THE SHOALS-The Muscle Shoals National Heritage now has 19 locations offering cancellation stamps as part of the Passport to Your National Parks© program. Hosted by Eastern National, a nonprofit that raises money for the National Park Service, the passport initiative encourages people to explore national parks by collecting cancellation marks at selected sites. As an NPS program, MSNHA is eligible to participate.
“Collecting the passport stamps helps people learn about the cultural heritage of our six counties,” said Carrie Crawford, MSNHA director. “It’s a great way for both residents and visitors to travel throughout our part of the state and learn about history in our own backyard.”
The MSNHA–Alabama’s only National Heritage Area–consists of Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and Morgan counties. Each county has three Passport to Your National Parks© sites; Lauderdale has four with the addition of the MSNHA office.
Carrie Crawford, MSNHA director
Passport sites added this month are Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Sheffield; Franklin County Archives, Russellville; James A. Glasgow Library, Northwest-Shoals Community College, Phil Campbell; Florence Indian Mound Museum, Florence; Red Land Cotton, Moulton; High Cotton Arts (Athens Arts League), Athens; Alabama Veterans Museum, Athens; and Cook Museum of Natural Science, Decatur.
Other MSNHA sites offering passport cancellation stamps are Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Tuscumbia; Ivy Green, Tuscumbia; Red Bay Museum, Red Bay; Alabama Chanin, Florence; W.C. Handy Home & Museum, Florence; MSNHA office, University of North Alabama; Oakville Indian Mounds, Moulton; Pond Spring, Hillsboro; JaVa.Mooresville, Mooresville; Old State Bank, Decatur; and Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur.
“Getting your passport stamped is free,” Crawford said, “but we encourage stamp collectors to take their time and explore the sites they visit. Our passport locations are eager to share their unique and interactive stories about northwest Alabama’s cultural heritage.”
Details on the MSNHA sites are at msnha.una.edu/passport. Passport books are sold at easternnational.org; National Military Park, Shiloh, Tennessee; Corinth Interpretive Center, Corinth, Mississippi; Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, Tupelo, Mississippi; and other NPS gift shops.
Media Release/Cathy Wood/Media coordinator/Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area
