Chamizal National Memorial [TX]

Description

According to the National Park Service, "The Chamizal Convention of 1963 was a milestone in diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States. Chamizal National Memorial was established to commemorate this treaty, which resulted in the peaceful settlement of a century-long boundary dispute." The park features a 1.8 mile walking trail and a visitor center.

The National Memorial offers ranger-led programs that focus on a specific topic in history, outdoor activities, a visitor center with historical exhibits, and a stage where live entertainment including music and theater is performed each summer. The website offers visitor information, a calendar of events, and field trip and curriculum planning information for teachers.

Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail [AL]

Description

The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail commemorates the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama. On March 7, 1965, subsequently known as "Bloody Sunday," non-violent protesters for African American voting rights crossed the Edmond Pettus Bridge–only to be gassed, beaten, and halted by law enforcement officers. In response, nation-wide protesters flocked to the site for a five-day march, beginning March 21, 1965. This march received state and federal law enforcement protection. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was among those who spoke at the rally which followed completion of the march. The Voting Rights Act was passed May 26, 1965.

The site offers an interpretive center with exhibits and a film at the midpoint of the trail; ranger-led programs; in-classroom outreach programs; and Junior Ranger activities. Reservations are required for all ranger-led programming. The website offers lesson plans.

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park [LA]

Description

The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park presents the history of the people and places most crucial to New Orleans' jazz legacy. Key figures include Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong (1900-1971), Charles "Buddy" Bolden (1877-1931), "Papa Jack" George Vetiala Laine (1873-1966), and Sidney Bechet (1897-1959).

The park offers demonstrations, talks, live music, documentary films, two mp3 audio tours of the city, and lectures.

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).

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.

Governors Island National Monument [NY]

Description

The Governors Island National Monument presents the history of Governors Island, New York. The island started as a colonial outpost in 1776, and last served as an U.S. Army and Coast Guard regional administrative center until 1996.

The monument offers 90-minute guided walking tours, children's programs, lectures, living history events, and Junior Ranger activities. Visitors are welcome to bring picnic lunches. The website offers Web Ranger activities.

Vietnam Veterans National Memorial [DC]

Description

The Vietnam Veterans National Memorial offers a place for reflection and personal interaction with the memory of military personnel killed in the Vietnam War. Designed by artist and architect Maya Lin (born 1959) as a minimalist sculpture with a highly reflective surface, viewing the monument requires visitors to confront both themselves and the names of the fallen simultaneously. U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War spanned 1950 (the arrival of U.S. military advisors in Vietnam) through 1973.

The site presents the memorial only.

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site [AK]

Description

The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site preserves the site at which nine African American students entered the Little Rock Central High School for the first time on September 23, 1957. Their right to do so, determined under the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, proved a national symbol of the end of segregation in public schools. Despite the legality of the situation, desegregation was still highly inflammatory to many. The students had previously been turned away by the Arkansas State Guard before federal troops were deployed to escort them to and from the school.

The site offers interactive exhibits, captioned audio-visual programs, oral history listening stations, 30-minute guided group tours of the high school, gardens, Junior Ranger activities, Trail of Tears guided bicycle tours, student educational programs, teacher workshops for credit, school outreach presentations, and a traveling trunk. Tours of the school require two weeks advance notice, and groups must include 10 or more individuals. The high school is still in use. As a result, visitors may not tour the school without a guide. The website offers oral history videos, a pre-visit booklet, and lesson plans.

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park [OH] Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:36
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.