From now through July 6, residents and tourists alike can download the California State Parks Historian Passport for free, allowing them access to more than 30 state historic parks across the state through the end of 2026.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the initiative Wednesday in honor of both Juneteenth and the the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“California’s state historic parks preserve some of our nation’s most powerful and meaningful stories, and I’m proud to live in a state that celebrates diversity to connect more people with those stories through this limited-time free pass,” California State Parks director Armando Quintero said in a statement. “I hope the free Historian Passport introduces more Californians to the state’s historic gems and sparks a curiosity and thirst for knowledge that leads to many return visits.”
The pass typically costs $50 and allows unlimited entry for up to four people to state historic parks and museums that charge a per-person admission fee or a vehicle day-use fee.
Historic parks in and around L.A. County that accept the Historian Passport include:
- Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades, which features hiking trails, picnic areas and a polo field.
- Los Encinos State Historic Park in Encino, where visitors can learn about Indigenous culture and Spanish colonization.
- The Antelope Valley Indian Museum, which has exhibits about Indigenous cultures from the Antelope Valley, California coast, Great Basin and the Southwest.
Other parks that accept the pass are:
- Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Tulare County, where visitors can observe a restored and reconstructed buildings of Allensworth, a California town that was founded, finances and governed by African Americans in the early 1900s.
- Jack London State Historic Park in Sonoma County, which features hiking and biking trails, and historic buildings.
- The State Indian Museum State Historic Park in Sacramento, where you can learn about California’s diverse Indigenous populations.
A full list is available at parks.ca.gov.
To download a free pass, visit ReserveCalifornia.com and click “Passes” in the upper main menu. From here, you’ll be prompted to either create a new account or log into your existing account. Once logged in, you can use the dropdown menu on the page to select “Special Edition Historian Passport 2026 – $0.00.” You can then check out with your pass and will quickly have it added to your list of passes within your account.
Leaders with the California State Parks Foundation and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, which helped finance the initiative, said they hope the free Historian pass opens up access to more people to see our public lands.
“California state parks help us understand the history of California, the United States, and the ongoing work of building a more inclusive democracy,” said Rachel Norton, executive director of California State Parks Foundation. “The special edition Historian Passport is a great opportunity to explore state parks for free. We hope access to the Historian Passport encourages more Californians to visit a historic state park and learn about, and reflect on, our shared history.”
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