America’s Summer Roadtrip—Countdown2020-08-01T21:05:52-04:00

Join us Saturday, August 1, 2020, and visit
12 Historic sites in 12 Hours. Free.
#historyroadtrip

“Explore these hidden gems”

The Discoverer

“12 of the United States’ most fascinating historical sites”

The American Forces Network

“take a journey that will further your understanding of how history and

those who shaped it contributed to this country and its social fabric”

San Francisco Examiner

“unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to twelve extraordinary historic sites”

Parks and Points

COUNTDOWN TO THE 2020 ROADTRIP!
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9:00am (Eastern)

Historic New Bridge Landing

River Edge, New Jersey

A strategically-important site during the Revolutionary War, New Bridge and the Steuben House served as a battleground, fort, encampment ground, military headquarters, and intelligence-gathering post in every year of the American Revolution. The Steuben House, a state historic site, is the only extant building remaining from the 1776 Retreat through Bergen County, the “Retreat to Victory,” and the house later served as Washington’s HQ in 1780. Join the Bergen County Historical Society as we take you on a tour of our historic 17th and 18th century Dutch sandstones homes, our unique Jersey Dutch collections, and visit the “bridge that saved a nation.” bergencountyhistory.org

10:00 am (Eastern)

The Rebecca Nurse Homestead

Danvers, Massachusetts

The Rebecca Nurse Homestead, in Danvers, Massachusetts, was the home of Rebecca Nurse, a victim of the 1692 Salem Village Witch-Hunt, and the site is the only home of a victim of the witch-hunt that is preserved and open to the public. rebeccanurse.org

11:00 am (Eastern)

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Cincinnati, Ohio

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a museum of conscience, an education center, a convener of dialogue, and a bea­con of light for inclusive freedom around the globe. freedomcenter.org

Noon (Eastern)

Minute Man National Historical Park

Concord, Massachusetts

At Minute Man National Historical Park the opening battle of the Revolution is brought to life as visitors explore the battlefields and structures associated with April 19, 1775, and witness the American revolutionary spirit through the writings of the Concord authors. nps.gov/mima

1:00 pm (Eastern)

The Great Hall of Faneuil Hall

Boston, Massachusetts

For more than 275 years, The Great Hall in Faneuil Hall has been the site of meetings, protests, and debate on the most important issues of the day.Because Revolutionary-era meetings and protests took place so frequently at the hall, successive generations continued to gather at the Hall in their own struggles over the meaning and legacy of American liberty. Abolitionists, women’s suffragists, and labor unionists name just the largest of groups who have held protests, meetings, and debates at Faneuil Hall. www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/fh.htm.

2:00 pm (Eastern)
(Noon local time)

The Molly Brown House

Denver, Colorado

The Molly Brown House is the home of Titanic survivor Margaret “Molly” Brown, whose unsinkable spirit as a suffragist, labor reform activist, and a social justice champion has left a lasting and inspirational legacy. mollybrown.org

3:00 pm (Eastern)

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

West Orange, New Jersey

Thomas Edison National Historical Park preserves the Laboratory Complex of Thomas Edison, including his library, machine shops, and chemistry lab, his estate Glenmont, including a 29-room Victorian mansion and outbuildings. nps.gov/edis

4:00 pm (Eastern)
(2:00 pm local time)

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Nageezi, New Mexico

Built over 1,000 years ago, Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a world heritage site honoring and preserving not only the massive 1-5 story Great Houses which still stand today, but it’s also believed to be a cultural center with items found such as cacao beans, copper bells, and the Scarlett Macaw, all coming from Mesoamerican communities thousands of miles away. nps.gov/chcu

5:00 pm (Eastern)

American Heritage Museum at the Collings Foundation

Stow, Massachusetts

The American Heritage Museum at the Collings Foundation featuring the Jacques M. Littlefield Collection explores major conflicts ranging from the Revolutionary War until today. Visitors discover and interact with our American heritage through the history, the changing technology, and the Human Impact of America’s fight to preserve the freedom we all hold dear. americanheritagemuseum.org

6:00 pm (Eastern)
(4:00 pm local time)

Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, Japanese American Internment Camp

Powell, Wyoming

Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, located in Park County, WY, works to preserve what remains of a WWII Japanese American confinement site and to tell the stories of more than 14,000 people who were incarcerated there. heartmountain.org

7:00 pm (Eastern)

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Wright Brothers National Memorial is located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, and is the location of Wilbur and Orville Wright’s early gliding and flying experiments, including the historic first flights that took place on December 17, 1903. nps.gov/wrbr

8:00 pm (Eastern)
(5:00 pm local time)

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

Coloma, California

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park marks the location where James Marshall discovered a piece of gold on January 24, 1848 that started the California Gold Rush. parks.ca.gov/marshallgold
Throw some ice in the cooler, break out the maps, and get your historic sites passport ready!
Join us here on Saturday, August 1, for America’s Summer Roadtrip—where you and your loved ones can travel to some of America’s greatest historic sites across the country without leaving your home. We’ll visit some well-known historic sites, go behind the scenes at others, and introduce you to fascinating places that you will want to visit again in-person on roadtrips to come.
We’ll travel through a broad span of our Nation’s history—from ancient Native American settlements to sites and artifacts from 20th Century events. And, the price of admission is on us! Help us spread the word about this fun, unique, and informative event.
Join us on this site on Saturday, August 1st @ at 9am (Eastern) where we will present a historic site an hour for 12 hours.
Sign-up for the newsletter to receive updates and the Roadtrip schedule as soon as it is announced!

