Thomas Edison National Historical Park

10/05/2026

Today’s homework: thank a teacher.

National parks are places where students can learn about history by standing where it happened, explore science by observing nature, and discover stories that help us better understand the people and places that shaped our world.

Behind those experiences are teachers helping students ask questions, make connections, and learn about the world around them.

On World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the educators who inspire curiosity, encourage exploration and remind us that learning can happen just about anywhere. (Including places with a really good view.)

Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/teachers/index.htm

NPS Image

10/05/2026

Every day from October 12 to November 5, 2026, visit Mission San José's granary during park hours (9am-5pm) to view the mission descendant community's family ofrendas.

Ofrendas are an essential part of Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead. The word ofrenda means offering in Spanish. They are also called "altares" or altars, but not for worship. These altars are not only full of family pictures, but of symbols and meaning, honoring the ancestors who have passed, and offering them items of the celebration such a "pan de mu**to" and marigold flowers.

NPS Photo

10/04/2026

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” — Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

And we’re rather glad there are national parks to experience them in. Fall is a great time to get outside and enjoy the spectacular spectacle (say that five times fast) of changing leaves. There is plenty of room for imagination when you find yourself surrounded by forests painted in brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold. In our experience, you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. So consider this your invitation to find a little wonder, a little enchantment, and perhaps a kindred spirit among the trees.

Forests, woods, and shrublands in national parks put on their autumn colors from September through December. There’s a whole world of beauty waiting to be explored!

Image 1: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Image 2: Great Smoky Mountains NP
Image 3: Great Sand Dunes NPP
Image 4: Rocky Mountain National Park
Image 5: TheodoreRooseveltNPS

10/03/2026

“On October 3rd, he asked what day it was.” — Cady Heron

It’s October 3rd.

October is kind of a big deal around here. The autumn months splash many national parks with a rich array of fall colors, while cooler temperatures have wildlife getting ready for winter. Some are migrating. Some are gathering food. Some are putting on extra layers.

Same, honestly.

So whether you’re here for the foliage, the wildlife, or simply to judge the leaves on their color palette, national parks are a pretty fetch place to experience fall. Fetch? We’re making it happen.

And if you want to keep up with what’s happening in parks this season, you can find more ways to connect with your national parks at the link below.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/fall-season.htm

Image: Red Osier Dogwood leaves stand out against aspen trunks at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. NPS/Patrick Myers

10/02/2026

10/02/2026

Wherever military life takes you, there’s likely a park adventure nearby.

Active-duty military members, Veterans, and Gold Star families can get a free America the Beautiful Pass, providing access to national parks and federal recreation sites across the country.

Active-duty military families can also find free events, nearby outdoor opportunities, and resources for exploring national parks, public lands, and waterways through the Military Families Outdoors Program, wherever military life takes them. Visit: go.nps.gov/mfo

Whether you’re PCSing, exploring near your duty station, or looking for a weekend adventure, your next park visit may be closer than you think.

NPS Photo: Rangers at Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park recently teamed up with Blue Star Families and community partners for a day of fishing, outdoor fun, and family time at Fletchers Cove.

Blue Star Families Defense Public Health

10/01/2026

Fat Bear Week has officially lumbered to a close.

What a week. As they say, a journey of roughly 3,000 to 4,500 calories begins with a single salmon. Something like that. There might be some steps involved too.

In the end, 16 bears entered. Bear 89 “Backpack” became champion. Talk about the hunger games. And several ate their way into our hearts. Figuratively. And thousands of us humans spent an unreasonable amount of time judging bears for being excellent at being, well, bears.

It was a week of big bellies, bigger appetites, and absolutely no regrets. We shared some science, learned about the Alaskan ecosystem, stood around for hours watching large mammals eat, and found multiple way to incorporate “chonk” in everyday vocabulary.

Now the bears have more important things to do, such as eating then sleeping, a bit more eating, sleeping, and finally preparing to sleep after eating. As for the rest of us, we all return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Must we?

We must.

We will miss you, Fat Bear Week. Until next year: stay chunky, stay hungry, and remember: there’s always room for one more salmon.

NPS Images

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

Now that Fat Bear Week is over, it's time for Chunky Puppy Day! Tune in to the Puppy Cam tomorrow, Thursday, October 1, at 2pm AK time to find out how big the America's Best Idea litter got this summer.

How much do you think they weigh now? Share your guesses in the comments below.

NPS Photo: Graupel from the Weather litter during a weigh-in last year.

09/30/2026

This is the ideal marmot body. You may not like it. You may not understand it. But this is what peak performance looks like.

Now that Fat Bear Week is over, we’re returning to our regularly scheduled programming: other fat mammals.

The tundra-dwelling yellow-bellied marmots have been preparing for hibernation for the last couple of months. Since marmots spend more than half their lives hibernating, they’ve developed some impressive adaptations for surviving the winter:

✅ First, they’ve been building up healthy fat reserves (sound familiar? Bears. Us too, but that’s another post) to sustain them for up to eight months. Basically, a nice winter savings account.

