National parks will remain as accessible as possible during the partial government shutdown while following all applicable laws and procedures, officials in Denver said Saturday.
The government partially shut down at 12:01 a.m. Saturday due to a lapse in funding for nine federal departments and several agencies.
During the shutdown, there will be no visitor services provided by the National Park Service at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, including public information. The Manhattan Project Park includes Oak Ridge; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, New Mexico.
NPS social media and websites are not being monitored or updated, and they may not reflect current conditions during the shutdown. All park programs have been canceled, according to a press release from Kris Kirby, superintendent of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Denver.
However, the following locations will remain open to the public and continue to provide visitor services, Kirby said:
- Hanford: The park visitor center, operated through a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, located at 2000 Logston Boulevard in Richland. The Visitor Center will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as part of its holiday operating schedule.
- Los Alamos:
- The Bradbury Science Museum, operated through a DOE contract, located at 1350 Central Avenue. The museum will be closed on Christmas Day as part of its holiday operating schedule.
- Los Alamos History Museum, operated by the Los Alamos Historical Society, located at 1050 Bathtub Row.
- Oak Ridge:
- The Childrens Museum of Oak Ridge located at 461 West Outer Drive. The museum will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as part of its holiday operating schedule.
- The American Museum of Science and Energy, operated through a DOE contract, located at 115 East Main St. The museum will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as part of its holiday operating schedule.
DOE is not affected by the partial government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Interior, which includes the National Park Service, is one of the departments that is affected by the shutdown.
Visit www.doi.gov/shutdown for updates on the shutdown.
That Manhattan Project National Historical Park was formally established in November 2015 through a memorandum of agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Park Service. It preserves portions of three World War II sites where the United States developed the first atomic weapons. The park marks the history of the people, science, events, and controversy associated with the creation of the atomic bomb in the top-secret effort known as the Manhattan Project. Under the agreement, the NPS and DOE jointly manage and administer the park.
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees work at America’s 417 national parks and with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities, the press release said.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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