A $1.6 million fireworks show, more than five times the usual budget for the display, is only the most visible line item. According to National Park Service documents reviewed by the Washington Post, at least $90 million in entry fees collected at parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite has been steered to projects in Washington, D.C., tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The money comes from visitors who paid at the gate. Entry fees are charged at more than 100 national parks, about a quarter of the total, and at least 20 percent of what comes in goes into a fund that can cover costs anywhere in the system, the Post reported.
Where the money is going
The largest piece is $76 million for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and other fountains. The Post’s figures, as relayed by ARTnews and The Independent, break the fountain work down further: more than $13 million for the Lafayette Square Fountain next to the White House, $5.7 million for the Simón Bolívar Memorial outside the Interior Department, and $47 million for other fountains on the National Mall.
Two smaller items drew notice. About $716,000 in fees was redirected to move and restore a statue of Caesar Rodney, a Founding Father and prolific enslaver, to Freedom Plaza. And nearly $690,000 went to repair the West Colonnade Walkway, which appears to refer to the walkway outside the White House’s West Wing.
The gap with the parks
The park system carries a $24 billion backlog of deferred maintenance and infrastructure repairs. Internal documents showed that as of late May, the Park Service had approved about $105 million in fiscal 2026 spending in the National Capital Region, against about $27 million for everything else.
The Post also reported that in April, superintendents in one region were told no fee money would be available to their parks because Washington needed it. A note from senior park officials that month told staff a contingency fund for unforeseen expenses was being spent on beautification and Fourth of July events in the capital.
Ed Stierli, a senior director at the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group, said the fees are meant to serve sites nationwide. “It shouldn’t just be all at one park at the expense of the entire national park system,” he told the Post. He also said the work was moving ahead with little public input or transparency. “We viewed America’s 250th as tide that was going to raise all boats,” he said. “Now that could not be any further from our current reality.”
The administration’s answer
The Interior Department said in a statement that the Park Service was “focused on beautifying the district” but was also working on many deferred maintenance projects across the country. Spokesperson Katie Martin said the administration is exploring other revenue sources, including “revenue brought in from the sale of park passes” and “endowment funds,” and that contracts go through legitimate procurement. “While other administrations have let the city fall into decay, President Trump has made Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful again, and we should all be grateful,” she said.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said more than 20 fountains and nearly 30 statues have been restored, with many ongoing projects expected to finish in time for the anniversary celebrations.
Sources
- Trump To Divert $90 M. in National Park Revenue to D.C. Projects | ARTnews
- Trump is using fees from national parks passes to fund supersized $1.6M DC fireworks display: report | Yahoo News UK (The Independent)
