National Park Service to Offer Free Admission on Trump’s Birthday in 2026, Removes MLK Day and Juneteenth Free Entry
The National Park Service (NPS) will offer free admission to U.S. residents on Donald Trump’s birthday, June 14, 2026, which also coincides with Flag Day. This new free admission day is part of the NPS's revised schedule starting January 1, 2026.
At the same time, free admission on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth will be removed for the 2026 calendar year. Other designated free days for 2026 will include Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (October 27), and the anniversary of the National Park Service (August 25). The policy change also comes alongside higher admission fees for international visitors.
These changes have prompted criticism from civil rights leaders and some Democratic lawmakers, who argue that removing free access on MLK Day and Juneteenth downplays Black history and erases important civil rights milestones. Cornell William Brooks, former NAACP president and Harvard Kennedy School fellow, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto were among those who voiced concern over the implications of the shift. Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association also commented on the potential impact of eliminating the MLK Day free admission.
The National Park Service did not immediately provide responses regarding the reasons for these changes. Observers have noted that this move fits into a broader pattern under the Trump administration of downplaying civil rights history while emphasizing the promotion of the former president’s image.
