If you've been thinking about exploring California's historic state parks this summer, now may be the perfect opportunity.
Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom have announced a free special edition of the California State Parks Historian Passport, giving visitors unlimited admission to more than 30 participating state historic parks.
The announcement comes in celebration of Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating June 19, 1865. Union troops arrived in Texas and informed enslaved people they were free more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday recognizes the end of slavery in the United States and honors the contributions of African Americans throughout the nation's history.
“Building on our Outdoors for All initiative, we’re creating even more opportunities for Californians to explore the natural beauty and rich history that define our state,” Siebel Newsom said. “As we celebrate Juneteenth and our nation’s 250th anniversary, the free special edition Historian Passport provides an incredible avenue for California families to immerse themselves in nature while gaining a deeper understanding of the remarkable place we’re proud to call home.”
The passport, which typically costs $50, can be claimed through July 6 and will remain valid until the end of the year.
Among the participating locations is Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, a California town in Tulare County dating back to 1908 which was founded, financed and governed by African Americans pioneers.
The passport also grants access to other historic parks including Sutter’s Fort Historic Park in Sacramento, museums and cultural sites that tell the stories of Native Americans, immigrants, Gold Rush-era settlers, civil rights leaders and other communities that helped shape California.
The free passport program is funded through donations from the California State Parks Foundation and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation.
California State Parks Capital District Director John Fraser said it gives residents a chance to visit places that often receive less attention than the state's better-known outdoor destinations while supporting the department's Reexamining Our Past initiative.
“Utilizing this passport promotion is going to be a way to not only experience these amazing sites, but get a taste of how California State Parks is trying to be a more accurate and inclusive and complex interpreter of the state's rich history.”
The announcement also comes amid a broader national debate over how American history is presented at public institutions and historic sites.
Last year, the Trump administration ended free admission days at national parks for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, replacing them with what officials described as "patriotic fee-free days," including Flag Day and Trump’s birthday on June 14.
Administration officials said the changes were an example of Trump's “commitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people."
In his statement, Newsom criticized the removal of dozens of historical signs and exhibits from some national parks. Reasons given by the administration for the removals were because the items “disparage Americans.” Last week, a federal judge ordered them to be restored.
Newsom also drew a "stark contrast" between California's approach to its historic parks system compared to the administration's handling of the country's national parks calling it an attempted "whitewashing" of American history.
“California doesn’t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history — in fact, we embrace it and learn from it,” Newsom said. “While Trump ignores and tries to rewrite the past, California is marking these celebrations of freedom by inviting everyone to learn our country’s history — our real history — for free in our state parks.”
Fraser said he’s proud of the state’s approach as well saying the public loses something when its park systems — state, national, or otherwise — “walks away from its charge.”
“Which is to try to tell the truth as best as we can about these sites, even if that leads to uncomfortable conversations about the country's history,” Fraser said. “I think the public deserves and expects something far better from its park systems.”
Residents interested in taking advantage of the offer must download the free Historian Passport by July 6 through the California State Parks website. Once claimed, the passport can be used through the end of the year at participating historic parks across the state
You can find the full list of California historic parks here.
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