The nation's historic and cultural resources are the physical and spiritual reminders of the decisive times, people, and places in American history and culture. The National Park Service mission is to help preserve these places—both within the parks and in communities across the nation—as tangible, living contacts with previous and future generations.

The Cultural Resources Stewardship, Partnerships, and Science Directorate provides leadership for the protection and interpretation of the nation's heritage, guides a national historic preservation program that embraces national parks and heritage resources, engages all American peoples with the places and stories that make up their national identity, and serves as a model for the stewardship of cultural resources throughout the world.  

Photos courtesy of the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress