Interpretation for Archeologists: A Guide to Increasing Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
This guide encourages archeologists to learn methods and philosophies of interpretation for engaging the public's hearts and minds with archeological resources. Guided activities, fun facts, and case studies guide users to realize the role of interpretation in facilitating meaningful relationships with the resources. Users of this guide will gain knowledge, skills, and abilities for encouraging people to care about archeology and to develop an ethic of stewardship as a result.

National Park Museum Centennial
The first national park museum – an arboretum – was established in Yosemite National Park in 1904. Today, the National Park Service manages the world’s largest system of museums; more than 350 national parks preserve more than 105 million objects, specimens, documents, and images. As part of National Park Week (April 17-25), the National Park Service will mark the centennial of national park museums.

Incentives! A Guide to Federal Historic Preservation
Technical Preservation Services (TPS) has developed this information program to assist historic building owners, preservation consultants, community officials, architects and developers.

Exploring A Common Past, Interpreting Women's History in the National Park Service
In the last three decades there has been a major transformation in the study of American history. The concern for a more accurate and comprehensive view of women is part of this new scholarship, which has dramatically changed the way we look at the past.

The Presidents of the United States
Through turmoil and tragedy—world wars, a major civil conflict, depressions and panics, riots and upheavals—to the many peaks of national triumph and achievement, the 38 men who have occupied the office have not only directed and stabilized the course of the Nation, but also have exerted a major influence on global affairs.

Travel to the California Coast
Early History of the California Coast Explore the 30th National Register of Historic Places online travel itinerary, highlighting 45 historic places that reflect the exploration, settlement and cultural diversity of California.

Explore American Indian Heritage Month
The National Register of Historic Places is pleased to promote awareness of and appreciation for the history and culture of American Indians and Alaska Natives during National American Indian Heritage Month. This month is dedicated to recognizing the intertribal cultures, the events and lifeways, the designs and achievements of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The Museum Collections of Chaco Culture National Historical Park
American Indian peoples have continuously occupied the Colorado Plateau of the Southwest for over 10,000 years. Chaco Canyon was a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area. The Chaco Museum Collection contains approximately one million artifacts from over 120 sites in Chaco Canyon and the surrounding region.

The Robinson House: A Portrait of African American Heritage
Learn how archeological research, architectural studies, and oral history reveal new insights into the changing lifeways of free African Americans. Within Manassas National Battlefield Park, the Robinson house survived in spite of the first and second battles of Manassas. As African Americans, the Robinson family found themselves embroiled in the struggles of the nation before and after that war.

National Park Service Historical Handbooks
Check out on-line editions of out-of-print historical handbooks that were produced to interpret park resources to the public beginning in 1949. The on-line books will give you a sense of early efforts to provide educational and interpretive material for the historical and archeological areas in the National Park System.

Three Historic Nevada Cities: Carson City, Reno, Nevada City
From “silver king” John MacKay, to Dat So La Lee, the famous Washoe Indian basket weaver, to George Ferris, inventor of the Ferris Wheel, the 27th National Register of Historic Places travel itinerary features 57 places that tell the history of these communities and the people who built them. Also highlighted are the roles of Carson City as the state capital, Reno as the divorce capital of the world, and the mining boom that established Virginia City.

Historic Ships, Light Houses and Life-Saving Stations to Visit
Visit 200 historic ships located in the United States that are open for public visitation sorted by name, location, as well as by type. See a select group of lighthouses that you can visit - some from the ground and others by climbing the winding staircases to the top. View a list of 330 life-saving station and Coast Guard station buildings constructed prior to 1950 containing museums dedicated to the history of life-saving and the Service.

The Earliest Americans
Check out new archeological findings about the PaleoIndians, the earliest Americans -- when and how they arrived in midwestern and eastern North America and how they adapted to the Ice Age climate. Learn about the ancient sites that PaleoIndians inhabited, ones that are being nominated as National Historic Landmarks due to their importance.

