With National Parks scaling back a number of Memorial Day services, the NPS will host a “Virtual Memorial Day Tribute” that will allow people to commemorate the day from home.
The virtual tribute will take place at 30 parks across 12 states, and will begin from Vicksburg National Military Park on May 25 at 8 a.m. ET. The program will be available on Facebook.
The 13-hour event will feature a series of livestreams, demonstrations, and historic talks about the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War and beyond, as well as a video of park rangers from Maryland to Montana reciting the Gettysburg Address.
“The National Park Service has many memorials and monuments dedicated to honoring military service and sacrifice throughout our nation's history,” said NPS Deputy Director, exercising the authority of the Director, David Vela. “Our staff, partners, and volunteers are hard at work for the American people, continuing to provide engaging virtual opportunities and basic in-park services, while we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
A full schedule of events is available on the National Parks Facebook page.
The National Parks Service said that 280 of its 419 outdoor units will be open this weekend, but some will have scaled back services to in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.