ATLANTA — Last week, the National Park Service announced the free admissions calendar to parks would no longer include Martin Luther King Day or Juneteenth.
Instead, the federal agency said Flag Day was being added. As previously reported, that is also President Donald Trump’s birthday, June 14.
“President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a news release. “These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.”
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On Monday, members of the King family called the move disappointing and troubling.
In a statement shared with Channel 2’s Karyn Greer, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King said:
“Martin Luther King Jr. Day has long been a national moment of reflection and service, established by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support to honor a legacy that still moves our country toward justice and unity. Our national parks have always offered Americans a sacred place to commemorate that legacy as a community. The decision to remove free entry on this day, as well as on Juneteenth, is beyond disappointing and contradicts the very inclusion these holidays represent. At a time when we should be opening more doors for Americans to come together, it’s troubling to see some closed.”
As Channel 2 Action News previously reported, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant said the move was a “slap in the face,” not only to African Americans, but to all Americans.
“The narcissism unleashed to take it away from Dr. King and laud it upon himself, says that America is going backwards,” Bryant said in an interview with ABC News on Sunday.
Here are the days for free admission on the revised calendar:
- President’s Day (February 16, 2026)
- Memorial Day (May 25, 2026)
- Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday (June 14, 2026)
- Independence Day weekend (July 3–5, 2026)
- 110th Birthday of the National Park Service (August 25, 2026)
- Constitution Day (Sept. 17, 2026)
- Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27, 2026)
- Veteran’s Day (November 11, 2026)
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