Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in AZ preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The exhibit panels at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.

From the internal review records: “Picture currently shows a visitor holding a Pride flag in an indoor exhibit interpreting basalt bubbles and where to find them. Plan to replace photo with either a visitor/visitors looking up close at basalt bubbles or an up-close photo of just the basalt bubbles themselves.”

The administration has directed that this content be replaced or removed, not merely revised but eliminated from the visitor experience at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

Why this matters: Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is part of a network of over 400 national parks that serve as America's classrooms. The interpretive materials here were developed by subject-matter experts to help visitors understand the full story of this place. When historically accurate content is removed, the public loses access to its own history.