National Park Service Founders Day2026 · Date · History
The National Park Service identifies 25 August 1916 as the date of the Organic Act creating the agency and recognizes 25 August as Founders Day.
About National Park Service Founders Day
National Park Service Founders Day is observed on August 25 as the anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service.
NPS sources also describe August 25 as the agency’s birthday.
Why National Park Service Founders Day matters
The date centers on the federal agency’s creation and its conservation mission.
It is an agency anniversary/commemoration, not a separate federal public holiday established by the Organic Act.
History of National Park Service Founders Day
On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act creating the National Park Service.
NPS materials say August 25 became known within the agency as Founders Day.
Current NPS commemorations continue to celebrate the agency birthday on August 25.
The Organic Act created the agency; reviewed sources do not show that it separately established a recurring public holiday called Founders Day.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
7 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe National Park Service Founders Day
Use August 25 for the agency anniversary.
Anchor the date rationale to the 1916 Organic Act.
Describe current observance as an NPS commemoration or birthday.
Do not present Founders Day as a statutory federal public holiday.
National Park Service Founders Day Facts
NPS Founders Day is observed on August 25.
The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916.
The Organic Act is the historical reason for the anniversary date.
NPS currently celebrates its birthday on August 25.
The reviewed evidence does not establish a separate federal public holiday.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
National Park Service (opens in a new tab)
National Park Service (opens in a new tab)
National Park Service — Founders Day (opens in a new tab)
Official Federal Agency
National Park Service — Founders Day August 25 (opens in a new tab)
Official Federal Agency
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is National Park Service Founders Day?
25 August annually The documented recurrence rule is: 25 August.
Does National Park Service Founders Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is National Park Service Founders Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United States / National Park Service anniversary. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes National Park Service Founders Day?
The documented basis is: The National Park Service identifies 25 August 1916 as the date of the Organic Act creating the agency and recognizes 25 August as Founders Day.. Supporting evidence includes National Park Service — Founders Day. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is National Park Service Founders Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / National Park Service anniversary.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is National Park Service Founders Day?
It is observed on August 25.
Why August 25?
President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service on August 25, 1916.
Is Founders Day a federal public holiday?
The reviewed NPS sources describe it as an agency anniversary or birthday, not a separately established federal public holiday.
Other observances on August 25
These observances are also listed on August 25, 2027.
Independence Day
Uruguay Presidency, culture ministry and IMPO legal sources verify the August 25 Declaratoria de la Independencia commemoration, 1825 historical anchor and current paid-holiday treatment.
La Tomatina
Ajuntament de Buñol / municipal tourism authority