Clara Barton National Historic Site commemorates the life of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. The home served as the headquarters and warehouse for the organization.
The site offers tours, performances, and educational and recreational events.
The Kalaupapa National Historical Park is primarily focused on the forced isolation of all Hawaiian people suffering from leprosy. The park is restricted in access, and prospective visitors must apply for a permit with the Hawaiian State Department of Health. From the park website: "The park's mission is to provide a well-maintained community ensuring the present patient residents of the Kalaupapa Settlement may live out their lives there."
The park offers hiking and historical sites. An outside company run by a local resident, Damien Tours, arranges tours. The website offers in depth historical information regarding the park, as well as visitor information. In order to contact the park via email, use the "contact us" link located on the left side of the webpage.
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.
The Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park commemorates the Civil War Battle of Kennesaw, fought between June 19th and July second, 1864, which initiated the Atlanta Campaign. More than 67,000 men were killed, wounded, or captured during this two week period. Exhibits address the military, communication, civilian, and medical aspects of the Atlanta Campaign. This campaign, which took place in the summer of 1864, ended with the fall of Atlanta to Union troops.
The park offers an 18-minute introductory film, exhibits, Junior Ranger activities, guided walks, talks, guided and self-guided educational programs for students, traveling trunks, 18 miles of interpretive trails, and picnic sites. Sign language interpreters are available with at least 24 hours advance notice. School groups must make reservations at least two weeks in advance.
Ellis Island operated as an immigration station between 1892 and 1954, entering more than 12,000,000 individuals into the U.S. legal system. At least one ancestor of more than 40 percent of U.S. citizens entered the United States through this port. A museum of station and immigration history is located on Ellis Island with the Hearing Room having been restored to its 1908 through 1911 appearance. Topics addressed include the immigration process, island history, immigration hearings, health, and current circa 1900 immigration law. France gifted the U.S. with the Statue of Liberty circa 1886 as a symbol of freedom and democracy. Statue of Liberty exhibits address the icon's history and present the original torch.
Ellis Island offers exhibits, a 45-minute presentation and film, a 30-minute dramatization of the immigrant experience, a one-hour Ferry Building tour, an interactive living history program, self-guided tours of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, guided tours, audio tours, immigrant manifest database access, Junior Ranger activities, a monthly genealogy workshop, curriculum-based programs, a traveling trunk, and distance learning opportunities for students. Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty Monument audio tours are available in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Italian, Arabic, German, Japanese, Polish, and Mandarin. Reservations are required for Ellis Island group audio tours. Wheelchairs are available for use on site. The website offers a teaching guide, in addition to visit and pre-visit activity sheets. The Statue of Liberty Monument offers an introductory film, 45-minute guided tours, exhibits, audio tours, Junior Ranger activities, and a traveling trunk. The website offers a virtual tour and a teacher guide.
The Hot Springs National Park preserves the history surrounding Hot Springs, Arkansas. The area has been a destination for individuals of all classes seeking relaxation and revitalization of health for more than 200 years. Sights include the historic Fordyce Bathhouse, in operation between 1915 and 1962, and the springs themselves.
The park offers a 15-minute introductory film, guided tours, guided tours for students, self-guided tours, traveling trunks, Junior Ranger activities, scenic mountain roads, a 9-minute film depicting the traditional bath routine, the opportunity to take a bath in the hot springs, 26 miles of trails, and picnic sites. The NPS warns that many sites in the area claim to be the Hot Springs National Park but are not. When hiking, visitors are asked to remain on the trails. Group tours require at least two weeks advance notice. Architectural models are available for visually impaired visitors. An American Sign Language interpreter can be on site for tours if requested at the time tour reservations are made. The website offers lesson plans.
The Antietam National Battlefield preserves the site of the September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam. This battle effectively halted the Confederate Army's first invasion of the North, and prompted the issuance of a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It is best known for being the United States' single-largest military loss of life in one day. The Pry House Field Hospital Museum is located on the battlefield grounds. This museum presents Civil War medicine and the history of the house itself, which served as Union General George B. McClellan's temporary headquarters.
The battlefield offers a 26-minute introductory film, a one-hour documentary, exhibits, talks, guided walks, eight curriculum-based programs, a self-guided 8.5 mile auto tour, guided auto tours, Junior Ranger activities, hiking trails, and outdoor activities. Reservations are required for guided auto tours. The website offers a scavenger hunt for use on site, historic images, a video on the artillery used at the Battle of Antietam, teacher's guides, a primary resource packet, and worksheets.
Professor Robert E. Gilbert suggests that Calvin Coolidge's popularly perceived inertia during the presidency may have been caused by extreme depression. Gilbert examines Coolidge's life using the framework of tragedy and mental illness.
Harvard Professor of Surgery Kevin R. Loughlin reviews the medical histories of presidents from George Washington to the present day. Loughlin focuses on "secret" medical problems hidden from the public and on causes of death.
Scholar Harlan Lane explores the life of John Brewster, Jr., a talented deaf portrait artist and American colonist born in 1766. The presentation includes slides of Brewster's work.
Audio and video options are available.