Fort Moultrie National Monument [SC]

Description

Fort Moultrie was one of the four major forts lining the entrance to Charleston Harbor. The fort was abandoned at the start of the Civil War by Union Troops in favor of Fort Sumter, which led to the first major action of the Civil War. Today, the fort has been restored to portray the major periods in its history, and visitors to the fort move steadily backwards from Fort Moultrie during World Wary II to the Palmetto-log fort of 1776.

The fort offers guided tours, interpretive activities, and field trip programs. The website offers basic visitor information, online historical documents, and a history of the fort. In order to contact the fort via email, use the "contact us" link located on the left side of the webpage.

Eisenhower National Historic Site

Description

Eisenhower National Historic Site is the home and farm of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield, the farm served the President as a weekend retreat and a meeting place for world leaders. The site comprises 690 acres and includes four farms, three of which were used by President Eisenhower for his show herd of black Angus cattle. Today the farm is maintained as it was during the Eisenhower years and the President's home retains nearly all its original furnishings.

The site offers tours, a short film, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Johnstown Flood National Memorial [PA]

Description

The Johnstown Flood National Memorial commemorates the events and loss of life of the 1889 Johnstown Flood. On May 31, the failure of the South Fork Dam released the entire contents of Lake Conemaugh. Despite efforts to build up the dam, warn area inhabitants, and create alternate routes for overflow to follow, the failure caused the destruction of a nearby Johnstown. 2,209 men, women, and children were killed. The site includes the South Fork Dam ruins and the Clubhouse of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, the president of which, Colonel Elias Unger (1830-1896), led efforts to prevent the disaster.

The memorial offers a 35-minute introductory film, exhibits, guided van tours, and trails to the South Fork Dam ruins. A tactile model with sound components is available for vision impaired visitors. A wheelchair is available for use on site. The website offers witness statements, Teaching with Historic Places materials, and suggested reading for adults and students.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site [KS]

Description

The Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site commemorates the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case, which ended legal segregation in the public school system. The site is located within one of four former African American elementary schools, the Monroe Elementary School. The school has been restored to a 1954 appearance. Permanent exhibits address relevant people, places, and events; the feelings of being subjected to discrimination; and the impact of the case. Computer consoles invite visitors to share their own experiences.

The site offers a ranger-led orientation, a 25-minute introductory film, interactive and traditional exhibits, 90-minute tours for students, outreach presentations for students, distance learning programs, Junior Ranger activities, and access to a non-circulating research library. Picnic tables are located in the nearby Cushinberry Park. Access to the library is by appointment only. The website offers historical photographs, an interactive activity, scavenger hunt worksheets for third grade through high school, an electronic field trip, a DVD and teacher's guide, Teaching with Historic Places lesson plans, a web quest, children's activities, and a curriculum kit.

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site [AL]

Description

The Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site is located on Tuskegee University. Sights include the George W. Carver (circa 1864-1943) Museum and The Oaks, Booker T. Washington's (1856-1915) home. Other figures honored include Dr. Frederick W. Patterson (1901-1988), founder of the United Negro College Fund, and Dr. Robert Moton, who stressed the need for health care for African American veterans. Carver is known for his support of the peanut as an alternative to the southern cotton crop, which had been ravaged by the boll weevil. Washington founded the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers, later the Tuskegee Institute, to provide education to African American students. Due to the strength of the aeronautical engineering program at the institute, the site was selected by the military to train African American pilots for World War II.

The site offers exhibits, interpretive programs, 30-minute introductory films on George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington, guided tours of The Oaks, period rooms, tours of the historic Tuskegee University, and 2-hour curriculum-based programs. Reservations are required for curriculum-based programs. The Oaks is not fully wheelchair accessible. Films can be played with captions.

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park [OH]

Description

The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park celebrates the history and accomplishments of Wilber Wright (1867-1912), Orville Wright (1871-1948), and Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906). Other topics addressed include changes in Air Force aviation technology. Sights include two interpretive centers; the Wright brothers' printing office, styled to period; a Wright brothers' bicycle shop; the brothers' third airplane, built in 1905; the Huffman Prairie Flying Field; and Dunbar's final residence. The Wright brothers are best known for creating the world's first successful airplane, while Dunbar was an African American poet celebrated for his 1896 poem "Lyrics of a Lowly Life."

The park offers two introductory films; exhibits; period rooms; guided tours of the Wright Cycle Company building, Wright-Dunbar Village, and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field; guided bicycle tours; children's programs; curriculum-based educational programs; and Junior Ranger activities. Tours of the Wright Cycle Company building are available on request only, and reservations are required for groups. Reservations are required for all school programs. The website offers an interactive timeline.

Fort Davis National Historic Site [TX]

Description

The Fort Davis National Historic Site consists of a surviving frontier Indian Wars fort, used between 1854 and 1891. The soldiers of the fort sought to protect travelers along the San Antonio-El Paso Road and the Chihuahua Trail from Native American attack. The Comanche and Apache peoples proved to be the greatest concern for the fort. Five structures on site have been returned to their 1880s appearances, and are fully furnished. Visitors can also explore 20 other buildings and more than 50 ruins.

The site offers a 15-minute introductory film, period rooms, self-guided tours, one- to three-hour educational programs, costumed interpreters, audio programming, Junior Ranger activities, traveling trunks, hiking trails, and a picnic site. Junior Ranger activity booklets are available in large print and in braille. Reservations are required for school groups. The website offers curricula.

Fort Laramie National Historic Site [WY]

Description

The Fort Laramie National Historic Site commemorates Fort Laramie. Originally constructed in 1841 as a privately owned fur trade fort, the settlement was known as Fort John. It acquired its new name in 1849, after the U.S. Army purchased the outpost in order to protect travelers on the Oregon Trail from the local Native American populations. The United States and the Plains Indians honored the Treaty of 1851, which demanded peace from both parties, for only three years. During the 1860s, fort soldiers were primarily concerned with maintaining nearby telegraph wires. Collections include 19th-century frontier artifacts.

The fort offers an 18-minute introductory film, exhibits, Junior Ranger activities, and an audio tour for rental. The audio tour includes narration, readings from primary source documents, and soundscapes. The website offers a virtual tour.

Natchez National Historical Park [MS]

Description

Natchez, Mississippi, is located on the banks of the Mississippi River and offers visitors a chance to explore life in the antebellum south. Natchez is home to the William Johnson House, the Cypress Swamp, and the Melrose Mansion, and so offers visitors a comprehensive view of southern culture, from the life of former slave William Johnson to the life of wealthy southerner John McMurran.

The historical park offers guided tours, field trip programs, and exhibits in the park visitor center. The website offers visitor information, curriculum materials for teachers, and a history of Natchez. In order to contact the park via email, use the "contact us" link located on the left side of the webpage.

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument [MT]

Description

This site commemorates the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn, during which the Lakota and Cheyenne made one of their final military efforts to defend their respective cultures. Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and 262 other U.S. Army men died on the site, making this the site of the famed "Custer's Last Stand." The grounds include a national cemetery in which the federal dead of the battle are interred. As of the 1990s, the site commemorates the fallen Lakota and Cheyenne as well.

The monument offers an exhibit, a film, guided bus tours led by Native Americans, talks, a self-guided five-mile walking tour, outdoor activities, Junior Ranger activities, and research library access. Research library access is by appointment only. The talks and film are offered Memorial Day through August.