WASHINGTON — The National Park Service and the staff of the 15 national parks in the Greater Washington area have created presidentially-themed programs and events for visitors of all ages before, during and after the Inaugural week and beyond.

From discovering the role George Washington played in establishing the District of Columbia to the pivotal role Red Cross founder Clara Barton played with several presidents, including Barton’s original invitation to President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ball, visitors –both adults and children — are encouraged to avail themselves of ranger- led programs in the National Parks in the Greater Washington area.

“Parks are where history happens and where history is made. Come join us and make your own history,” said Peggy O’Dell, regional director for the National Park Service’s National Capital Region. “The parks in the Greater Washington area are rich with presidential and inaugural-related historical events, and are replete with fascinating stories of presidential history. We look forward to helping bring those stories to life for our visitors.”

Other examples of presidential- themed and inaugural- themed programs and events follow:

• Take a journey through the history of presidential inaugurations at President’s Park’s White House Visitor Center at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., with its special exhibit on display now through Jan. 24. Learn where George Washington took theoath of office (it wasn’t the U.S. Capitol), which president gave the longest Inaugural speech and which president held office for only one month. Visit www.nps.gov/whho or call (202) 208- 1631.
  
• Hear the stories of the four presidents memorialized in stone on the National Mall & Memorial Parks and learn more about what made these presidents stand out amongst their peers. Meet rangers at any of the memorials or the Washington Monument. Visit www.nps.gov/nama or call (202) 426- 6841.
• Explore and learn about the legacy of Frederick Douglass and follow the African American journey from slavery to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W Street, S.E., by taking a tour of Douglass’ home and visiting the new exhibit on African Americans in government. Visit www.nps.gov/nace or call (202) 426- 5961.
  
• Find out why President George Washington refused to name Williamsport, Md., as the Federal Capital in 1790 after learning of the inability of large ships to navigate the Potomac River. Participate in this special ranger- led presentation at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park’s Williamsport, Maryland Visitor Center at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from Jan. 17 through Jan. 31. A companion exhibit, developed in partnership with the Williamsport Town Museum, will be on display from Jan.16 through March 2009. Visit www.nps.gov/choh or call (301) 582- 0813.
• Delve into how past chief executives become a part of America’s struggle for freedom at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park during ranger- led talks offered daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. “Executive Influence and Presidential Fingerprints on Harpers Ferry History,” will give the visitor an overview of the wide variety of presidential visits, including those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln’s two visits, and presidential decisions that affected life in Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is located off of U.S. Route 340 in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Visit www.nps.gov/hafe or call (304) 535- 6298.
  
• Learn why then-future President Ulysses S. Grant visited Monocacy Battlefield one month before the decisive battle there that saved Washington, D.C., from the Confederate invasion. This exhibit is at the Monocacy National Battlefield’s Visitor Center, located on Maryland Route 355, approximately three miles south of Frederick, Md. Visit www.nps.gov/mono or call (301) 662- 3515. 
  
• Follow Nancy Reagan’s footsteps at Prince William Forest Park when she visited in the early 1980s and discover why President Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose this park as one of his first Recreational Demonstration Areas, where the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration programs were developed that created outdoor recreation areas for urban populations during the Great Depression. Prince William Forest Park is located 35 miles south of Washington, D.C., off I- 95 in Triangle, Va. Visit www.nps.gov/prwi or call (703) 221- 7181.
  

For more information about these and other National Park presidential- themed and Inaugural-themed programs and event offerings in the Greater Washington area, please visit www.nps.gov/inau.

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