Petrified Forest, AZ - Petrified Forest National Park celebrates its 100th Anniversary during 2006. On June 8, 1906, the Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities (better known as the Antiquities Act) was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt. This law gives presidents the authority to proclaim and reserve "historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest" on lands owned or controlled by the United States as national monuments. Petrified Forest was one of the first places set aside as a national monument through the use of this Act.
October celebrates one of the major reasons people have come to Petrified Forest for more than a century: its dramatic and unusual beauty. Situated in the Painted Desert, the park offers visitors grand views from overlooks, trails among colorful petrified logs and ancient villages, and the chance to explore wilderness. Photographers and artists, from the professional to the amateur, come to capture the vivid colors and spectacular textures of the landscape. Celebrate Photography and Art Month at Petrified Forest National Park!
Activities in the park include:
* A special temporary display at park;
* Special Behind the Scenes tours of the park’s Museum Collection;
* Special emphasis programs throughout the month;
* Creative activities that will result in a take-home souvenir;
* Daily ranger guided tours of the Painted Desert Inn at 10 am, featuring murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie and hand-painted skylight panels by artists of the Civilian Conservation Corps;
* Visit with the park’s artists-in-residence. Mark Klett, photographer, Oct. 1-8; Fay Wyles, painter, Oct. 9-21.
For more information call (928) 524-6228 weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time; or write to the Superintendent, Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028; or e-mail the park.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
