Start your new year with a free visit to a national park! All 397 national parks across the country will offer free admission from January 14 - 16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, plus 14 other days in 2012.

You can literally walk in Dr. King’s footsteps at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site  in Georgia, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trailnbsp; in Alabama, or the Lincoln Memorial

Other parks that will hold special events honoring Dr. King that weekend include the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC, Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey, Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Tennessee, and Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, DC.

“Dr. King led the fight to realize his dream of a nation free of discrimination, where every citizen was able to enjoy the inalienable rights promised to all Americans,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.  “Dr. King’s story and those of so many others whose efforts changed our country are preserved in the national parks, places where history happened.  I hope every American can take advantage of the upcoming fee free weekend and visit their parks to experience their history firsthand.”