KING OF PRUSSIA, PA – Valley Forge National Historical Park is beginning to resume normal operations today (Monday, Jan. 28).

National Park Service employees will resume their normal tour of duty, and full services will begin to return to a normal schedule. Visitors are encouraged to call 610-783-1099 for the latest information.

The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) and The Encampment Store were supporting and funding to keep Valley Forge National Historical Park’s Visitor Center open during the federal government shutdown.

“We were proud to work with The Encampment Store to keep Valley Forge Park’s Visitor Center open,” said Mike Bowman, President & CEO of the VFTCB. “We know people – both nationally and internationally – are passionate about this iconic park, and so are we. It’s one of the region’s most visited destinations, and has a significant impact on the area.”

In 2017, the park attracted 2.2 million visitors and contributed $46.5 million in economic output and 426 jobs to the local economy.

“The VFTCB and The Encampment Store provided excellent customer service to park visitors at the Visitor Center during the recent shutdown,” said Steve Sims, Superintendent of the park. “I am very grateful for our proactive and dedicated partners as well as the numerous volunteers and community members that provided their time and assistance throughout the last five weeks. We are truly humbled by the outpouring of support.”

The park recently opened a 5,760-square-foot temporary Visitor Center within the park to enable construction to begin on the $12 million renovation to the current visitor center facility, which was built in 1976.

During renovations, The Encampment Store, the VFTCB & the NPS are co-managing the new visitor center’s retail bookstore, regional travel information desk, and park information desk that serve more than 250,000 visitors each year.

The renovations are scheduled to be completed in late spring of 2020 and will provide for new windows, new finishes including flooring, carpets and signage, energy efficiency improvements, updated collections storage, expanded physical accessibility, modern fire protection and security systems as well as a new HVAC system. Learn more about the new temporary visitor center at go.nps.gov/vafovc.

The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) is a nonprofit, membership-based sales and marketing organization that actively promotes Valley Forge and Montgomery County, PA as a convention site and leisure visitor destination by encouraging patronage of its 500+ member hotels, restaurants, attractions, and services. The award-winning website links visitors, meeting planners, tour operators, and residents to a diverse portfolio of brands focused on reasons to visit the region.