Valley Forge Park Generates $39 Million For Local Economy: Study

VALLEY FORGE, PA — Tourism to Valley Forge National Historical Park generated $39.9 million in economic benefits to the local community last year, a study executed by the National Park Service found.

A total of 2.1 million visitors in 2017 spent $26.8 million in communities near the park, directly supporting around 426 jobs, the study states.

The study, executed by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service, found that the spending was highest in three main sectors: restaurants ($11.2 million), retail ($4.4 million), and hotels ($3.3 million).

“Valley Forge National Historical Park welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” Park superintendent Steve Sims said in a statement. “We are delighted to share the story of the Valley Forge Winter Encampment of 1777-1778 and to protect the 3,500 acres of this inspiring landscape for the enjoyment of our visitors."

The study also measured the boon which the National Park Service provides to the economy nationwide. Around 330 million park visitors spent $18.2 billion in communities near National Parks in 2017, supporting 306,000 jobs.

The total benefit to the U.S. economy? $35.8 billion.

Photo by Douglas Grundy/Three Lions/Getty Images