National Historic Sites and National Historical Parks
National Historic Sites and National Historical Parks preserve locations recognized for their importance in illustrating significant events, individuals, and developments in the history of the United States. These designations protect buildings, districts, cultural landscapes, and associated environments that contribute to understanding the political, social, economic, and architectural history of the nation. Within the National Park System, historic units are preserved or restored to reflect their appearance during periods of greatest historical significance, providing context for interpretation and public education.
Although similar in purpose, National Historic Sites typically focus on a single historically significant feature such as a building, residence, or specific location directly associated with an important person or event. National Historical Parks generally encompass larger and more complex landscapes that may include multiple historic structures, districts, or natural features connected to a broader historical narrative. This distinction reflects differences in scale rather than differences in significance, as all units of the National Park System are considered equally important components of the nation’s shared heritage.
Historic designations within the National Park Service illustrate a wide range of themes including early settlement, industrial development, exploration, architecture, military history, and cultural traditions. Many sites preserve environments that help explain how communities evolved over time, linking physical structures with historical events that shaped regional and national identity. Together, National Historic Sites and National Historical Parks provide opportunities to understand the historical forces that influenced the development of the United States through preserved landscapes, buildings, and cultural resources.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park preserves the location traditionally recognized as the birthplace […]
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Cumberland The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal reflects early nineteenth-century efforts to establish […]
Chaco Culture National Historical Park Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves one of the most significant archaeological landscapes in North […]
Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg preserves the historic capital of eighteenth-century Virginia, where political, educational, and cultural institutions contributed to the […]
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Cumberland Gap National Historical Park preserves a natural mountain pass through the Appalachian Mountains that […]
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park preserves sites associated with the pioneering work of […]
First State National Historical Park First State National Historical Park preserves landscapes associated with early European settlement, colonial governance, and […]
Fort Scott National Historic Site Fort Scott National Historic Site preserves structures associated with frontier military presence during nineteenth-century westward […]
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site preserves Cedar Hill, the Washington residence of Frederick Douglass, […]
Green Springs National Historic Landmark District The Green Springs National Historic Landmark District preserves a largely intact agricultural landscape in […]
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Harpers Ferry National Historical Park preserves the historic town and surrounding landscape at the confluence […]
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park Harriet Tubman National Historical Park preserves landscapes associated with one of the most significant figures […]
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park Hopewell Culture National Historical Park preserves earthworks constructed by Indigenous peoples more than two thousand […]
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves the remains of an eighteenth- and nineteenth-century iron plantation, […]
Independence Hall Independence Hall stands at the center of the historic district of Philadelphia, preserving the site where foundational documents […]
Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park preserves a coastal landscape shaped by volcanic activity and centuries of Native Hawaiian settlement. […]
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site Saint Croix Island International Historic Site commemorates one of the earliest European settlements in […]
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves a group of eighteenth-century Spanish colonial mission […]
Sitka National Historical Park Sitka National Historical Park interprets the historical events surrounding the 1804 conflict between Tlingit inhabitants and […]
Springfield Armory National Historic Site Springfield Armory National Historic Site preserves the principal federal armory that supplied military firearms to […]
Steamtown National Historic Site Steamtown National Historic Site preserves the railroad yards and industrial infrastructure associated with the development of […]
Tumacácori National Historical Park Tumacácori preserves mission structures established during Spanish colonial expansion across the American Southwest. Mission communities served […]
Weir Farm National Historical Park Weir Farm preserves the rural Connecticut landscape that inspired American Impressionist painter Julian Alden Weir […]