LancasterOnline: By Erin Negley
Need an extra excuse to take a hike or visit a local national park?
All national parks are free this week during National Park Week. While most parks are free year-round, through Sunday, so are parks like Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton and Fort Necessity near Uniontown.
The free days are part of the year-long centennial celebration. Some of the parks have scheduled special exhibits, talks and events, too.
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site in Gallitzin focuses on the first railroad to circumvent the Allegheny Mountains.
Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville is the state’s newest site, telling the story of the what happened on a hijacked plane on 9/11.
Fort Necessity National Battlefield National Historic Site in Farmington is the site for a battle in 1754 that started the French and Indian War.
Friendship Hill National Historic Site in Point Marion highlights the accomplishments of Albert Gallatin, secretary of the treasury during Jefferson and Madison’s presidency.
Johnstown Flood National Memorial focuses on the South Fork dam failure in 1889.
