I'm compiling a list of fun, educational, historical places to visit, usually as day trips if we're traveling in the area. Most of our travels take us in the eastern half of the USA, but may take a few trips out west in the next few years. Here are a few on my list, any other recommendations? So far, our favorites have a farm or Civil War connection. We've been to half on this list, and will return for future visits.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
George Washington's Mt Vernon
Shenandoah Valley's McCormick Farm
Gettysburg
Any cave within our schedule
The Lincoln Museum, Ft Wayne IN
Abraham Lincoln birthplace, KY
Lincoln home, Illinois

My family really enjoys Colonial Williamsburg and the nearby Jamestown site. We've spent many days in Gettysburg (we used to do Civil War reenactments) and I highly recommend the Jenny Wade house there, the visitor's center, and a guided tour of the cemetery monuments and the battlefield.

If you're open to going north a bit, there's tons of historical stuff in Boston. The tea party ship, the USS Constitution, the Freedom Trail, Bunker Hill monument... Then there's old Sturbridge Village in central Mass. which is a large scale recreated village from the 1830's, with people doing actual spinning, blacksmith work, gardening, etc.

hth!

Lorel

If you're going to Kentucky, Mammoth Cave is fun. Kentucky Down Under is also really great. It is a little bit of Australia right in Kentucky. They have a cave tour there too. The Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania. Also, I agree with Lorel about Williamsburg. I haven't taken my kids yet but my DH and I absolutely LOVED it. When DS7 is a bit older we will make the trek.

What a fun thread!!! DD9 insists on every vacation or family visit that we check out the local zoo, natural history museum and science center. Luckily we have memberships to all our local museums/zoos so we get either a discount or free admission.

This year, I am planning a vacation to drive to Philadelphia, Washington DC and Williamsburg. It was supposed to be this summer, but if we homeschool we may wait until school starts.

The other places we like to visit are fossil collection areas. In Ohio, we love Caesar's Creek, as it's a safe place for the entire family.

Jen

We'll be in NYC Sunday and Monday. Of course, we'll go to the Natural History Museum. Any other great science sites for a 7 yr. old? His big interest is space.

Not related to science, but I would want to see Ellis Island. http://www.saveellisisland.org/site/PageServer?pagename=newsletter_winter06#ferry

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry has always been a favorite, as is the Indianapolis Children's Museum. It's head and shoulders above any other children's museum I've ever seen. You could spend months there and not see it all!

They're not so much history--loosely history, I guess, in some exhibits--but they should be on everyone's list for places to visit, regardless!

Kriston, it doesn't have to be history oriented

We stopped at Clifton Mills(near Springfield, OH) today on our way home from a cattle show. We were very disappointed. We couldn't go around to see the water wheel, we could only see it from the car. Inside is set up like an old country store, only filled with gift shop type stuff. I didn't even see any freshly milled flours for sale. There were a number of old buildings to admire in the area. We drove through Xenia, Oh, on our way home. GS8 commented about how new the city looked compared to the surrounding areas. I thought that was very observant, and told him how Xenia had devastated 20(?) years ago by a number of tornadoes in one day; it definitely changed to look of the town.

A couple weeks ago we went to The National Museum of the United States Air Force(near Wright Patterson AFB near Dayton OH). That is definitely a place to go if you're interested in any kind of aviation.

That reminds me, one place I took our kids a number of years ago was the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. This is great if your kids are into space & space travel. Check out their website,
US Space & Rocket Center

I may have to invest in season passes to the zoo, the ones that allow you to visit other zoos using those passes. I think it would be cool to make a goal of visiting a zoo in every state, or maybe a childrens museum in every state.

We love the space and rocket center in Huntsville! It is reciprocal with some childrens museums. Also, if you're ever in Pensacola, the Navy air museum is really great and it is free. If you go at the right time you can watch the Blue Angels fly in practice. We've done that a couple of times and my kids love it!

The aquariums in Chattanooga and Gatlinburg, TN are also really nice. Chattanooga is just a fun little city really with lots to do. I haven't been to the aquarium in Atlanta but I hear it is fantastic. There is also tons of stuff to do there.

Sounds like you are doing some really neat stuff!

Chattanooga is a really nice place to visit. We spent a weekend there; but it was 4 years ago and GS8 doesn't remember a lot about it. We went to Ruby Falls and the place on top of the mountain where you can see 7(?) surrounding states.

When my kids were 12-14 I took them to Florida, we had a day to kill so we drove to New Orleans just to say we went there. I was not adventuresome enough to find a place to park and walk around. We also toured a battleship and a submarine retired from WWII in Mobile Alabama. My fil had served on a sub just like it, it helps to make history more interesting when the kids can see and touch things they are learning about. We'll have to take GS8 to that.

The Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ is absolutely fantastic. It's right off 295. It's a huge, huge, huge place with most sculptures displayed outdoors, and children are allowed to touch and climb on almost everything. There are signs if they don't want you to touch.

Check it out - it is fun. And the little ones will love all the peacocks roaming around - even an albino.

www.groundsforsculpture.org

For those going to Philly--the underrated Academy of Natural Sciences (very very close to the Franklin Institute) is also wonderful with about 4 floors of excellent animals, dinosaurs, etc. Also, outside of Philly there are some terrific places:

Mercer Museum & Fonthill Mansion (the ultimate collector's museum),
Hadley Museum (Delaware--excellent hands on science from DuPont sponsorship, I think)
Independence Hall & Liberty Bell are so crowded during normal vacation times so I really encourage homeschoolers to go off-season. There is a ship at Penns Landing that is a museum, too.
Herrs Potato Chip factory tour (more than an hour away, but a memorable tour for the kids)
Also, Crayola factory is a couple hours away I think.


For those in the NM area, we have Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Alamogordo Space Museum, lots of art museums, Historic sites like where Billy-the-kids holed up, beautiful vistas, indian pueblos & ancient ruins (Gila Cliff Dwellings, Bandelier, Abo, Salinas, etc.) EXPLORA science museum, National Atomic Museum, Rio Grade Zoo, Albuquerque Biopark & Aquarium, Rio Grande nature Center, lots of wildlife preserves, hot springs, etc.