The Battle of Stones River began on the last day of 1862 and was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War. The battle produced important military and political gains for the Union, and it changed forever the people who lived and fought here.
The battlefield offers exhibits, films, tours, living history demonstrations, and other educational and recreational programs and events.
The USS Arizona Memorial is the final resting place for many of the battleship's 1,177 crew members who lost their lives on December 7, 1941. The Memorial commemorates the site where World War II began for the United States. Visitors experience history through the national memorial's program tour, museum, and wayside exhibits.
The memorial offers tours, exhibits, a film, and educational programs.
The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the most famous 19th-century African American. His life was a testament to the courage and persistence that serves as an inspiration to those who struggle in the cause of liberty and justice. Visitors to the site learn about his efforts to abolish slavery and his struggle for rights for all oppressed people.
The site offers tours, a film, and exhibits.
Adams National Historical Park tells the story of four generations of the Adams family (from 1720 to 1927). The park has two main sites: the Birthplaces of 2nd U.S. President John Adams and 6th U.S. President John Quincy Adams, and Peacefield including the “Old House,” home to four generations of the Adams family, and the Stone Library which contains more than 14,000 historic volumes.
The site offers guided tours of the homes.
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site protects and interprets the setting along the Washita River where Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack against the Southern Cheyenne village of Peace Chief Black Kettle, November 27, 1868. The attack was an important event of the Indian Wars era.
The site offers exhibits, an introductory film, guided tours, and lectures.
The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site presents information on the Tuskegee Experience, a 1940's "military experiment" to train the United State's first African American military pilots.
This site offers exhibits, films, tours, children's activities, and an annual air show.
On August 9, 1877, gun shots shattered a chilly dawn on a sleeping camp of Nez Perce. Colonel John Gibbon and 163 men of the 7th Infantry and 34 Bitterroot Volunteers had orders to stop the non-treaty Nez Perce and return them to Idaho. The nearly 800 Nez Perce men, women, and children had fled their native lands when being forced onto a smaller reservation.
The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, and lectures.
Fort Union was established in 1851 to protect area inhabitants and trade routes. During its forty-year history, three different forts were constructed close together. The third Fort Union was the largest in the American Southwest, and functioned as a military garrison, territorial arsenal, and military supply depot for the southwest. The largest visible network of Santa Fe Trail (an ancient Native American trade route) ruts can be seen here.
The monument offers interpretive talks, guided tours, living history programs, and a 1.6 mile self-guided interpretive trail.
The Manassas National Battlefield Park is home of two pivotal early Civil War battles. The second battle was a resounding Confederate victory, which put the Confederacy at the height of their power. The battlefield can be toured individually, or with the help of a park ranger. The battlefield is also home to many interpretive events throughout the year.
The battlefield offers group tours, daily interpretive events, miles of trails, field trip programs, and presentations and exhibits in the battlefield's visitor center. The website offers visitor information, an events calendar, curriculum materials, and historical information.
The Valley Forge National Historical Park presents the social and military histories of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. In 1777, the British succeeded in capturing the then capital of the United States, Philadelphia. The Continental Army, under George Washington (1732-1799), encamped in Valley Forge that winter in order to keep pressure on the British in Philadelphia, while avoiding attack and the need for winter transportation, which was rendered nearly impossible given weather conditions. While at Valley Forge, the army received training from Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben (1730-1794), increasing its military prowess. Sites include a memorial chapel, Washington's headquarters, a brigade encampment, and the farmhouse in which General James Varnum (1748-1789) quartered.
The site offers an 18-minute introductory film, exhibits, guided tours, a cell phone tour, trolley tours, living history interpreters, educational programs, Junior Ranger tours and activities, library and archive access, a summer teachers' institute, and two sites which sell refreshments. The library and archive collections are non-circulating and only accessible by appointment. The website offers audio and video podcasts, a curriculum guide, and suggested reading. The park also offers a unique program, wherein children can muster into the Continental Army, learning about different aspects of army life each session. "Veteran" students assist with teaching newcomers.
Washington's headquarters is currently closed for restoration.