✅ When they finally enter hibernation, they become true hibernators, slowing their heart rate from around 200 beats per minute to as low as 30. It’s an impressive energy-saving strategy.

✅ Speaking of saving, they also save on utilities by cuddling up with the colony in a communal burrow. Because heating is expensive, and roommates are the answer. Was that on the lease?

NPS Photo: A rotund marmot standing on a rock at Rocky Mountain National Park

09/27/2026

Tours of Edison's estate, Glenmont are suspended today, Sunday September 27, due to local weather conditions. Glenmont grounds will not be accessible. The Laboratory Complex will be open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. We apologize for any inconvenience the tour cancellation may cause.

Image: National Park Service arrowhead with words Thomas Edison National Historical Park Park Alert.

09/14/2026

Entrance to Thomas Edison NHP is fee free this Thursday, September 17 in observance of Constitution Day. Come visit Edison's lab, where he and his team changed the world.

Image: black and white photo of late 19th century machine shop with text reading "Fee Free Day September 17 at Thomas Edison NHP." Photo credit: NPS

08/31/2026

When Thomas Edison proposed to his second wife, Mina Miller, he gave her the choice of a home for their family: a townhouse in New York City, or a country estate. She chose Glenmont, a Queen Anne-style mansion in what was then rural New Jersey, and they moved there after their wedding in 1886.

Edison saw the potential of building his next – and final – laboratory just down the hill, with plenty of surrounding land to build factories to manufacture his products. The laboratory opened in late 1887.

Image: Thomas Edison NHP Historical Photo Collection

08/25/2026

Teachers, bring the power of invention to life for your students at Thomas Edison’s lab! We’re now taking field trip reservations for September through December 2026. Students will learn about Edison’s idea-to-product process as they tour the lab where he worked, then work in teams on their own inventions. For more information, visit https://ow.ly/RqzK50ZA9KR

08/22/2026

It’s National Park Week! Whether you’re with us to discover the groundbreaking work of Thomas Edison and his team or you’re at one of our sister parks, we invite you to celebrate America’s story.

We extend a special invitation for youngsters to join us at Thomas Edison NHP on Sunday, August 30 for Junior Ranger Day! Participate in our Junior Ranger tour or fill out our worksheet on your own and earn a badge.

08/20/2026

Dust off your silent movie acting skills and join us on Sunday, August 30 as historic filmmaking returns to the Black Maria! The cinema arts organization MONO NO AWARE will demonstrate historic filmmaking techniques at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm; tickets to participate will be available at our Visitor Center that day on a first-come basis.

All films developed will be shown at 4:30 pm that day, using historic camera equipment.

Image: NPS Photo

08/12/2026

West Orange and Menlo Park are the best known of Edison’s New Jersey laboratories, but he kept experimental spaces in many of the places where he worked and did business as an inventor. Among those were a back room of another inventor’s shop in Jersey City, several locations in Newark, and rooms at his lamp works in Harrison. He also kept an extensive lab at his winter home in Fort Myers, FL.

Image credit: NPS

07/27/2026

Thomas Edison had a longstanding interest in stored energy and was among the first to explore ways to make batteries for the consumer market. His interest in powering electric automobiles spurred him to experiment with alkaline electrolytes to make a reliable lightweight battery. The Edison battery took ten years to perfect, during which time gas-powered cars took over the marketplace. Nonetheless, Edison’s reliable nickel-iron battery found a ready market in the railroad and mining industries, among others.

Image Description: Thomas Edison stands with an early 20th-century electric car with a sign about a 1000-mile endurance run with Edison storage batteries. Two men are seated in car.

Photo Credit: Thomas Edison NHP Archive/NPGallery

07/23/2026

Today, Sandy Hook at Gateway National Recreation Area is a popular spot for beachgoers, birders and historians alike, but during World War I, it was a research destination for Thomas Edison’s team. As part of his work with the Naval Consulting Board, Edison conducted experiments at the U.S. Proving Ground there in 1917 and 1918, including work on a range finder, a submarine detector and a way of protecting ships by obstructing torpedoes with a net.

Image Description: Hand-drawn diagram illustrating conditions for good silhouette vision with notes on sky clarity, observer position, and periscope use.

Photo credit: Thomas A. Edison Papers, Rutgers University

07/13/2026

If you've visited Edison's vast West Orange Laboratory library, you might have wondered how the books are cared for. Our Cultural Resources team is in the process of inventorying the library collection, recording each book's condition and using a special vacuum to gently remove dust that has built up since the last inventory. This work helps preserve the collection so visitors can experience a view of the library much the way Edison and his team did, with the reference volumes of their time.

Image: Person wearing gloves writing on a clipboard at a table with two historic books.

Photo credit: NPS photo