About Your Visit
Whitman Mission National Historic Site is 6 miles
west of Walla Walla, Wash., just off U.S. 410. Walla Walla is served by
an airline, two railroads, and bus-lines. Since there is no public
transportation between the town and the monument, you must arrange your
own transportation between these two points.
The grounds of the historic site are open from 8 a.m.
until dark. A self-guiding system of trails enables you to tour the
mission grounds and see the great grave and the memorial shaft. Markers,
pictures, wayside exhibits, and an audio system are located along the
trails. Special guide service is available to groups making advance
arrangements with the superintendent. In summer, free guided tours are
usually available on weekends without prior arrangement.
A visitor center housing a museum and a small
auditorium is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. every day except
Christmas. The museum tells the story of the missionaries in the Pacific
Northwest, especially that of the Whitmans. Illustrated talks about the
missionary era and special programs are given in the auditorium.
Uniformed personnel are stationed at the visitor center, where free
informational literature and sales publications of special historical
interest are available.
(click on image for an enlargement in a new window)
Administration
WHITMAN Mission NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE is
administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the
Interior.
The National Park System, of which this site is a
unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic
heritage of the United States for the benefit and inspiration of the
people.
Development of the site is part of MISSION 66, a
dynamic conservation program to unfold the full potential of the
National Park System for the use and enjoyment of present and future
generations.
A superintendent, whose address is Whitman Mission
National Historic Site, Route 2, Walla Walla, Wash., 99362, and whose
offices are in the visitor center, is in immediate charge.
America's Natural Resources
Created in 1849, the Department of the
Interior—America's Department of Natural Resources—is
concerned with the management, conservation, and development of the
Nation's water, wildlife, mineral, forest, and park and recreational
resources. It also has major responsibilities for Indian and territorial
affairs.
As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the
Department works to assure that nonrenewable resources are developed and
used wisely, that park and recreational resources are conserved, and
that renewable resources make their full contribution to the progress,
prosperity, and security of the United States—now and in the
future.
Related Areas
Included in the National Park System are these other
areas commemorating phases of early western history: Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial National Historic Site, Mo.; Homestead National
Monument of America, Nebr.; Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Nebr.;
Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebr.; Fort Laramie National Historic
Site, Wyo.; Grand Teton National Park, Wyo.; Custer Battlefield National
Monument, Mont.; Big Hole National Battlefield, Mont.; Fort Vancouver
National Historic Site, Wash.; McLoughlin House National Historic Site,
Oreg.; and Fort Clatsop National Memorial, Oreg. The nearby city of
Walla Walla has preserved the military cemetery of the U.S. Army Post,
Fort Walla Walla.
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