Jefferson National Parks Association

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Jefferson National Parks Association

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For more than 50 years, we have been helping people enjoy, learn about and support America's national parks, public lands, and historic places. Based in St.

You can also follow us on Instagram . Jefferson National Parks Association (JNPA) is a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Louis, Missouri, we support visitor education, heritage preservation, and cultural programs at 11 public lands and historic sites in the nation’s heartland. JNPA-supported visitor centers, park retail stores, museums, publications, and products serve millions of park visitors each year. Our educational retail model ensures that every book, map, and interpretive product we sell is approved by park staff for historical accuracy and relevance to each park’s themes. Proceeds from our retail sales allow JNPA to invest an average of $3 million annually in our partner parks – funding educational programming, exhibits, preservation projects, and site improvements. JNPA also raises funds through direct donations as well as the sale of Missouri’s specialty Gateway Arch license plates. JNPA is proud to serve these 11 partner parks:
• Gateway Arch National Park (MO)
• President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site (AR)
• Lewis & Clark Visitor Center (NE)
• Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (AR)
• Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (MN)
• Missouri National Recreational River (SD)
• New Philadelphia National Historic Site (IL)
• Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument (IL)
• Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park (MO)
• Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site (MO)
• Voyageurs National Park (MN)

Support JNPA’s mission to preserve America’s stories and landscapes for future generations. Learn more and contribute at donate.jnpa.com. Follow us on Instagram () or LinkedIn () for updates, programs and ways to get involved.

10/12/2026

To get you in the mood for Halloween, come learn about a popular St. Louis ghost story that meets a very real family legacy. 👻

For our next Iconic Conversations event with Gateway Arch National Park, author Stephen P. Walker explores the rise and decline of the Lemp family—including the paranormal lore that has surrounded the Lemp Mansion for decades.

Stephen’s decades of research into the Lemp legacy and the stories behind “Lemp: The Haunting History” are sure to be a treat. Join us at the Old Courthouse this Sunday at 2 p.m.!

Learn more before you go: speakers.jnpa.com

10/09/2026

National Park Service staff work every day to care for landscapes, historic structures, wildlife and artifacts, but the visitors who experience these places have an important role, too.

For JNPA, supporting parks also means helping visitors understand how their choices contribute to long-term preservation. Leave No Trace principles offer practical ways to explore responsibly and reduce our impact along the way.

Read more about Leave No Trace and why it matters in our blog: https://jnpa.blog/2026/09/29/leave-no-trace/

10/08/2026

Field trip season is in full swing at Gateway Arch National Park. With hands-on activities and programs that encourage students to consider different perspectives and think critically about history, JNPA directly supports the park’s educational program by employing several staff members.

JNPA Youth Learning Specialists Janelle Velten and Nicole Anderson work alongside park staff to connect school groups with history and the stories of the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse. As classrooms settle into a new school year, Janelle and Nicole are hard at work helping turn park visits into meaningful learning experiences.

We’re honored to invest in the people making those connections possible!

10/06/2026

Ulysses S. Grant completed the two-room log cabin known as Hardscrabble on the White Haven plantation 170 years ago. The cabin was the Grant family’s home from the fall of 1856 until January 1857.

In honor of the anniversary of Hardscrabble, our partners at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site have created a special exhibit with artifacts dating back to this moment in history.

⏰ Beginning on Oct. 9, stop by the park and explore the free exhibit during normal visitor hours.

Learn more before you go: https://shorturl.at/9V1ne

10/05/2026

A St. Louis story about the pursuit of freedom by enslaved people takes place this Saturday on the St. Louis riverfront.

In 1855, Mary Meachum attempted to help a group of freedom seekers cross the Mississippi River to Illinois, where slavery was outlawed. The site of that escape attempt became the first Missouri location recognized by the Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

On Oct. 10, from 2-4 p.m., the 24th annual Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration hosted by Great Rivers Greenway will bring this history to the downtown St. Louis riverfront beneath the Gateway Arch through reenactment, music, and storytelling.

We’re looking forward to honoring commemorations like these that connect people with the history of the places and communities we serve.

Learn more: MaryMeachum.org

10/02/2026

Park history pop quiz—in honor of a partner’s anniversary. 🎂 Do you know what year Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site was established as a unit of the National Park System?

Take a guess, then find the answer below and learn more about JNPA’s connection to the story. 👇

On Oct. 2, 1989, legislation established Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site as part of NPS, protecting White Haven and allowing visitors to explore the lives of Grant family and others connected to the property. JNPA, then known as Jefferson National Expansion Historical Association, was instrumental in the park’s founding, including the purchase and donation of the property to the National Park Service.

Thirty-seven years later, we’re proud to continue supporting this important piece of America’s history.

Learn more about our ongoing partnership: https://www.jnpa.com/721/partner-ulysses-s-grant.htm

09/30/2026

Why is White Haven green?

That’s what visitors want to know when they visit the GREEN Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. The Dent family (Grant’s in-laws) named the home after a previous plantation they had owned in Maryland.

The house was painted light beige when Grant and his family lived there in the 1850s. While he was President, Grant had the exterior painted Paris Green, a popular color during the Victorian Era.

Over the years, White Haven was painted white again, but when the Park Service took possession of the property, it was returned to the vibrant Paris Green made popular by the Grants.

Discover more about the historic site and plan your next visit: https://shorturl.at/cQCXN

09/29/2026

Bring a little inspiration from the night sky home with you.

Across JNPA partner sites, visitors can experience the stories told in the stars through night sky programs at Gateway Arch National Park and New Philadelphia National Historic Site, as well as the protected dark skies at Voyageurs National Park.

Our online store has a range of cool products inspired by those after-dark views, including Night Sky drinkware featuring the constellations, jazzy Night Sky socks, and a print depicting the night sky over the Gateway Arch.

Whether you’re shopping for yourself or another national park fan, your purchase also helps support the parks and the visitor experience.

🛍️ Shop our night sky-inspired products:

09/26/2026

National Public Lands Day is an opportunity to celebrate the partnerships and people who help keep America’s public lands thriving.

JNPA is honored to be part of the Public Lands Alliance, a network that brings together nonprofit partners working alongside public lands to further conservation, education, and visitor experiences.

From assisting with conservation efforts at parks like Voyageurs National Park to supporting educational programs that connect visitors with history at sites like Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park, JNPA helps its partners care for the places the National Park Service protects.

Learn more about the partnerships and programs that help make this work possible at https://www.jnpa.com/715/what-we-do.htm

09/24/2026

On Sept. 23, 1957, nine African American students attempted to enter the all-white Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, following the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education desegregation decision in 1954.

Their courage marked a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement as the Little Rock Nine helped challenge segregation in American public education and helped advance the pursuit of educational equality for generations to come.

JNPA is proud to support Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site as an educational partner. We honor the Little Rock Nine and their legacy of courage, perseverance, and change.

Read more about the Little Rock Nine and the national park at https://www.jnpa.com/718/partner-little-rock-central-high-school.htm

Address

1 S Memorial Drive, Ste 1900
St. Louis, MO
63102

Telephone

+13146781500

Website

http://www.jnpa.com/

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