A special 45-minute preview of the new six-part documentary from Ken Burns, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," will be shown at 5 p.m. tomorrow at the Arizona Memorial Museum Theatre.

Seating is limited. To reserve a seat, call 973-0289.

The 12-hour documentary will begin airing the following week — nightly at 7 p.m. Sept. 27-Oct. 2 on PBS Hawaii.

Burns, who directed the series, traces the birth and life of the nation's national park system. It took more than six years to complete.

Using archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, and stunning cinematography, the series chronicles the steady addition of new parks through the stories of those who helped create them. It is simultaneously a biography of compelling characters and of the American landscape.