ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — This decision, originating from the Trump administration, impacts numerous historic sites overseen by the National Park Service nationwide. Among these is the Castillo De San Marcos monument in St. Augustine, a site of significant cultural and historical importance.

For 2026, the National Park Service has revised its list of free entry days, notably omitting MLK Day and Juneteenth, which were previously included in 2025. This change has sparked reactions from the public, reflecting the significance of these dates.

Millicent Adams, a concerned citizen, expressed her disappointment upon hearing the news. “It breaks my heart because Martin Luther King Jr. was a hero and taught us so many valuable lessons,” she stated, underscoring the cultural and educational value associated with these days.

“It breaks my heart because Martin Luther King Jr. was a hero and taught us so many valuable lessons,” Adams said.

Visitors will instead be offered “patriotic fee-free days,” including during the 4th of July weekend, Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday, Constitution Day, and on June 14th, which is both Flag Day and President Trump’s birthday.

The announcement came from the U.S. Department of the Interior in November, with the changes taking effect on Jan. 1. 

Sean Freeder, a political science professor at the University of North Florida, said the change could be perceived negatively by members of the public due to some of the removed days being civil rights-related.

“One… is his relationship with African American voters. There’s also, of course, his tendency to things that might focus on himself—Flag Day has now been used a couple times as kind of a cover for doing things to celebrate his birthday, which happens to coincide as the same day,” Freeder told First Coast News.

It’s also unclear if the switch-up will result in more or fewer visits to national sites. Overall, 2026 will feature 10 entry-free days, versus eight in 2025.

“This is not a massive impact, but I would imagine the parks will have to do their own internal calculations,” said Freeder. “This probably has somewhat of an impact, MLK day and Juneteenth are federal recognized holidays, so people are going to have these days off. Flag Day is not a recognized federal holiday,” Freeder said.

“We appreciate the parks; we appreciate American history tremendously. Please don’t try to change our history,” Adams said.

The White House says it’s prioritizing “America-first” access to parks. In addition to the date changes, free entry will only be offered to U.S. residents. Nonresidents will begin paying higher rates than residents for entry, “ensuring that American taxpayers who already support the National Park System receive the greatest benefit,” according to a news release from the U.S. Department of the Interior.