Every park has a story. Learn about your local national park and six other unique National Park Service (NPS) sites this winter through the “Parked at Home” virtual series.

Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is made up of six different sites in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “Parked at Home” programs offer local residents a chance to learn about these communities, and places far beyond New England. In addition to deep dives on Blackstone Valley topics, “Parked at Home” sessions bring in NPS staff working in other regions of the country. This year, staff from Blackstone River Valley NHP will talk to historian Megan Kate Nelson for the opening program. Then, they will partner with rangers at the following sites: Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.  

What connects these diverse park sites? Rangers will explore common themes such as labor, land, and opportunity. Tune in to discover the great risks people took to make company towns nearby in Rhode Island—and as far away as Skagway, Alaska. Hear about the immigration process at Ellis Island and discover how the makeup of mill villages in the Blackstone Valley changed as people moved in from around the world. Get new insight into the ways that making music has changed with the Industrial Revolution.  

 Each discussion will last approximately one hour. The “Parked at Home” series begins on Thursday, March 2, 2023, and runs on consecutive Thursday nights through April 13, 2023, at 7:00 PM EST. Presented in partnership with Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. This series is free and open to all. To register, visit the National Historical Park’s website at www.nps.gov/blrv. For more information, contact Park Ranger Allison Horrocks at [email protected].  

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 427 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice

Megan Kate Nelson, Saving Yellowstone 

March 2: 7:00 PM EST  

In documentaries and popular media, National Park Service sites are often called America’s “best idea.” During this program, we will consider this argument with historian and author Megan Kate Nelson. Dr. Nelson is the author of several books, including Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America (2022). Learn about the origins of Yellowstone National Park and join us for a conversation on the history of public lands in the United States. 

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration 

March 9: 7:00 PM EST  

How far have you traveled for work—or for a dream? For centuries, people have moved to the Blackstone Valley for new opportunities. Some of the immigrants seeking a new life in the Valley first passed through Ellis Island Immigration Center. During this program, rangers from Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park will discuss this process with a ranger from the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.  

Eisenhower National Historic Site 

March 16: 7:00 PM EST  

Join Park Rangers to discuss President Eisenhower’s legacy and his vision for a “postwar” America. Learn about how the Blackstone River Valley served as a major industrial hub that aided the war effort during World War II, and the long-term repercussions of the military industrial complex. 

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park 

March 23: 7:00 PM EST  

What makes a place a land of opportunity? In the years following the end of the Civil War, workers in the Blackstone Valley continued their struggle to secure basic rights in the workplace. Thousands of miles away, recently liberated people in the South Carolina Lowcountry pursued the opportunity to own land and to exercise the rights of citizenship. How did the trade in cotton connect these two places, and what social conditions set them apart? 

Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park 

March 30: 7:00 PM EST  

Get the inside scoop on one of the newest national parks in the United States! Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, located in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, was established in 2020. Learn about the many people who have called Ste. Geneiveve home through a discussion of its history. Discover connections between the distinctive French architecture and ways of life in Ste. Genevieve and industrial communities in Rhode Island. 

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park 

April 6: 7:00 PM EST  

Have you ever taken a big risk? 

From Rhode Island’s early mill villages to Alaska’s company towns, people throughout United States history have taken great risks to make more than just a living. Learn about the blueprint for America’s industrial communities, Slatersville, RI, and hear thrilling stories from the Klondike Gold Rush. 

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park 

April 13: 7:00 PM EST  

Music can make us feel fully present. It also has the power to transport us back in time. 

Learn about the history of Jazz in New Orleans and the rhythms of New England’s mills from the comfort of home. Rangers will discuss how music has been part of workers’ lives for the past two centuries. Tune in to learn about the role of rhythm and blues in national parks.