Explore the West with the Lewis and Clark Expedition
This 26th National Register of Historic Places travel itinerary highlights 33 historic places visited by the Corps of Discovery during their Expedition from 1804 to 1806. It includes many of the places that are part of the National Park Service's Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

REHAB YES/NO Learning Program
This program helps guide new district commissioners in their own community review processes and helps owners plan their work to consistently preserve historic character! Discover the basic issues that often arise when rehabilitating historic buildings for continuing or new uses. Ten projects met the Secretary of the Interior's “Standards for rehabilitation,” while ten did not.

TwHP Launches its 100th Lesson Plan
Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP), a program of the National Register of Historic Places, marked a major milestone by releasing its 100th online lesson plan. New Kent County School and George W. Watkins School: From Freedom of Choice to Integration is the latest in a series of curriculum-based lessons that focus on places across the U.S., representing historical periods and themes throughout our history. In the New Kent County School lesson, students learn about the U.S. Supreme Court decision on school integration and meet individuals who helped integrate schools in New Kent County, Virginia.

Discover Atlanta, Georgia
This 25th National Register of Historic Places travel itinerary highlights 70 historic places that tell the story of this capital city--from its picturesque homes to its reaching skyscrapers--tales of former slaves, educators, authors, and millionaires who have shaped the development of Atlanta over the past two centuries. 

Working on the Past in Local Historic Districts
This new information site--designed for historic property owners, new members of historic preservation commissions, community officials, and design professionals-- outlines the legal strengths of local historic districts, describes the local preservation ordinance, discusses the benefits of local design guidelines, and makes clear the essential differences between preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. Includes a Quiz at the end.

Morristown National Historical Park, A Revolutionary War Museum Exhibit
This new park exhibit highlights the NPS American Revolutionary War museum collection at Morristown National Historical Park. The site commemorates significant events and individuals of the American Revolutionary War at Morristown, including General George Washington.

Discover the Shaker Historic Trail
This is the latest National Register of Historic Places travel itinerary, highlighting 15 Shaker villages. The Shakers, more properly known as the United Society of Believers, established 19 official communities from Maine to Kentucky and offered an intriguing alternative to mainstream culture in post-Revolutionary War America. Today they remain one of the most compelling religious and social movements in American life.

Archeology for Interpreters: A Guide to Knowledge of the Resource
This distance learning effort invites learners to explore the world of archeology through online activities, illustrated case studies and fun facts and to apply what they learn to public interpretations about the past. It provides the opportunity to learn about basic archeological methods, techniques and up-to-date interpretations.

Santa Clara County: California's Historic Silicon Valley
Explore Santa Clara County: California's Historic Silicon Valley -- the latest National Register of Historic Places travel itinerary commemorates the City of Santa Clara's Sesquicentennial by highlighting 28 historic places in Santa Clara County. Located south of the San Francisco Bay between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo or Mount Hamilton Range, the history of Santa Clara County is rich with stories of Spanish and Mexican settlement, the romance of the Gold-Rush era, the pastoral beauty of abundant orchards, of post-war suburbanization, the race to the moon, and the invention of the silicon chip.

Walk Through--Learn to Identify the Visual Character of a Historic Building
This learning program is designed to help owners, architects, developers, maintenance personnel, and members of historic preservation commissions evaluate the potential impact of rehabilitation work on various historic buildings. Focusing on materials, features, and spaces, the user learns how to identify the "visual character" from a distance, up close, and inside. Be sure to take the quiz!

Asian-Pacific Heritage
The National Register of Historic Places is pleased to promote awareness of and appreciation for the historical contributions of Asian and Pacific peoples in the United States and its associated territories. From the early 1800s to the late 20th century, Asian and Pacific peoples have played a vital role in the development of the United States and made lasting contributions in all elements of American society.

Manzanar War Relocation Center
One of America's largest undertakings in the name of national defense during World War II was the mass exclusion and evacuation of persons of Japanese ancestry from the Western U.S. By early 1942 Manzanar War Relocation Center in Calfornia was constructed. This study tells us what happened to the Japanese Americans who were forced to live in Manzanar for the duration of World War II.

