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Politics And Pokemon Lead To Biggest Month Ever At James A. Garfield National Historic Site

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Published Date

September 6, 2016
James A. Garfield National Historic Site

James A. Garfield National Historic Site hosted more than 13,000 visitors in July.

With the celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th birthday and low gas prices, parks across the country have reported record visitor counts, but the phenomenon hasn’t been limited to the “crown jewels.” At James A. Garfield National Historic Site, 25 miles east of Cleveland, this year’s Republican National Convention and the popular mobile game Pokemon Go helped drive 13,083 visitors to the site in July. That total is 57 percent higher than the previous monthly record of 8,358 visitors five years ago, in July 2011.

Site staff expected higher-than-normal visitation due to the convention, held July 18-21 in Cleveland, but expectations were exceeded.

“We’ve been blown away by the numbers we’ve seen all summer, but especially in July,” said site manager Todd Arrington. “The Republican National Convention and the ongoing celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th birthday both drove a lot of people to us this year. The Pokemon Go craze really upped our visitation numbers as well and allowed us to introduce a whole new audience to President Garfield and the national parks. It’s been a fantastic, record-breaking summer here at James A. Garfield National Historic Site.”

The site, in Mentor, Ohio, offers guided tours of the Garfield home, museum exhibits, and an introductory film. The Park Service completely restored the house in the late 1990s. The nation’s 20th president, Garfield only served for about 200 days, as he was shot by a would-be assassin on July 2, 1881, and passed away September 19, 1881, due to infection and internal hemorrhaging related to the wound.

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