Bandelier Visitor Center. Courtesy/NPSBANDELIER News:
Bandelier National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and Manhattan Project National Historical Park (NHP), have announced that the National Park Service and other federal agencies will offer one more Fee Free Day this year, Thursday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
On that day, federal areas nationwide, including Bandelier and the Valles Caldera, will offer free admission to everyone. Manhattan Project NHP has no entry fee.
Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, celebrating the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. In 1954 it was officially renamed Veterans Day in the US to expand it to honor all veterans, not just those who fought in World War I. It still coincides with the Armistice Day holiday celebrated in many other countries. As Bandelier Superintendent Jason Lott said, “Veterans Day is a very appropriate day for the parks to honor all our veterans, by inviting people all over the country to enjoy and celebrate the lands that these brave men and women have valiantly protected and defended.”
The Manhattan Project NHP is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is presently closed Mondays and Tuesdays. At Bandelier, the shuttle service has ended for this year, so visitors should just drive on down to the parking lot at the monument Visitor Center. The park is open dawn to dusk, and the Visitor Center, Gift Shop, Snack Bar, and bookstore are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The book store will be offering a 15 percent discount on items storewide, and the gift shop will have discounts on selected items. There is still a fee for camping. At the Valles Caldera, Highway 4 through the Valle Grande is always open, and the Valle Grande Contact Station is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information about the Valles Caldera, check the park website at www.nps.gov/vall; www.nps.gov/band for Bandelier; and www.nps.gov /mapr for the Manhattan Project NHP. All three parks also have Facebook pages.
