NHLs in Parks



Most National Historic Landmarks are not owned or managed by the National Park Service—in fact, the majority of NHLs are privately owned. However, National Historic Landmarks and national park units sometimes overlap. Close to 200 National Historic Landmarks are located in or have boundaries that overlap with 142 National Park System units. For comparison, there are approximately 2,600 National Historic Landmarks and just over 400 park units.

Some historical and cultural resources within the park system were designated as National Historic Landmarks by the Secretary of the Interior before they were established as park units by Congress or the president. Other park units have National Historic Landmarks within their boundaries that are nationally significant for reasons other than those for which the park was established.

Ken Burns' 2009 documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, features twenty National Historic Landmarks located in national park units.

Why isn't every cultural resource in a national park unit a National Historic Landmark?


The cultural resource management policies of the National Park Service address the place of National Historic Landmarks within the National Park System as follows: Historic and cultural units of the National Park System are nationally significant by virtue of the legislation or Presidential proclamation that authorized them. National Historic Landmark designations are appropriate for park cultural resources that meet National Historic Landmark criteria if the national significance of those resources is not adequately recognized in the Park's authorizing legislation or Presidential proclamation. Cultural parks may warrant landmark designation as parts of larger areas encompassing resources associated with their primary themes.

Please continue below to learn about the many National Historic Landmarks located within a national park unit. If you are interested in visiting any of these NHLs, please contact the park unit directly to find out if the NHL is open to the public. Archeological sites in particular may not be open to visitors.

Last updated: September 9, 2024

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