Brown v. Board historic site provides $1.6M boost to Topeka economy

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A new report from the National Park Service (NPS) shows that the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Park is having a positive impact on the local economy.

Jim Williams with the NPS said in a press release that the Brown v. Board site drew in more than 15,000 visitors in 2022, with visitors spending around $1 million in communities around the park. This helped to support 15 local jobs and benefitted the local economy with around $1.6 million.

"Since 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks," National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said. "With the help of volunteers and partners, we safeguard these special places and share their stories with more than 300 million visitors every year. The impact of tourism to national parks is undeniable: bringing jobs and revenue to communities in every state in the country and making national parks an essential driver to the national economy."

The analysis of the economic impact of the Brown v. Board park in Topeka was part of a larger study conducted by the NPS at the national level. Williams said the study found $23.9 billion of direct spending resulted from nearly 312 million park visitors in communities situated within 60 miles of a national park in 2022. The spending supported 378,400 jobs across the country and resulted in a cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy of $50.3 billion.

"People come to Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in Topeka from all over the world to learn about the integral role of the Brown v. Board of Education cases in the civil rights movement," Williams said. "We recognize that this tourism is a critical driver to the local economy, bringing fifteen jobs and more than a million dollars in revenue to communities within 60 miles of the park. As our visitation climbs back to pre-pandemic levels, we expect our economic impact to grow too."

Williams said the lodging sector had the highest direct impact in regards to the economics of visitor spending. In total, $9 billion in economic output was recorded nationally behind the restaurants sector which contributed $4.6 billion. To learn more about how national parks contributed to local economies, click here.