Historic Sites
The preservation of the America's historic sites and landmarks is key in maintaining the integrity of these sites. Discover the birthplace of Lincoln, the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and more.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii in 79 C.E. was a horrible disaster. So why are people so enthralled with the ashy remains of the ancient city?
While the United States has its share of notorious sites to visit, you'd have to take a trip around the world to hit the most infamous of the bunch. Where are they, and why are they so controversial?
Much of Easter Island's haunting past remains a mystery, though clues have surfaced about the people, their culture and their fateful decline. What's the real story?
The United States has numerous buildings and other structures that represent the freedom and opportunity expressed in the American dream. Here are a few of those defining monuments.
America's national memorials commemorate historic people, places, and events that helped make America what it is today. Read about national memorials.
Thirteen miles south of Portland, in Oregon City, stands the McLoughlin House, one of the few remaining pioneer homes in the former Oregon Country. Read about the McLoughlin House National Historic Site.
In 1836, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and others successfully crossed the North American continent from New York to the largely unknown land called Oregon Country. Read more about Whitman Mission National Historic Site.
Overlooking the San Ramon Valley and distant Mount Diablo in California, Tao House was once home to Eugene O'Neill, one of America's greatest playwrights. Learn more about the site dedicated to his life and work.
A footpath weaves through Fort Bowie National Historic Site, roughly paralleling a historic military wagon road past ruins and reminders of the bloody fight for control of Apache Pass. Learn about Fort Bowie National Historic Site.
On May 10, 1869, workers from the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met at Promontory Summit in Utah and drove the golden and silver spikes that connected the East to the West. Check out Golden Spike National Historic Site.
Unlike many of the old frontier outposts, the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Arizona, dating back to 1878, is still doing business. Learn about Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site.
At the base of the Sierra Nevadas, an empty guard post stands along a lonely stretch of desert highway. It is one of the few remnants of the War Relocation Center at Manzanar. Learn more about Manzanar National Historic Site.
History and legend come together at Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, which preserves the last major religious structure of the ancient Hawaiian culture built in tÂÂÂhe islands. Learn more about Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site.
America’s national historic sites range from miniscule to massive, and simple to spectacular. They commemorate events, people, and places from our nation’s history. Learn more about national historic sites in the United States.
Fort Vancouver was built in 1825 as headquarters for the Hudson Bay Company's fur-trading operation on the Pacific Coast. It became the economic, social, and cultural hub of the Oregon Country. Read about Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
Fort Laramie National Historic Site lies near the confluence of the North Platte and Laramie rivers and preserves the first permanent white settlement in Wyoming. Learn about Fort Laramie National Historic Site.
The Grant-Kohrs Ranch in western Montana was once one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States. It harkens back to the days when the range was unfenced and seemingly endless. Read more about Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site.
The Allegheny Portage Railroad, completed in 1834, was a system of mountain rails, reducing the travel time from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to four days instead of 23. Read more about Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site.
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box at Ford's Theatre and shot President Abraham Lincoln. Read about Ford's Theatre National Historic Site
Franklin D. Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park luxury in 1882. He grew up in the family home, returned to raise his children, and was buried there, with his wife, in the rose garden. Read about the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site.
Just south of Boston, in the small city of Quincy, is the Adams National Historical Park, former home to five generations of the Adams family, including two Presidents. Learn more about Adams National Historical Park.
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site presents the two phases of Hoover's life -- his Quaker upbringing and his long public career -- in the setting of a late-nineteenth-century Iowa farm community. Read about Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.
Abraham Lincoln's frame house in Springfield, Illinois, is the only residence our sixteenth President ever owned. Read about the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
In 1880, more than 17,000 people from around the country traveled to Mentor, Ohio, to hear James A. Garfield campaign for the presidency from his front porch. The 30-room mansion is now preserved as the James A. Garfield National Historic Site.
Where the Knife River joins the Missouri are the remains of one of the oldest inhabited sites in North America. Nomadic hunters came to this area at least 11,000 years ago. Learn more about Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.