Ashland, Oregon
Explore the latest National Register of Historic Places travel itinerary that takes you to 32 historic places in Ashland, Oregon, located in the scenic Rogue River Valley. Learn more about the development of this city from a small transportation and farming center founded in 1852 into a community with a strong cultural identity.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park exhibit
Visit the the newest addition to the American Revolutionary War: NPS Museum Collections feature. See some of the weapons that were carried into battle in 1781, as well as the familiar, everyday items that officers, soldiers, farmers, and townsfolk used to make life bearable.

National Park Service Online Books
The National Park Service manages a vast library of research reports covering all aspects of the history, culture, anthropology, archeology and natural resources in our national parks. The NPS Online Book series contains the full text of some of this research, both recent studies and many that are out-of-print. This effort to make such studies easily accessible to the public has only just started and will grow as more titles are placed online.

Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
Explore the newest National Register of Historic Places travel itinerary that takes you to 46 historic places in and near eastern Pennsylvania's canal and coal region. It follows the routes of the Delaware Canal, the Lehigh Navigation System, and the Lehigh & Susquehanna Railroad. Featured historic places illustrate the history of 19th-century transportation systems--mountain railroads, rivers, dams and canals--devised to move anthracite from mine to market.

From the Roof Down and Skin Deep
The "skin" of a historic house includes the roof, chimney, exterior walls, woodwork, windows, porches, doors, and above-ground portion of the foundation. Since the "skin" serves as the primary defense against the weather, regular maintenance and repair are critically important. In this new distance learning program, you'll learn how the various parts of your historic house were tightly connected when it was built; how to keep surfaces and features in good repair over time; and what happens if you don't. Includes a Quiz!

Women's History Month
This National Register feature showcases historic properties listed in the National Register, National Register publications, and National Park units that commemorate and illustrate the contribution of women to American history. Featured sites include Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village in California, Azurest South--home of one the nation's few black female architects, Piney Point Coast Guard Light Station where four different women served as Keeper of the Light, the home of Rachel Carson, several properties associated with author Willa Cather in Nebraska, and the buildings designed by master architect and interior designer Mary Jane Colter in Grand Canyon National Park.

Our Shared History, African American Heritage
Find all the exciting and innovative sites related to African American heritage available across ParkNet. These sites vary widely from far-reaching travel guides to new information on the Underground Railroad to ways to find African American ancestors who fought in the Civil War. Rediscover the resources and people that form one part of the mosaic that is the United States of America today.

2000 Charles E. Peterson Prize Winners
This online exhibit features complete sets of drawings from the winning entries of the 18th annual student competition. The Prize recognizes the best sets of measured drawings prepared to the standards of the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) by students. The competiton is intended to increase awareness and knowledge about historic buildings throughout the U.S. while adding to the permanent HABS collection at the Library of Congress.

PARKitecture in Western National Parks: Early Twentieth Century Rustic Design & Naturalism
Celebrate with us the concept of designing with nature through an exhibition of black and white photos and measured drawings of representative structures and sites in ten well-known parks. The idea of designing with nature flourished in the National Park Service in the early twentieth century. Architects, landscape architects, and engineers combined native wood and stone with convincingly 'native' styles to create visually appealing structures that seemed to fit naturally within the majestic landscapes.

Managing Archeological Collections
This source of technical assistance and distance learning concerns the long-term management and care of archeological collections, including objects, records, non-cultural materials, reports, and digital data. Ten sections cover a wide range of issues, concerns, and best practices for archeologists, curators, CRM managers, and many others. Each section contains a review quiz to test your knowledge, an extensive bibliography, and a page of useful links to related materials.

