What the Government Shutdown Means for Minute Man NHP

National parks and historic sites throughout are closed today, Oct. 1 following a shutdown of the federal government. But what does that mean for Minute Man National Historical Park? 

It's shut down, for starters. And 27 employees have been furloughed, according to Lou Sideris, the park's chief of planning and communications. 

The impacted employees -- which includes everyone except for two protection rangers -- are picking up furlough notices Tuesday morning, Sideris said. 

Minute Man, which preserves America's revolutionary history along the Battle Road in Concord, Lincoln and Lexington, is a popular destination for tourists and school field trips.

However, the shutdown means locked parking gates and no ranger-led interpretation programs. The visitors centers, restrooms, Hartwell Tavern and other sites will be closed, as well. 

In addition to rangers contacting all of the school groups planning trips to Minute Man, Sideris said the shutdown also jeopardizes upcoming programs, like "Battle Road Heroes," a popular event scheduled for this weekend. 

The shutdown comes at the start of one of the park's three busiest months, according to Sideris, who said only the summer months rank ahead of October in terms of the number of park visitors. 

"October is a very busy time with the fall foliage," said Sideris. "This time of year we get about 4,000 people per day." 

Beyond impacting park visitors and programming, the shut down will also affect restoration projects. The Wayside Home of Authors is currently undergoing a significant restoration project, which will have to be put on hold during the shutdown, Sideris said.