Parks around the world contain abundant examples of how climate change is affecting the resources within. Here in the United States, climate change is giving a new urgency to the National Park Service (NPS) mandate to preserve places that tell the story of our country’s vast geography and complex history “for the benefit of future generations.” Specialists focusing on preserving historic structures, monuments, museum collections, archaeological sites, and other cultural resources are increasingly called upon to address the consequences of a changing climate. Here, we introduce the theme papers in this issue of Parks Stewardship Forum.