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America’s Native Peoples

Mesa Verde National Park, southwestern Colorado - A showcase of Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) culture, this World Heritage Site is one of the most extensive and well-preserved archaeological sites in America. It offers excellent examples of almost every stage of Ancestral Puebloan development - the single-family subterranean pithouses of A.D. 500, the mesa-top apartment-style pueblos built between 750 and 1100, and the sprawling cliff cities constructed during the late 1200s.

Valley of Fire State Park, near Las Vegas, Nevada. This is an extraordinary place, both for its unique scenery and its ancient art. Multicolored rock landscapes stretch to the horizon. Swirls of purple stripes undulate on sandstone “fields” of pink and gold. Flaming red rock, eroded by the forces of wind and water, create fantastical shapes that tower overhead. All are the perfect complement to two impressive petroglyph (rock “art”) sites that are accessible to visitors year-round.

Oconaluftee Indian Village, Cherokee, North Carolina, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This re-created Cherokee village will transport you 250 years back in time. Discover the skill of making and using blowguns, demonstrated with uncanny accuracy. See blocks of wood become elaborate ceremonial masks and logs become canoes with the aid of fire and ax. Watch craftspeople shape clay into beautiful pottery, weave river cane into intricate baskets, knap flint into specialized arrowheads, and weave strands of tiny glass beads into brightly colored belts. Learn about sweat lodges, dances, masks, the Cherokee government and much more.

European Colonization

The Spanish - St. Augustine, Florida. Established in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in America. Remarkably, much of its early history has survived for us to enjoy today. Most notable is the Castillo de San Marcos, a dramatic stone fortification overlooking the bay and city. Other interesting sites include the Colonial Spanish Quarter, Government House museum, Herbarium colonial military hospital, Ximenez-Fatio House, González-Alvarez House and Old St. Augustine Village.

The French - Old Fort Niagara, Youngstown, New York, near Niagara Falls. Most of the buildings are original and were erected between 1726 and 1872, reflecting occupation by the French, English and Americans. The showpiece is the “French Castle,” which was built to resemble a large trading post but was really a citadel containing everything needed for a garrison of about 60 officers and men. Expertly restored to its 1727 appearance, the Castle is so well outfitted that you will feel as though you have entered a working fort in the eighteenth-century.

The English - Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg historical region, Williamsburg vicinity, Virginia, about 2-1/2 hours by car from Washington DC. This region is representative of two chapters in U.S. history: European Colonization and the Road to Independence. Several places are must-sees: Historic Jamestowne, which is the site of the first successful English colony in America; Jamestown Settlement, an exceptional re-creation of the original village; Colonial Williamsburg, which has more than 500 historical buildings and many living history programs; Yorktown Battlefield, where the British surrendered during America’s fight for independence; and Yorktown Victory Center, a comprehensive look at colonial soldiers of war and their return to civilian life.

Religious & Secular Groups

Old Salem Museums & Gardens, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Both Europeans and enslaved African Americans once lived in this eighteenth-century Moravian town, centering their lives around work and worship. Today, the historic district, which occupies 14 city blocks, has been restored to represent the period from 1766 to the mid-1800s. Heritage plants are grown exclusively in more than 30 gardens. Majestic trees and fruit orchards reflect historic times. Even the streets and lighting are as authentic as possible to the period. While most of the nearly 100 restored buildings are private residences, 15 can be toured at your leisure. Costumed interpreters describe the life of Moravians and demonstrate the original trades, domestic activities and crafts.

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 2-1/2 hours by car from Boston. Situated in the scenic Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, this historic religious settlement was considered the center of Shaker authority in America from 1787 until 1947. Today, it is a 1,200-acre living history museum that offers terrific insight into the Shakers and their contributions to the broader American society. In addition to 20 original buildings, an historic working farm and an heirloom garden, you can enjoy a number of hands-on activities and first-person portrayals of Shakers from the past.

Mission San Fernando, San Fernando, California, 1/2-hour by car from downtown Los Angeles. Built in 1797, this Spanish Catholic settlement was an important part of a 21-mission system in California and specifically situated to relieve the long journey between Mission San Gabriel and Mission San Buenaventura. Its two-story convento served as an hotel as well as the missionary quarters. Fully restored and finely furnished, it is fronted by a colonnade with 21 arches. The mission church is a reconstruction - authentic on the outside but far more dramatic on the inside, with an awe-inspiring 1687 gold-leafed altar.

Road to Independence

Fort Ticonderoga, northeastern New York. Guarding the narrow choke-point between Lake Champlain and Lake George, this star-shaped fort was built by the French in 1755-1758 and was first named Fort Carillon. It played a key role in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Today this marvelously restored fort offers guided and self-guided tours, interpreters in period clothing, a truly world-class museum, military demonstrations and occasional war re-enactments.

