20 of America’s Most Historic Sites You Won’t Want to Miss

In spite of holding a relatively young nation, America has witnessed more than its reasonable share of mesmerizing history. It’s been shaped and reshaped by a rough and incredibly mixed past that spans the entire range, from colonial conquests and indigenous settlements to the civil fight and war for independence to the impact of tides of immigration from all four hubs of the globe. Existing as a history buff, then you don’t have to survey the fascinating sights. Use the given list below to schedule your next getaway to a destination that’s rich with history. To determine the best historical cities, check the list below:

#1  Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg will be the best sense place to visit to learn about Colonial life in America.  place.  Williamsburg is the world’s largest living history museum and has a vast theatrical stage outside for performances of American history. The village of Williamsburg has dozens of historic homes and buildings with costumed characters explaining the charms and challenges of life in early America.  The grand Governor’s Palace was home to pre-revolution Royal Governors appointed by the English King, and post-revolutionary American Governors Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. This is a place that every family with school-aged children should visit at least once for the very entertaining living history of America.

#2  Charleston, South Carolina

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Visit Charleston’s picturesque and famously friendly city; you feel like you have been enchanted back in time. It was established in 1670 as an English colony; this east coast territory grew to become one of the nation’s most thriving cities and maintained a diverse mix of cultures.  Wander down King Street and enjoy the many shops, restaurants, and most of all admire the proud and graceful southern homes that have become a cultural draw to the elegant city.

#3  St Augustine, Florida

This city was founded in 1565 by the Spanish and is the oldest continuously settled city, occupied European settlement in the U.S.  The settling of St. Augustine predates the pilgrims’ landing on Plymouth Rock and the founding of Jamestown, Virginia by several decades. Unsurprisingly then, this city is flooded with history, early Spanish architecture, and visitors are pampered with the array of inspiring monuments and top-notch museums.  St. Augustine also delights with beautiful beaches, vibrant restaurants, and a lively oceanfront atmosphere as well.

#4  New York City, New York

While the Big Apple is notable as a forward-looking city, with cutting-edge fashion shopping, famous theaters and performance centers, and art galleries, it also offers the chance for an in-depth look at America’s history. Enjoy icons of history by seeing the Statue of Liberty, exploring the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, and listing a concert at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. The Historical Society of New York is a lesser-known landmark across the lane from the National History Museum. Whether you’re uptown, midtown, in Times Square or Central Park, or downtown on Wall Street or by the seaport, there are fascinating sites to entertain the whole family all along the way.

#5  Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is also considered a treasure trove of the history of America, and there is no better place to learn about the mesmerizing stories surrounding the nation’s founding and its fight for independence than in Boston. While travelling in Boston, keep an eye out for the nation’s first college (Harvard University), its first public school, the oldest public library, the first public park, and the first botanical gardens. Along the way, you will pass from the North End district and find a small slice of Italy whose authentic cafes offer a fantastic excuse to refuel with pastries and coffee.  In the summer months, don’t miss the famous Italian Festivals!  Go for a sightseeing cruise in Boston Harbor or on the Charles River, walk the Freedom Trail to discover interesting historic sites, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and bring the kids to the Aquarium, Tea Party Ship, Children’s Museum, Swan Boat rides, and Museum of Science.  Boston is a very walkable city, making visiting here easy and enjoyable.

#6  San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio was Established in 1717 around the Alamo mission. It is unmatched as the destination for learning about fascinating Texas state history, from its Native American profession to colonial mastery and the battle for independence. Locals maintain a vigorous sense of pride surrounding their city’s history, and the old war cries “Remember the Alamo” is an expression still typically heard and seen carved on memorabilia.

#7  New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans was founded as a French colony in 1719. New Orleans has some fascinating historical influences as it changed hands numerous times through French colonization, Spanish conquests, and the Louisiana Purchase. This has given rise to what may be considered the most exciting collection of historic architecture in the United States.   History buffs should delve right into analyzing the charming colonial heritage of the French quarter as well as the unique tastes of the Cajun culture. You can see the signs of the past in every turn, including in many of the city’s watering and eateries holes.

#8  Savannah, Georgia

Home to Georgian nobility until not long back, elegant Savannah is an extremely well-preserved city, brimming with over a hundred historic buildings and beautiful cobblestones streets. All of this is enclosed in Savannah’s Historic District, which is the most extensive National Historic Landmark District in the U.S. and an early example of colonial planning with its grid lane layout.  Savannah has played an important role throughout America’s history as the primary import and export shipping port in the south.  Trade routes from Europe, the Far East, the Caribbean and northeastern America all included a port of call in Savannah.

This wonderful historic town revolves around glorious antebellum architecture set alongside the Savannah River among enormous live oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Its historic graveyards are also a great way to locate Savannah’s early history, specifically Bonaventure, which dates back to the 1800s.

#9  Washington D.C., District of Columbia

The nation’s capital presents a pearl of unparalleled American history in all its complexity and glory, with a desirable collection of world-famous museums, landmarks, and monuments attracting millions of tourists from across the globe. Most of D.C.’s big-name sights are concentrated along The Mall, where you can pay a visit to the Capitol Building, and The White House, but the majority of iconic monuments and museums are free of charge, making this an ideal vacation destination for families.

#10  Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe was established in the year 1697 with many historic firsts for the U.S.  Santa Fe is the oldest capital city and highest state capital in the United States.  It is the home of the first public building called the magnificent Palace of the Governors, the oldest religious building in the U.S.  Santa Fe is also know for its preservation of native American culture and pueblo architecture.