American Defenders of Land, Sea & Sky
Travel through time and across country to 56 special places in our nation's past--National Historic Landmarks that hold fascinating stories of America's "common defense." Begin with the first shots of the Revolutionary War and "follow history" to the War of 1812, the Struggle for Western Territory, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, two World Wars, and the Cold War. Visit forts, battle sites, old ships and planes, a modern submarine, and a pioneering space vehicle! See special places where peace treaties were signed; view monuments that honor those who have been lost to war. Links to a Guide for Teachers, Parents, and Other Educators.

Celebrate Hispanic American Month
The National Register of Historic Places' Hispanic Heritage Month feature highlights various publications, properties listed in the National Register, and National Parks that deal directly with the ingenuity, creativity, cultural, and political experiences of Hispanic Americans. Explore the achievements of a people that have contributed so much to American culture.

Journey Through Hallowed Ground: Travel through Virginia's Piedmont
The National Register of Historic Places introduces a new travel itinerary featuring sites along historic Route 15 through Virginia's Piedmont region. Learn more about the rural landscapes, small towns, and stately homes of many of our founding fathers that reflect this region's history. Discover interesting facts, photographs, maps and essays that can help travelers plan their next trip.

Legends of Tuskegee
Who are the Legends of Tuskegee and what do they have in common? Booker Taliafero Washington, George Washington Carver and the Tuskegee Airmen all came to Tuskegee and created their own legends. Tuskegee is more than a town located in Macon County, Alabama. It is an idea and an ideal. It was a bold experiment and a site of major African-American achievements for over 100 years.

All Wet & How to Prevent It
Managing Moisture in Your Historic Home
Water, water everywhere! Without argument, it's essential to us. But in terms of the places where we live or work, unwanted moisture means erosion, corrosion and rot! This mini web-class can help anyone who cares for, or about, a historic house to better understand and deal with the three most common sources of the "wet stuff". We'll show you how it invades historic materials; what goes wrong when moisture is not adequately managed; and how to turn the corner on present and future problems by providing some simple, common sense tips. Then, after you've read everything, take a short quiz to see if you're still "All Wet!"

Symbols in Battle
Civil War Flags in the NPS Collection
This exhibit features selected Civil War flags in NPS museum collections, including flags from Appomatox, Fords Theater, Fort Pulaski, Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, Kennesaw, Manassas, Richmond and Stones River.

New Lease on Life
Museum Conservation in the National Park Service
What do a plaster sculpture of an African American Civil War soldier, a letter from a young Abraham Lincoln, archeological textile fragments and one of Lady Bird Johnson's dresses have in common? They are all objects in National Park Service collections that have received conservation treatment to ensure their safety during analysis, exhibit, and in long-term storage. This Web feature describes the basic approach used in conservation.

Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings
The National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places and the City of Charleston, South Carolina, proudly invite you to discover Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings. This National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary explores Charleston's rich heritage using 42 historic places that reflect over 300 years of history.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings
This popular guidance on rehabilitating historic buildings is now available in a user-friendly e-version. The Guidelines help property owners, developers, and federal managers apply the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation during the project planning stage. Together with the Standards, the Guidelines provide a model process to follow. The Standards for Rehabilitation (36 CFR 76) are used in the Federal Preservation Tax Incentives Program, administered by the NPS.

Washington DC
A Guide to the Historic Neighborhoods and Monuments of Our Nation's Capital
Ninety-six historic places that bring the 200-year history of the city to life are presented in this National Register travel itinerary. Visitors will learn not only about the famous national landmarks and monuments of Washington, such as the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Mall, but will also learn about the historic neighborhoods and local landmarks that make the city so unique.

Public Archeology in the United States
A Timeline
Take a journey through time and see the development of public archeology in the United States. This timeline starts at the beginning (1784-1906) and finishes with this decade. See how public archeology developed and changed through the years and discover the key events that shaped public archeology in the United States. This feature is a great learning tool for anyone interested in archeology in the United States.

