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We’re all well aware that our country’s national parks are some of the best attractions out there. Each and every one is well worth visiting, too—but what about national historical parks? Are these just as good as national parks? Should they be added to your RV travels and roadschooling curriculum?
In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about national historical parks.
What is a National Historical Park?
First, let’s talk about what exactly a national historical park is. While these parks are run by the National Parks Service, they are not full-fledged national parks. That said, this doesn’t make them “lesser-than.” It just makes them different.
National historical parks are historically significant places, with at least one historic building or site included on the park grounds. They all offer a visitor center of some sort, most with an orientation video and some exhibits to help visitors understand what they’re looking at. In some cases, national historical parks will boast living history experiences or guided ranger tours. Some have buildings you can walk through, providing an immersive experience, and some offer fun presentations.
In all cases, national historical parks present excellent learning opportunities and are a great way to bring history to life.
National Historical Park vs National Park
Not sure what the difference between a national park and a national historical park is? Generally, a national park includes grand views, awesome trails, or some sort of natural wonder. While a national park may have a rich history, history does not tend to be the sole focus at these parks, as it usually takes a back seat to the natural beauty of the place.
Meanwhile, history is the main focus at national historical parks. They may boast some natural beauty, but the highlight of a national historical park is always the story it has to tell about the past.
National Historical Park vs National Historic Site
But what about national historical parks versus national historic sites? Well, this line is a little more fuzzy. Usually, a national historic site is a single site in a smaller park, and a visitor center is not always included. A national historical park tends to be more extensive, with more learning opportunities and ways to explore the history of the place.
Why Visit National Historical Parks?
In our opinion, national historical parks are 100% worth visiting. Why? Because they’re fascinating! These parks tell incredible stories of the past and allow us to connect with them in a very tangible way. Not only that, but many of the parks focus on stories that weren’t necessarily taught in our history textbooks, meaning we get a more complete picture of the history of our nation.
All of that to say, national historical parks are the perfect roadschool stop for kids and parents alike.
Roadschooling at National Historical Parks
Not sure how to incorporate national historical parks into your roadschooling? It’s easy! Honestly, even just visiting the parks would probably be enough to be considered “school,” but we like to do a bit more when we can.
Preparing for Your Visit
Before you visit any park, head to the parks’ webpage to get a feel for the information that will be presented there. From there, you can pick out a book or two or seek out a video on the topic. This will get the family thinking about the topic so everyone has a basic understanding of what they will be learning about during their visit.
We highly recommend the following resources for this:
- Crash Course History on YouTube
- The Magic Tree House book series
- The Ordinary People Change The World book series
- The “Who was…?” books and show on Netflix
Junior Ranger Program
Once you arrive at the park, request a junior ranger book. These are available at all NPS sites and are an excellent way to keep your kids engaged as you explore the park. Every book includes a variety of activities that encourage kids to gather information as they wander the exhibits, watch the park movie, and check out the historic buildings and sites.
At the end of your visit, you can take the completed junior ranger book to the visitor center to receive a junior ranger badge.
Following Up
On the drive home, follow up with your family. Ask them what they learned during their visit and if they’d like to dive deeper into the topic to learn anything more. You never know what might catch a person’s interest!
Camping in National Historical Parks
Most national historical parks do not have onsite campgrounds. That said, there are a few that do offer camping, so if camping in national historical parks is something you’d like to do, we recommend checking before you go.
We know that the following parks do offer onsite RV camping:
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park
- Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
- Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
List of All National Historical Parks
Wondering where to find these awesome national historical parks so you can start your roadschool adventures into the past? Below is a list of every single national historical park in the country. Choose any of these and pay it a visit. We promise you won’t regret it!
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, Kentucky
- Adams National Historical Park, Massachusetts
- Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Virginia
- Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, Rhode Island
- Boston National Historical Park, Massachusetts
- Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Louisiana
- Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, Virginia
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
- Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, District of Columbia, Maryland, and West Virginia
- Colonial National Historical Park, Virginia
- Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia
- Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, Ohio
- First State National Historical Park, Delaware
- Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, South Carolina
- George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, Indiana
- Golden Spike National Historical Park, Utah
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia
- Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, New York
- Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, Maryland
- Homestead National Historical Park, Nebraska
- Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ohio
- Independence National Historical Park, Pennsylvania
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Louisiana
- Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, Georgia
- Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Hawaii
- Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Hawaii
- Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Alaska, and Washington
- Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Oregon and Washington
- Lowell National Historical Park, Massachusetts
- Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, Texas
- Keweenaw National Historical Park, Michigan
- Manhattan Project National Historical Park, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Washington
- Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Vermont
- Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, Georgia
- Minute Man National Historical Park, Massachusetts
- Morristown National Historical Park, New Jersey
- Natchez National Historical Park, Mississippi
- New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, Massachusetts
- New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Louisiana
- Nez Perce National Historical Park, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington
- Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Georgia
- Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, Texas
- Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, New Jersey
- Pecos National Historical Park, New Mexico
- Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii
- Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, South Carolina
- Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, California
- Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, Virgin Islands
- Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, New Hampshire
- San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Texas
- San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, California
- San Juan Island National Historical Park, Washington
- Saratoga National Historical Park, New York
- Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska
- Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park, Missouri
- Thomas Edison National Historical Park, New Jersey
- Tumacácori National Historical Park, Arizona
- Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania
- War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam
- Women’s Rights National Historical Park, New York
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