Site Tour Schedule (Eastern time; Local time)

9:00 am Historic New Bridge Landing, River Edge, New Jersey
10:00 am The Rebecca Nurse Homestead, Danvers, Massachusetts
11:00 am National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Noon Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord, Massachusetts
1:00 pm The Great Hall at Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
2:00 pm (Noon local time) The Molly Brown House, Denver, Colorado
3:00 pm Thomas Edison National Historical Park, West Orange, New Jersey
4:00 pm (2:00 pm local time) Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Nageezi, New Mexico
5:00 pm American Heritage Museum at the Collings Foundation, Stow, Massachusetts
6:00 pm (4:00 pm local time) Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, Japanese American Internment Camp, Powell, Wyoming
7:00 pm Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
8:00 pm (5:00 pm local time) Marshall Gold Discovery State Park, Coloma, California

Frequently asked questions about America’s Summer Roadtrip™

When does the Roadtrip start? What is the schedule?2020-06-27T02:51:52-04:00

The Roadtrip will be streamed live at AmericasSummerRoadtrip.org starting at 9 am (Eastern) and ending at 9 pm (Eastern). The schedule will be posted on the site on July 1. Sign up for Roadtrip alerts and we’ll send you the schedule as soon as it’s posted.

Are the tours going to be recorded to view later?2020-06-27T04:35:48-04:00

Yes. Each tour will be available to stream anytime. Check back at AmericasSummerRoadtrip.org after the live event to catch up with any tours you may have missed or view them again!

Are you still accepting sites? How can we be considered for future Roadtrips?2020-06-27T02:52:23-04:00

We have filled up this year’s Roadtrip. Please send suggestions for future Roadtrips to Roadtrip@ThePursuitOfHistory.org. 

How did you choose this year’s sites? 2020-06-27T02:52:32-04:00

Our goal was to represent different eras in U.S. history, and to visit sites across the country. We knew that it would be impossible to include all the ones we wanted and some sites we hoped for could not participate this year. So, we hope that there is interest in doing this again—where we can add more sites to our wish-list, including some you suggest. 

Is anyone making money off of this event?2020-06-27T02:52:41-04:00

No. All of our partner sites have donated their time and effort and all of our costs are covered by tax-deductible donations. We hope that people will consider making a donation or buying merchandise to help us cover our costs and fund the activities of our non-profit organization, The Pursuit of History.

Surely, all of the participating sites and organizations would like your support, too. You will find links to their sites with each of their descriptions. Please support them where and when you can. 

What about social distancing and sites being closed? 2020-06-27T02:52:54-04:00

We know that social distancing requirements, and others, will greatly reduce attendance at sites this summer. The videos and interviews will be created while maintaining the recommended social distancing between any presenter and the person(s) filming, so everyone will be safe.

On the upside, since the Park Rangers and docents have only themselves and their cameraperson on our tour, many of them have promised us a peek into areas of their sites that public tours normally couldn’t go!

Are there more Roadtrips planned for the future? 2020-06-27T02:53:06-04:00

This is the first Roadtrip we’ve produced and future events will depend on the response from this year. Please let us know if we should! 

I have a question or idea. Where should I send it? 2020-06-27T04:38:49-04:00

Please send your questions or ideas to Roadtrip@ThePursuitOfHistory.org. We’ll answer as many questions as we can as soon as we can. 

Who is producing this event? What is its mission? 2020-06-27T04:43:46-04:00

The Pursuit of History™, the sponsor and producer of America’s Summer Roadtrip, is an educational non-profit organization that engages adults in conversation about history and connects them with historic sites in their communities and across the country. We produce unique annual events—including History Camp Boston (the original annual unconference, begun in 2014), History Camp Colorado, History Camp Virginia, and History Camp Philadelphia (new for 2020 2021)—and educational experiences through video and online content.

We believe that more people gaining a broader understanding of history has never been more important. If you feel the same way, we hope you’ll consider learning how you can be a part of The Pursuit of History.

How can I contact the Roadtrip?2020-07-01T12:18:02-04:00

We’d love to hear from you. Email us at Roadtrip@ThePursuitOfHistory.org.

Support The Pursuit of History!

The Pursuit of History™ is the non-profit organization that engages adults in conversation about history and connects them with historic sites in their communities and across the country.

Thank You!

America’s Summer Roadtrip is a project of The Pursuit of History™, the non-profit organization that engages adults in conversation about history and connects them with historic sites in their communities and across the country.

Thank you to the staff and volunteers at the 12 sites that participated this year.

Thank you to Just Add Video for their top-notch A/V services.

And to Carrie Lund, Lee Wright, Michelle Novak, Larisa Chancellor, Danella LeRoy, Kevin Yosef, and Joanna Wendel.

America’s Summer Roadtrip is made possible by donations to The Pursuit of History, including from Lorna Hainesworth who’s donation helped ensure a great video experience.

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