How railroads helped evolve the national park idea and grow tourism will be discussed by Dr. Alfred Runte in a presentations at Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.

Dr. Runte will address the public at 2 p.m. this coming Saturday afternoon at the trail headquarters, which is located next to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge on the Omaha riverfront. His free talk will deal with the simultaneous and cooperative growth of tourism, the national parks, and the railroads, with a special emphasis given to the national parks-focused campaigns engineered by Union Pacific in the 20th century.

Parking at the visitor center is available, free of charge. The talk will wrap up the Trail's celebration of National Park Week, which runs April 16th - April 24th.

Earlier Saturday, Dr. Runte will participate at 10 a.m. in the dedication of All Set for the West: Railroads and National Parks, sponsored by the Union Pacific Railroad Museum. The exhibit includes original Union Pacific photos, historical films, and marketing materials tracing the partnership between the National Park Service and Union Pacific in developing 15 national parks and monuments, led by Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Zion, Bryce, Cedar Breaks, and the North Rim of Grand Canyon.

“If we want the country to be green, we need our railroads back," Dr. Runte notes. "And that goes especially for the national parks.”