Boston National Historical Park, Boston, Massachusetts. This city blazed a trail through American history, from colonialism to independence, and it played a pivotal role in the formation of our national ideals about freedom of speech, religion, government and self-determination. Today, many of Boston’s historic buildings welcome visitors. Take the 2-1/2 mile red-line walking path through downtown. Markers identify historic stops. Be sure to visit the Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church and USS Constitution (a Navy frigate nicknamed “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812). Special programs include first-person re-enactments

Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While Boston was the place that fermented our rebellion, Philadelphia was the place that shaped our government. Independence Hall is the highlight. This World Heritage Site was at the center of everything important in our early government. Here George Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army; the Declaration of Independence was adopted; the design of the American flag was agreed upon; the Articles of Confederation were adopted; and the U. S. Constitution was drafted. The Georgian-style structure has been restored to its eighteenth-century appearance and has period furnishings. Other interesting sites include the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, Declaration House (a reconstruction), and the Bishop White and Todd houses.

Our New Nation

The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown, New York. Throughout early America, many small towns grew up as commercial villages serving the needs of local farmers. This restored 1845 village represents such a place. Here you will see a wallpaper manufacturer, a re-created 1800s Country Fair, and a variety of homes and businesses that have living history interpreters and craftspeople. Visit a farmstead that has heritage animals. Enjoy several heirloom gardens. Ride the charming Empire State Carousel. Then walk uphill to the Seneca Log House, for a unique look at the Six Nations (Iroquois) culture that existed in the area 150 years ago. (About a mile away is the very popular National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.)

Slater Mill Historic Site, Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Ushering in the Industrial Revolution in America, this 1793 cotton manufacturing mill had one purpose: to make thread. It is a thrilling place to visit today. Interpreters will take you through the production process in a facility filled with functional equipment - from the harvested cotton balls and the gin which removed seeds and seedpods, to the automated carders which straightened out the cotton fibers, to the thread pullers and spinners, to the finished goods. (Although cloth and end-products were not made here, representative sock makers, ribbon makers and other weaving machines are included to complete your understanding.) Outside, the water-power system has been restored. The workshop has been replicated to show how workers made machine-replacement parts as well as tens of thousands of wooden spools to hold the thread. Even a mill worker's home is open to visitors. There’s nothing else quite like this.

Mount Vernon, in northern Virginia or Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia. We can’t decide which is a better choice: George Washington’s home and farming operations or Thomas Jefferson’s more elegant estate and gardens. Both provide fascinating perspective about the man behind the presidency, both have very interesting guided and self-guided tours, and both have important related sites nearby. Mount Vernon recently added an exceptional museum and education center. Monticello has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. You’ll need a day for each. They’re only 2-1/2 hours apart; so if you can take the time, see them both.

Opening the West

Frontier Culture Museum, Staunton, Virginia. To truly understand the westward movement from Europe to America, you should look back to the immigrants and what they experienced before and after venturing across the Atlantic. One fascinating source of information is the Frontier Culture Museum. It has transported three historic farm houses from their countries of origin, reconstructed them on museum property and peopled them with living history interpreters. These “snapshots” of the Old World represent the lives left behind in Germany, Northern Ireland and England. They stand in contrast to two relocated American farmsteads and their living history occupants. Here you will begin to understand the character of people who could leave the safety and comfort of friends and family to travel across the intimidating Atlantic Ocean and settle in unfamiliar territory.

Historic Fort Snelling, St. Paul, Minnesota. Strategically positioned at the junction of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, Fort Snelling was built in the 1820s in a time and place demanding great courage. The fort’s purpose was to protect law-abiding citizens, deny non-Americans commercial use of the rivers and prevent white encroachment on Indian lands ahead of government treaties. Today within the walls of this remarkable restoration, living history travelers can see a vivid picture of the lifestyle of soldiers, officers, domestics, tradesmen, fur traders and Indians who once lived in the region. All of the personnel - from the Commander, to the soldiers, to the laundress - are in character, portraying people and events of the past.

Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, western Colorado near La Junta. The Santa Fe Trail emerged in 1821 as a commercial highway between Missouri and New Mexico and after the Mexican War (1846-1848) became a national road connecting America to its newest territories. On this vital route, Bent’s Old Fort was the only sizable, permanent, white settlement for 16 years. Today’s authentic reconstruction is based on original sketches, paintings and diaries from the period as well as archaeological excavations. All of the animals are historically accurate, including the Spanish Barb horses, oxen, peacocks, Dominique chickens and mule. In addition, living history demonstrations are presented on weekends and during special events.

So that’s our Short List.

If these remarkable destinations don’t fit into your itinerary, you can find many more to choose from in America’s Living History-The Early Years. The book showcases 300 premier attractions dating back to America’s most formative years - the time before the mid-1840s westward movement.

Where should I go?
What should I do?

Deciding which historical destinations to squeeze into a relatively short U.S. trip can be daunting. There are so many choices! When asked what we would recommend, we too have a difficult time. After all, we included 300 premier sites in America’s Living History-The Early Years and had a great time at each and every one of them.

Still, we’re trying to be helpful to you. So we’ve picked a few from each of our chapters in early U.S. history. They stand out because of their extraordinary features and/or close proximity to other types of visitor attractions. For more selections, based on your travel itinerary, you can simplify things for yourself by using our traveler’s guide. It includes destination photos along with reasons to visit, tourist details and URLs for reliable additional information.