American Heritage: Historic Sites, Museums and Battlefields across the US

Here, on October 19, 1781, American and French troops handed Britain such a devastating defeat British Prime Minister Frederick Lord North is claimed to have said, "Oh God, it's all over."

Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America's first national park, world-reknowned for its untouched natural beauty.

This military installation, constructed in 1862, allowed both Confederate and Union troops to guard the interior of eastern Florida.

This museum explores the history of development in 19th century Tampa.

This site of the 1982 World's Fair is landscaped with waterfalls and other natural scenes.

Visitors can escape the daily grind at the mill where they can visit farm animals, step back in time at a historic grist mill, or even play 18 holes of golf.

This unique National Park is the only site in the National Park System that honors the bravery and sacrifices of all those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

Henry David Thoreau lived at Walden Pond from July 1845 to September 1847 and his experience there provided the material for the book Walden, which is credited with helping to inspire awareness and respect for the natural environment.

At 468 miles in length from Toledo to Evansville, this canal was the largest fabricated structure in the United States.

The 48-acre site remains Seattle's most intensively used park, welcoming those interested in flora, fine arts, recreation or simply a quiet break from a busy city.

Administered by the National Park Service, the Virgin Islands National Park encompasses more than half of St. John Island, and Hassel Island in St. Thomas Harbor.

A plethora of war and military monuments, including a replica of the Vietnam Memorial, honor those Americans who served in foreign wars.

Valley Forge, long a symbol of American suffering and perseverance in war, is the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of George Washington's Continental Army.

Linking Reading and Harrisburg, the Union Canal Tunnel was completed in 1827 and is the oldest tunnel in the United States.

This is an area in which there was a Native American campsite where Lewis and Clark stopped during their western exploration.

This expansive and verdant state park features an opulent plantation including Civil War-era Confederate cannon installations.

The islands are unique, offering a wonderful recreation experience that spans two nations. Each island has its own individuality with features such as stately granite cliffs, soft sandy bays, tall dark pines and vibrant maple trees - it’s a sightseer’s paradise.

Established in 1978, the park is comprised of three separate areas (110 square miles) of badlands in western North Dakota.

This scenic park south of downtown Chicago is the burial place of distinguished statesman Stephen Arnold Douglas (1813-1861).

The Cardinals are a Major League Baseball team in St. Louis, Missouri.

Situated on the site where Japan's General Hideyoshi Obata constructed his underground command post during the waning days of World War II sits the South Pacific Memorial Park.

The park isn't resting on slate rock -- settlers mistook the dark soil for 350-million year old slate. It's actually shale, a soft rock made from clay deposited by water about 350 million years ago. The park features a historical farm where visitors can learn about and help with chores on a working 1880s farm.

Alaska's oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka.

The exhibits at the Sierra Nevada Logging Museum highlight economic, technological, social, and cultural contributions made throughout the region by loggers and the logging industry.

This Rhode Island museum explores the history of the Seabees, the construction division of the U.S. Navy.

The center, completed in 1998, is located on the North side of I. G. Levy Park.

The site of a conflict over a dead pig that nearly led to war between America and Great Britain in 1859, this national park honors the memory of the armies that were able to go without violence.

The San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum boasts 50,000 items representative of the development of San Joaquin County agriculture and history.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, located on the edge of San Francisco Bay, in the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, is a park that can be visited year round.

Discover the beautiful home, studios and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s greatest sculptors.

The Rocky Mountain National Park provides a wide variety of camping and hiking experiences for those exploring these majestic peaks.

Donated by the Rockefeller estate, the 1,233-acre park boasts historic carriage trails that wind past scenic views and Rockwood Hall, once the 220 room home of William Rockefeller.

Prickett's Fort State Park, a historical and recreational park, once provided a place of refuge from Indian attack for early settlers to the area.

This site displays the rich layers of the history of the Pacific American region including Native American history, Mexican History, and American History.

Fighting to maintain control of the Mississippi River, 7,500 Confederate soldiers held off attacks by over 30,000 Union troops at Port Hudson.

Nicknamed the "Forks of the Ohio," the park is not only the site of a confluence of major rivers, but was a pivotal turning point in the French and Indian War as well.

Pinecrest Historical Village is a unique rural museum that interprets village and farm life in Manitowoc County from the 1850's to the early 1900's.

Explore the people and events that shaped the siege which led to the fall of the capital of the Confederacy and the surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee's army.

Pecos preserves 12,000 years of history including the ancient pueblo of Pecos, Colonial Missions, Santa Fe Trail sites, and 20th century ranch history of Forked Lightning Ranch.

Many of the Plains tribes reportedly used this rock as an observation point from which they could track and swoop down upon buffalo herds and wagon trains.

This park presents a history of farm life through the 17th century plantation of Mount Welby and the Godding Croft therapeutic farm later established on the premises.

Declared a national monument in 1909, these caves contain fossils that date back to the Pleistocene epoch. In addition to cave tours, visitors can hike the many trails in the surrounding forest.

Once a thriving center of commerce, Cahawba is now Alabama's most famous ghost town and a scenic park.

Natural Bridges preserves some of the finest examples of natural stone architecture in the Southwest.

Built at the site of Washington's crossing of the Delaware, this museum tells the story of the American Revolution through impressive displays of medals, weaponry, and history.

Overlooking the North Platte River, the center tells the story of America’s westward expansion across numerous pioneer wagon trails.

Mount Rushmore is one of the most recognizable monuments in the country; this incredible display of nature and sculpting stands to honor four of the country's greatest presidents.

The migration of gold-seekers west to California necessitated the establishment of this, Nevada's first permanent nonnative settlement.

At this field in 1864, Lew Wallace's Union forces clashed with Jubal Early's Confederates.

Created in 1960, the Park System has more than 30 parks, forests, gardens, wetland/marine habitats, golf courses, historic sites, recreation areas, and conservation properties totaling over 14,000 acres.

The park was built in 1934 as a commemorative representation of Mission San Francisco de los Tejas, the first Spanish mission in the province of Texas.

Established in 1928, the parks are dedicated to providing a regional system of premier natural, historical and cultural public parklands maintained and operated to the highest professional standards to enhance our quality of life and inspire preservation efforts in this and future generations.

Spanish for green table, Mesa Verde offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300.

This historic hiking and wilderness organization offers over 350 climbs and 700 hikes annually, and sponsors conservation and research to protect and better understand the alpine environment.

In this unspoiled natural environment, visitors can step into natural history and experience a piece of America as it was before European colonization.

In the rolling countryside of Richland County, Louis Bromfield, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and dedicated conservationist, created his dream -- Malabar Farm.

Located on Lake Superior, the Madeline Island Museum explores the maritime and fur trade industries of Wisconsin's pioneering past.

The historic Livingston Depot was built in 1902 as the Northern Pacific Railroad's original access to Yellowstone National Park.

The nationally reputed garden cemetery in Lexington, Kentucky, is the burial site of many notable Kentuckians.

Lewis and Clark made 4,000-mile the cross-country journey in the early 19th century and ended up at the Pacific Ocean, where the national park stands to commemmorate their trek.

This historical park offers a natural environment for trails, picnics, and wildlife viewing in one of Florida's most historic state parks.

At the site of Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood home, little imagination is needed to see her footprints all around the area.

Laughing Brook was once the home of beloved children's author Thornton Burgess and the beautiful brook inspired many of his timeless tales.