Begun in 1891 as an idealistic attempt to create a National Chautauqua Assembly "to promote liberal and practical education," the park became instead the area's premier amusement park from 1898–1968. Today, the park has come full circle, offering year-round educational activities, while two amusement-era destinations (the Spanish Ballroom and Dentzel Carousel) remain major attractions.

A second website for the park can be found here.

The park offers short films, tours, exhibits, classes, performances, educational programs, and recreational and educational events.

For over 400 years Ojibwe families of Grand Portage have tapped maples every spring on a ridge located just off Lake Superior. During the summer, Ojibwe fishermen harvest in the same areas their forefathers have. Before the United States and Canada existed, the trading of furs, ideas, and genes between the Ojibwe and French and English fur traders flourished. From 1778 until 1802, welcomed by the Grand Portage Ojibwe, the North West Company located their headquarters and western supply depot here for business and a summer rendezvous. Today, Grand Portage National Monument and Indian Reservation form a bridge between people, time and culture.

The site offers short films; tours; exhibits; educational programs; demonstrations; and educational and recreational events, including living history events.

The 184.5–mile Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park preserves the history of this canal, which shipped coal, lumber, grain, and other agricultural products along the Potomac River. The canal's story intertwines with those of western expansion, transportation, engineering, the Civil War, immigration, industry, and commerce. Rangers provide a mid–19th–century living history experience, and the park also offers an option of staying overnight in one of several historic lockhouses–each with interpretive media and furnishings which simulate the living conditions of the lock keeper's family during the 1830s, Civil War, the early 1900s, or the 1950s.

The park offers two replica canal boats, drawn by mule; docents in period dress; ranger–led hikes, walks, lift lock demonstrations, power point presentations, and mule programs; canal boat tours; Junior Ranger activities; and a period room overnight experience. The website offers lesson plans, photo galleries, and a coloring page.

The Edison National Historic Site consists of the home and laboratory of Thomas Edison, preserved as they were during the late 1800s.

The home offers tours, artifacts, and exhibits that showcase Edison's life and career.; it also offers videos for loan to educators. The website offers a biography of Edison, a history of the home, original phonograph recordings, visitor information, and a calendar of events.

The Hubbell Trading Post was started in 1878 by John Lorenzo Hubball in order to serve the new Navajo Nation. The post is the oldest continuously operating trading post in Navajo Nation, and is operated today by the National Park Service. Since the trading post is still operating, visitors "will experience history first hand at Hubbell Trading Post NHS."

The site offer house tours, demonstrations, and Junior Ranger activities. The website offers brief historical and visitor information regarding the site. In order to contact the historic site via email, use the "contact us" located on the left side of the webpage.

The Inupiat Heritage Center presents the history and culture of the Inupiat people. Originally the only hunters of the bowhead whale, or Agviq, in the region, during the 19th century they came into contact with New England whalers. After this point, many Inupiat crewed on New Bedford vessels and/or traded with the commercial whalers.

The center offers exhibits, a traditional room, activities, tours, storytelling, lectures, dance performances, and Junior Ranger activities. The website offers a booklet of activities to be completed during school visits.

The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site commemorates the history of For Vancouver, the main supply depot of the British Hudson Bay Company's "Columbia Department" between 1824 and 1860. As such, the fort was central to a 700,000 mile fur trading network, which reached from Alaska to California and from the Rocky Mountains to Hawaii. The fort has also been used as the early end of the Oregon Trail and a U.S. Army Post. The community living in Fort Vancouver consisted of 35 distinct ethnicities. The site also operates the home of John McLoughlin, Chief Factor of Fort Vancouver between 1825–1845.

The site offers introductory talks at Fort Vancouver; audio tours, including a tour designed for children; self-guided tours; guided house tours; period rooms; an overnight living history program; hands-on exhibits; a children's hands-on archaeological program; Victorian handcraft, artillery, blacksmithing, carpentry, cooking, baking, and gardening demonstrations; Junior Ranger activities; and lantern tours. Reservations are required at both sites for school groups.

One of the earliest industrial operations in North America, the Saugus Iron Works was where European iron makers brought their special skills and equipment to one of the earliest American colonies. The Saugus Iron Works was a business failure, and was discovered by archaeologist Roland Robbins in the late 1940s.

The park offers guided tours and ranger led programs for visitors and schoolchildren. Curriculum-based field trip plans are also available. The website offers visitor information, a history of the site, resources for teachers including pre-field trip activities and worksheets, and a calendar of events. In order to contact the historic site via email, use the "contact us" link located on the left side of the webpage.

The Cane River Creole National Park contains Oakland and Magnolia Plantations. Oakland Plantation, dating to circa 1821, was the home of Jean Pierre Emmanuel Prud'homme. The structure is French Colonial in style with bousillage construction. Magnolia Plantation was built in the 1830s for Ambrose LeComte. Styles include Greek Revival and Italianate. Collection highlights include the last U.S. cotton gin with a wooden screw press located on its original site.

Both plantations offer ranger-led tours, self-guided tours, painting workshops, musicians, storytellers, craftsmen, Junior Ranger activities, and picnic sites. The website offers videos and historic photographs.

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park presents the maritime history of the Pacific Coast. The visitor's center, within a 1908 cannery warehouse, discusses the ethnic diversity of the San Francisco area and displays a First Order Fresnel lighthouse lens. A variety of historic vessels and access to working boat builders are also available on site. Historic vessels include the 1886 square-rigger Balclutha, 1890 steam ferryboat Eureka, 1895 schooner C. A. Thayer, 1891 scow schooner Alma, 1907 steam tug Hercules, 1914 paddlewheel tug Eppleton Hall, and circa 1890 Bay Ark, as well as 6 small craft including a replica Chinese shrimp junk.

The park offers interactive exhibits, information panels, films, ranger-led interpretive programs, tours, sail raising demonstrations, Junior Ranger activities, and a research library. Tours are available on the pier, the Balclutha, the Eureka, and the Hercules. The library is open by appointment only. The website offers videos and a virtual tour, pre- and post-visit activities, curriculum materials, and other activities.