Now through July 6, residents and tourists alike can download the California State Parks Historian Passport for free, giving 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 Juneteenth and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“California's historic state parks preserve some of our nation's most powerful and significant stories, and I'm proud to live in a state that celebrates diversity to connect more people to those stories through this free, limited-time pass,” California State Parks Director Armando Quintero said in a statement. “I hope the free Historian Passport will introduce more Californians to the state's historic gems and spark a curiosity and thirst for knowledge that will lead many to return to visit.”
The pass normally costs $50 and allows unlimited entry of up to four people to state historical parks and museums that charge a per-person entrance fee or a vehicle day-use fee.
Historic parks in and around Los Angeles County that accept the Historian Passport include:
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
(Courtesy of California State Parks, 2026)
Other parks that accept the pass are:
A complete list is available at parks.ca.gov.
To download a free pass, visit ReserveCalifornia.com and click on “Passes” in the top main menu. From here, you will be asked to create a new account or sign in to your existing account. Once you are logged in, you can use the drop-down menu on the page to select “Special Edition Historian Passport 2026 – $0.00.” You will then be able to pay with your pass and it will quickly be added to your pass list within your account.
Leaders from the California State Parks Foundation and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, which helped fund the initiative, said they hope the free Historian Pass will open access to more people to see our public lands.
“California State Parks help us understand the history of California, of America, and the work underway to build a more inclusive democracy,” said Rachel Norton, executive director of the California State Parks Foundation. “The special edition Historian Passport is a great opportunity to explore state parks for free. We hope that access to the Historian Passport will encourage more Californians to visit a historic state park and learn and reflect on our shared history.”
