Federal Sign Policy Leads to Closure of Historic Exhibit in Yosemite

A little-known piece of Yosemite’s history is fading from view as federal policy changes ripple through the national park system.

In 2025, the National Park Service began implementing Executive Order 3431, a directive requiring the removal or replacement of signs deemed to portray Americans—past or present—in a negative light, instead emphasizing national achievements or the beauty of the landscape. The mandate has affected parks nationwide, leading to removed exhibits, altered signage, and canceled tours.

Now, Yosemite National Park has been impacted. A historic Chinese Laundry building, restored and opened in 2019 to recognize the overlooked contributions of Chinese immigrants, has been boarded up and closed to visitors. The exhibit highlighted the workers who helped build Yosemite’s earliest infrastructure, including the Wawona Road and the Tioga Road—routes that remain central to the park today.

According to park information, the Chinese Laundry exhibit was created to tell a “previously forgotten story” through displays honoring Chinese laborers who played a key role in shaping Yosemite. But the exhibit’s portrayal of their experiences, including discrimination they faced, appears to conflict with EO3431’s guidelines. Staffing shortages across the park system have also contributed to the closure.

Notices posted near the site now instruct visitors to report signage that does not emphasize landscape beauty or national progress. Similar changes have been reported at other parks, raising concerns that difficult but important chapters of American history—especially those involving immigrant and Indigenous communities—could continue to disappear from public lands.

For Yosemite, the loss isn’t just an exhibit; it’s a piece of the park’s own story.