National Park Service News Release
Release Date: April 3, 2020
Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov
Andersonville National Historic Site Is Modifying Operations To
Implement Local Health Guidance
Andersonville, Georgia - Andersonville National Historic Site, in response to guidance from the Governor of the State of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Health, is announcing additional modifications to operations to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
As of April 4, 2020, Andersonville National Historic Site will offer limited services outside those that support visitor or resource protection. At Andersonville National Historic Site, the following services and operations will be suspended in order to comply with the state guidance:
* The National Prisoner of War Museum and the historic site of Camp Sumter military prison will remain closed to public access.
* Andersonville National Cemetery will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and will be closed on Saturday and Sunday.
* The park will not operate or provide public restrooms.
* No visitor information services, programs, or events will be offered or conducted.
* No committal services or rendering of military honors will be permitted in Andersonville National Cemetery. No more than ten (10) immediate family members may be present to witness burials. The family may request to conduct a proper committal service when conditions permit.
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Andersonville National Historic Site is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels.
Andersonville National Cemetery remains accessible to the public from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday in accordance with the latest federal, state, and local health guidance. Burial services for eligible veterans and family members continue to be offered.
If contemplating a visit to a national park during this pandemic, the NPS asks visitors to adhere to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health authorities to protect visitors and employees. As services are limited, the NPS urges visitors to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces safer and healthier.
The NPS encourages people to take advantage of the many digital tools already available to explore Andersonville National Historic Site, including:
* A virtual tour of Andersonville National Historic Site, conducted by one of our park rangers in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting, available at https://www.gpb.org/education/virtual/andersonville
* An audio tour of the national cemetery available on our website (near the bottom of the page) at https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/photosmultimedia/multimedia.htm
* Videos about the park, its history, and American prisoners of war available on our website and on our YouTube channel
Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations.
www.nps.gov
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Tags: covid-19
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
