Piscataway Park, Accokeek Foundation, and National Colonial Farm [MD]

Description

Piscataway Park is a scenic easement to preserve the view from Mount Vernon. There are many areas open to the public. Visitors can explore the National Colonial Farm, an 18th-century farm, maintained by the Accokeek Foundation, which depicts life for an ordinary tobacco planting family in Prince George's County in the 1770s.

A second website for the park, maintained by the Accokeek Foundation, can be found here.

The park and foundation offers workshops and occasional recreational and educational events; the farm offers demonstrations, workshops, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Klondike Gold Rush, Seattle Unit, National Historical Park [WA]

Description

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park preserves the story of the 1897-98 gold rush and Seattle's role therein. At that time, 70,000 people gathered in Canada's Yukon gold fields, hoping to find their fortunes.

The park offers interactive exhibits, including computers which provide access to participants' journals and personal accounts; films upon request; educational programming between September and May; two traveling trunks; a series of speakers; and Junior Ranger activities. Education programs require reservations. Summer (June 15th through Labor Day) offerings include gold panning demonstrations, guided walking tours of Pioneer Square Historic District, and films about the gold rush. The website offers lesson plans, activities, a teacher resource guide, a scavenger hunt for download, a coloring page, and links to relevant historical websites.

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park [MD]

Description

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.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park [MA]

Description

The New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park presents the history of New Bedford, whaling capital of New England in the mid-19th century, and the trade itself. This is the only national park to focus on whaling and the whale oil industry. The park consists of a portion of New Bedford itself, the starting point for the fictional voyage chronicled in Herman Melville's Moby Dick, as well as the majority of American whaling expeditions. Voyages could last upwards of five years per voyage, but were crucial to providing whale oil to light the 1800s United States.

The park offers an introductory film; exhibits on area preservation, whaling, and commercial fishing; a guided tour; self-guided tours on whaling and on the Underground Railroad; and Junior Ranger activities. The park is partners with the following area institutions: the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum, Seamen's Bethel, Waterfront Visitor Center and Schooner Ernestina. Partner institutions offer more than 60 educational programs.

Inupiat Heritage Center [AK]

Description

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.

Lowell National Historical Park [MA] Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:35
Description

The Lowell National Historical Park presents America's Industrial Revolution via the example of the textile industry's use of the Merrimack River. The park also presents local history. Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), famous member of the Beat Generation and author of On the Road, was born in Lowell.

The Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center offers exhibits. The park also offers tours, non-circulating library access, and teacher workshops. Appointments are required for library use. The website offers oral history transcriptions and a lesson plan.

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site [MA]

Description

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.

Cane River Creole National Historical Park [LA]

Description

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.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park [CA]

Description

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.