celebrating two iconic forces in American music. Blending the swing innovations of Don Redman with the timeless brilliance of George Gershwin, festival musicians and the Howard Burns Quartet will bring an energetic fusion of jazz and classical traditions to the historic Storer College lawn as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary festivities.
Official NPS source
On Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the park will host “Harpers Ferry’s Impact on the Civil War,” a special day that connects visitors to the people and events that shaped the outcome of the Civil War and the nation’s long journey toward freedom.
Official NPS source
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP) invites you to join “John Brown and Frederick Douglass: A Legacy of Freedom” on Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Discover the powerful connection between Harpers Ferry and two influential abolitionists who shared a commitment to ending slavery, but pursued different paths in their fight for freedom in the United States.
Official NPS source
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park invites visitors to join our 250th anniversary program, Defend and Protect: Arming the American Soldier on Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This special event explores the weapons and technology produced at the Harpers Ferry Armory from the 1790s to 1861 and how these innovations shaped the nation and the world.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking ideas for potential uses of historic Cook Hall. The NPS invites individuals, educational institutions, government agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations to share their ideas by responding to a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI).
Official NPS sourceIn 2026, the park, the Harpers Ferry Park Association, and partners will host a series of public programs and events that bring these stories to life and connect them to the choices and responsibilities that shape our shared future. We invite you to join us for one event or many and experience how this small town helped shape the course of American history, then and now.
Official NPS sourceThe National Park Service will begin construction on a new stairway connecting the Goodloe Byron Memorial Footbridge (Byron Bridge) to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park towpath at mile 60.6.
Official NPS source
Join Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP) on Friday, Aug. 8, to celebrate the legacy of jazz legend and Storer College alumnus Don Redman. The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival string musicians will collaborate with the Howard Burns Quartet to perform original arrangements of some of Redman’s most celebrated jazz works. The event begins at 7 p.m. on the lawn by the Mather Training Center.
Official NPS sourceVenison donations from national parks of the National Capital Region in 2025.
Official NPS sourceHarpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP) will move forward with plans to demolish five structures in a severe state of disrepair beginning January 21. The Henkle Farm House buildings pose a serious safety hazard to visitors and staff.
Official NPS source
Get into the holiday spirit at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park! Dec. 6 through Dec. 8 the park will host a series of family-friendly, immersive activities and demonstrations in historic Lower Town. All activities are set against the backdrop of Harpers Ferry in 1864, when the U.S. Army had transformed the town into a major supply and logistics center during the Civil War.
Official NPS sourceThe National Park Service is hosting special events commemorating abolitionist John Brown’s attempt to seize weapons from the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry in an effort to spark an anti-slavery uprising.
Official NPS sourceA new National Park Service report shows that 427,317 visitors to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP) in 2023 spent $23.8 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 319 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $37.7 million.
Official NPS source
Join Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP) on Sunday, Aug. 11 as we commemorate the legacy of the Niagara Movement and the lasting impact on civil rights, music and society. This event starts at 11 a.m. and will feature several educational programs and the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival’s “Voices of the Niagara Movement” concert at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, though park entry fees or a valid park pass apply.
Official NPS source
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the history of Harpers Ferry through an ongoing series of presentations from Harpers Ferry National Historical Park’s (NHP) cultural resource specialist and archaeologist, Darlene Hassler. This series focuses on archaeology at the park throughout multiple time periods and comes directly from the scientist’s experiences. Presentations will begin at 2 p.m. in historic Lower Town, Harpers Ferry NHP. Please inquire at the Visitor Center for the exact location.
Official NPS sourceEight national parks in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia have concluded this year’s annual operations to reduce overabundant white-tailed deer. These parks donated more than 13,000 pounds of venison to local nonprofit organizations that will serve approximately 55,000 meals to families in need.
Official NPS sourceDuring recent white-tailed deer reduction operations and subsequent disease sampling at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, two deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Both animals were from the Jefferson County, West Virginia portion of the park. This is the first CWD-positive detection at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
Official NPS source
Tanya Gossett has been selected to serve as the new superintendent for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. She currently serves as the associate regional director for Resource Stewardship and Science for the National Park Service (NPS) National Capital Region. Gossett begins her new role May 19.
Official NPS source
Portions of climbing areas on Maryland Heights will close from February 15-July 31 to protect peregrine falcon nesting sites. UPDATE: this year's peregrine chick has developed soon enough to safely remove the closure early. All Maryland Heights closed areas are open as of 6/27/24.
Official NPS sourceMost forests in eastern United States national parks are at risk due to browsing by overabundant white-tailed deer and crowding by invasive plants, according to a National Park Service (NPS) study published in the journal Ecological Applications.
Official NPS sourceA new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 6,675,119 visitors to national parks in Maryland spent $246.6 million in the state in 2021. That spending resulted in 2,940 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $344.3 million.
Official NPS sourceA new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 2,187,125 visitors to national parks in West Virginia spent $108.9 million in the state in 2021. That spending resulted in 1,447 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $131 million.
Official NPS source