This energetic city is brimful with history and has done remarkably well both in preserving its original treasures and ensuring that all construction in the downtown area accommodates the striking adobe architectural style.

#11  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is sometimes overlooked by the visitors leaping between Washington D.C. and higher profile destinations of New York and Boston to its south and north. But as the nation’s birthplace and former national capital, it has much to offer.

The Historic District and Park provide a host of glorious interests that bring the past to life, varying from Georgian-style Independence Hall and Congress Hall (the area of the signing of the acknowledgment of the U.S. Constitution and Independence) to Liberty Bell Center.

#12 Salem, Massachusetts

This location is best known for the witch trials that took place here in 1692. You can’t visit Salem, Massachusetts, without delving headfirst into this New England town’s mysterious past. During a period of mass hysteria that resulted in the deaths of 24+ people, Salem has developed a stature as one of the most haunted places in the United States (and one of the most historic).  As you can imagine, Salem is very busy during the annual Halloween season with witches and goblins of all descriptions.  But Salem is a charming city at any time of the year as it has a rich colonial past and picture-perfect seaside location.

#13  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

This charming small town in southern Pennsylvania is packed with mom and restaurants that serve farm-to-table American cuisine and locally crafted drinks. But chances are you’re visiting this East Coast locale to see its abundance of historical attractions. Known for its ties to the Civil War, Gettysburg is home to all historically significant sites, including Gettysburg National Military Park, where the war’s bloodiest battle occurred.

#14  San Francisco, California

The promise of gold and riches brought a stampede of prospectors from across the nation to the mission town of San Francisco in the mid-1800s.  Located on the Pacific Coast, San Francisco soon grew into a bustling city of shipping, commerce, trade, and adventure.  “Go West Young Man” became the clarion call and the gold rush to northern California was on. Built on tall hills and marshy flatlands, a cable car system was developed to transport residents throughout the city.  The cable cars are still a colorful attraction today.  A thriving China Town developed as Asian workers also flooded to the city for manual labor in the gold mines and to build new rail lines. Despite the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906, this city continues to reinvest itself from the gold rush of yesteryear to the high-tech riches of today.

#15  Baltimore, Maryland

During the war of 1812, the prominent Fort McHenry is known for successfully protecting Baltimore Harbor and resulted in Francis Scott’s key to writing the national anthem. Much of Baltimore has a rich history. The city is the local of some of the nation’s earliest National Register Historic Districts, including Federal Hill, Fell’s Point, and Mount Vernon. Baltimore has a vibrant inner harbor district that is filled with historical sites and delightful waterfront restaurants.

#16  Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island is the gem of America’s smallest state.  As one of the earliest settlements in America, Newport welcomed a diverse mix of religious groups and with a large natural harbor became a hub for trade.  Craftsmen in Newport were acclaimed as some of the best in the new country.  Be sure to visit the White Horse Tavern, the oldest restaurant in America.  You feel like you’ve stepped back into colonial times.  As the turn of the century approached, Newport became the summer playground of America’s wealthiest families.  Today you can tour the stately ‘summer cottages’ aka Newport Mansions that were built by the Vanderbilts, Astors, and other prominent families.  Newport sporting venues are famous for the America’s Cup Races, tennis clubs, and Golf courses.  Newport is a delightful small seaside town filled to the brim with fascinating history.

#17  Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Collinsville, Illinois

The largest excavation site of north Mexico’s great pre-Columbian city is the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site which is direct across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Mo. This was the place of the most advanced ancient native civilization to have existed north of Mexico, inhabited between 750 and 1500 AD,

#18  Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Situated in southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is a historical settlement of the most well-preserved paleology sites in the U.S. More than 4500 well-preserved cliff dwellings were found within the boundaries, including 590 ancient Pueblo cliff homes.  This is a unique and fascinating national park to explore.

#19  Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

As you read all the 19 sites and places, you didn’t find any natural wonders.  Here, we present Yellowstone National Park, one of the most beautiful natural landscapes and historic sites in America. It is the first national park in the whole world, and today, it’s credited for charting the way for other parks in different states and countries. It’s an awe-inspiring sight that attracts millions of visitors each year.

#20  Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, Arizona

If you ask travelers what one natural historic site in America they want to see, the Grand Canyon definitely tops the list.  The expansive Grand Canyon is located in northern Arizona and is one of the world’s most dramatic examples of millions of years of natural erosion caused by winds and the flow of the mighty Colorado River.  The resulting canyons carved into colorful layers of red rock, are truly awe-inspiring!  Visit the canyon rims, walk out on the glass skywalk, and venture into its depths to see the Supai village and Havasupai Falls.

After visiting the Grand Canyon, the jaw-dropping Hoover Dam at the border of Arizona and Nevada is not far away.  This huge concrete dam that created an immense reservoir known today as Lake Mead was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression.  It was one of the largest engineering projects in the United States that generates over 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electric power every year for use in Arizona, Nevada and California.

Final Thought: 

This blog has collected a list of America’s top 20 most historic cities. For those who love nothing more than finding a new place through its past.

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About The Author:  Hey, I am Gina Estrada live in Rockford City in Minnesota (U.S). While Growing up, I was very fascinated by travelling and car racing, and this interest led to some early exposure to exploring and wandering the stories related to journeys and motorcars. Read more information about expertise in the Car Wash and Truck Wash Industry; please visit.