“This system was built for you.” Over the past 100 years, this ideal has driven our agency’s growth beyond its original visions. New York State’s parks and historic sites contribute to their communities’ sense of identity. Businesses thrive thanks to park and historic site visitors. Generations of New Yorkers have worked at our parks and sites, some for their entire career, others for a season.
New York’s historic preservation initiatives have also had a positive ripple effect. Designating heritage areas and preserving landmarks sparked community pride — and investment. Tax credits help both individual homeowners and commercial developers preserve and re-develop historic structures. The State and National Registers of Historic Places and the Historic Business Preservation Registry fosters connections with the past.
Throughout 2024, we celebrated the intangible benefits of our system by collecting your visitor memories and offering hundreds of special events and activities. As we look to 2025 and beyond, let’s explore the ways in which our agency benefits all New Yorkers, by the numbers.
Parks and Historic Sites at a Glance
360,000: acres of land make up New York’s state park and historic site system. That converts to more than 550 square miles! It’s one of the largest systems in the United States.
90: the percent of this land that is undeveloped, providing critical habitat to New York’s flora and fauna.
250: facilities in the New York State Parks and Historic Sites system, including state parks, historic sites, trail networks, campgrounds, golf courses, boat launches and beaches. Find a location near you.
8,555: campsites at our state parks. Camping is a cherished New York pastime, ingrained in who we are and what we do. We also offer 967 cabins, 18 yurts, 3 inns, and even 1 lighthouse for your next vacation.
78: places to swim during the hot summer months. With 54 beaches and 24 with pools and spraygrounds around our system, you’re never far from a place to relax, unwind, and stay cool!
39: the percent of visitors who listed swimming as their favorite activity at New York State Parks, according to the Open Space Institute’s 2024 Pulse of the Parks report. To expand access to swimming, we’re investing in pools, beaches, and Learn-to-Swim programs through Governor Kathy Hochul’s NY SWIMS initiative.
56: New York State counties that are home to a state park or historic site (out of 62, total). Nearly 19.1 million New Yorkers (or 98.5 percent of the state’s population) have convenient access to our offerings. Counties without a state park or historic site still have access to outdoor recreation through lands managed by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Contributing To New York’s Economy
36: the percent of all New York State Park visitors who travel from outside of the region to visit a particular park. While most are New York State residents making the trek from different parts of the state to seek out adventure, 14 percent of visitors arrive from outside of New York, including those visiting from abroad.
2,000+: swimmers who graduated from a Learn-to-Swim program in 2024. As part of Governor Hochul’s NY SWIMS Initiative, New York State Parks expanded the program to more than 22 state parks.
88.3 million: visits to state parks and historic sites during 2024. That’s an increase in four million visits from 2023, and the 12th consecutive year of record-breaking visitation!
36: the percent increase in swimming pool attendance over the summer of 2024. This increase comes as swimming pool fees were waived as a part of NY SWIMS to combat climate change driven heatwaves.
7,500+: jobs supported by New York State Parks. That includes more than 5,000 seasonal jobs such as park and trail maintenance workers, lifeguards, and park rangers and more than 2,400 year-round employees, including Park Police officers, scientists, curators, and administrative staff. Explore our employment opportunities.
7,982: pavilion reservations in 2024 for events from wedding receptions to family reunions. See which state parks in your area have pavilions and plan your next gathering at a New York State Park.
2,206,986: campers who pitched their tents at New York State Parks in 2024. With more than 226,000 reservations, these campers spent a collective 753,731 nights under the stars. That’s about 2065 years of camping!
112,681: visitors saved money with an Empire Pass in 2024. The Empire Pass waives the day use entry fee at most state parks. It pays for itself in eight visits and is shareable amongst a household. Purchase your 2025 Empire Pass or renew your existing pass.
24,030: veterans and Gold Star families enrolled in the newly expanded Lifetime Liberty Pass. The Lifetime Liberty Pass grants free vehicle entry to most state parks, DEC day-use areas, boat launches, and historic sites. Passholders also get free greens fees at state-operated golf courses; free swimming pool entrance at State Parks; and deeply-discounted camping and cabin rentals at most State Park and DEC campgrounds.
8,295: disabled New Yorkers use the Individual Access Pass. The pass offers the same benefits as the Lifetime Liberty Pass and allows eligible New Yorkers to access our state parks and historic sites, which are becoming more inclusive for visitors with disabilities.
Preserving History, Building The Future
6,717: listings in the New York State or National Registers of Historic Places. Since many listings are neighborhoods or districts, this includes more than 126,000 individual properties!
74: nominations to the New York State or National Registers of Historic Places in an average year. The NYS Board for Historic Preservation reviews nominations four times annually.
230: businesses in the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry. These businesses have existed for at least 50 years, have contributed significantly to their communities, and have been nominated by a state elected official.
318: applications approved for federal commercial historic rehabilitation tax credits in 2023. This includes 148 certifications of significance; 96 preliminary certifications of rehabilitation; and 74 certifications of completed work.
1,845,305,062: estimated dollar value of the qualifying rehabilitation expenses at project completion approved in 2023.
1: our State Historic Preservation Office’s national rank for use of federal commercial historic rehabilitation tax credits.
522: certificates of project completion issued to individual homeowners in 2023.
49,862,385: estimated dollar value of work represented by those certificates.
83: the percent of historic tax credit projects in New York which create housing. More than 40 percent of the state’s historic tax credit projects create or maintain affordable housing.
72,918: estimated jobs generated by the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program since 2009 in New York State.
2027: The year that the New York State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program comes up for re-authorization. The state credit enhances the federal credit significantly and has spurred investment in New York State.
— Written by Public Affairs team members Kate Jenkins and Jennifer Robilotto, and Historic Preservation Communications Specialist Aine Leader-Nagy in collaboration with bureaus around the agency.
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 