Central Vermont
Explore History in the Heart of the Green Mountains
Vermont boasts a history reflecting the broad American experience. This National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary explores Central Vermont's rich history using 43 historic places that recall past eras when numerous small villages grew slowly until the coming of the railroad resulted in a great period of growth for Vermont in the last half of the 19th century.

Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3
The 3 day battle was crucial to the outcome of the Civil War and the future of the United States. This web feature offers a collection of opportunities to learn more about one of the most important battles in American history. Together these sites also introduce you to the wonderfully varied programs of the NPS and a sampling of our online products.

Electronic Rehab
This interactive web class introduces the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation to anyone who is thinking about rehabilitating a historic building--property owners, architects, engineers, contractors, developers, members of historic district commissions, and maintenance personnel and other caretakers of historic buildings. Learn what the Standards for Rehabilitation are and the DOs and DON'Ts of rehabilitation.

American Visionaries: Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass has been called the father of the civil rights movement. He rose through determination, brilliance, and eloquence to shape the American nation. This exhibit features items owned by Frederick Douglass and highlights his achievements. These items are from the museum and archival collections at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (Cedar Hill, Southeast Washington, DC).

American Visionaries: Thomas Moran
This exhibit highlights the works of American landscape artist Thomas Moran (1837-1926), whose watercolor and oil paintings inspired Congress to create Yellowstone National Park. Photographs by William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) are also included in this exhibit.

Destination Detroit: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
Not every significant thing built in Detroit has come with an engine. Since the 19th century, the city has also produced a series of remarkable historic places. Through maps, descriptions, and photographs of places both famous and little-known, this guide explains why Detroit has long been more than just a Motor City.

Seattle: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
This is a Travel Itinerary from the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places that features historic buildings of Seattle, including descriptions and photographs. It uses residential, commercial, industrial, and religious locations to create a tour--usable online or while traveling through the city--that documents how past and present come together.

Lying Lightly on the Land: Building America's National Park Roads and Parkways
An overview and six themes from the museum exhibit "Lying Lightly on the Land: Building America's National Park Roads and Parkways" are summarized here as an introduction to a feature which highlights colorful period postcards depicting Yellowstone before the automobile, and eight other parks during the golden age of park road development.

Camp Life: Civil War Collections from Gettysburg
This exhibit highlights the common, everyday items of Amercian Civil War soldiers. Rather than featuring the horrors of the battlefield, the exhibit showcases leisure time activities and personal possesions of soldiers in camp.

Baltimore: A National Register Travel Itinerary
This Travel Itinerary from the National Register of Historic Places features historic buildings of Baltimore, including descriptions and photographs that help you explore both the past and present of this great city. As an online tour or as a guide to carry while traveling through town, the itinerary uses residential, commercial, industrial, and religious locations to introduce you to more than two centuries of history.

The Golden Crescent: Crossroads of Georgia and Florida
The Golden Crescent, running in a wide swath along the Atlantic Coast from Savannah to Cape Canaveral and inland towards Tallahassee, is remarkably rich in history and prehistory. Take this opportunity to catch a glimpse of the these cultural crossroads.

Great American Landmarks Adventure
The Great American Landmarks Adventure takes you on an exciting trip through time with a series of National Historic Landmark drawings by award-winning artist, Roxie Munro. A brief history goes with each drawing.

Along the Georgia Florida Coast
The shores of Georgia and Florida offer much more than rolling waves and warm sand. You can now explore their rich and varied history in Along the Georgia-Florida Coast, a travel itinerary produced by the National Register of Historic Places.

Washington Monument Restoration Project
This web site gives you a virtual tour of the monument, tells you about the restoration effort, provides you with facts and figures, and gives you a time line of historical events the monument has witnessed. This Washington Monumen Restoration Project web site was created especially for the National Park Service by Target.

Ancient Architects of the Mississippi
Eight hundred years ago, the lower Mississippi Delta was home to some of the most highly organized civilizations in the world. This feature tells you about life along the Mississippi at that time, builders of great mounds, and the activities of travellers and traders. It also provides you with a myriad of voices about the Delta's past.