St. Louis, Mo., April 3, 2013… As part of National Park Week, April 20-27, 2013, National Park sites in St. Louis will hold special Junior Ranger Day activities for children ages 5-18 years old. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (JNEM) will hold its event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, 2013, in the Museum of Westward Expansion (MWE) beneath the Gateway Arch. Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site (ULSG) will hold its event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2013, at President Grant’s historic home White Haven and museum at 7400 Grant Road. Activities at both sites will be free and open to the public.
Participants at JNEM can earn a special Junior Ranger Day patch by participating in a variety of experiences to learn more about National Park sites related to exhibits in the Museum of Westward Expansion. Activities will include campfire games and songs with National Park Service (NPS) ranger Kris Sneeringer at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., dressing up like a NPS ranger for a photo opportunity with a life-sized image of Gerald Ford as a seasonal NPS ranger and visiting stations with information about NPS sites with related themes. Participants will also be able to do special activity sheets, like NPS Bingo to win trading cards featuring NPS Civil War sites, and explore a backpack full of special Junior Ranger items available in the Arch Museum Store (Junior Ranger hat and vest, NPS storybook and puzzle). Site films from other NPS sites will play in the Arch Special Exhibit Gallery from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as part of NPS week programming. For additional information, call 314-655-1637 or visit www.gatewayarch.com.
On April 27, the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site will celebrate both National Park Week and the 191st anniversary of Grant’s birthday by offering a variety of FREE, fun-filled activities designed to explore little known aspects of Grant’s life. Through their explorations, kids will have the chance to earn a Junior Ranger badge. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park’s visitor center. Complete event details are available at www.nps.gov/ulsg.
“These upcoming Junior Ranger Day celebrations offer a perfect opportunity for young people to come out and see firsthand what the Gateway Arch Museum of Westward Expansion and Ulysses S. Grant site has to offer,” said Ann Honious, Chief, Museum Services and Interpretation, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. “By hosting these events, our goal is to help children and families connect with our parks and other parks nationwide, and give them a chance to explore and learn more about the National Park system. In doing so, we hope the Junior Rangers of today might become the park stewards of tomorrow.”
For more information, contact:
Julie Hauser/Shelene Treptow, The Hauser Group. 314.436.9090
Peter Hovey, Jefferson National Parks Association. 314.655.1637
Arlene Jackson, U. S. Grant National Historic Site. 314.842.1867, ext. 223