Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Travelers mostly come here to see the Gettysburg Battlefield, the site of the bloodiest battle in the Civil War and a pivotal Union. But, this isn’t the only war that Gettysburg is tied to.
The Eisenhower National Historic Site examines the president’s life and Cold War participation as Eisenhower retired to Gettysburg.
On a different note, the town itself is full of mom-and-pop shops, antique stores, food tours, and countryside wineries.
Best Attraction: Gettysburg Battlefield- The turning-point battlefield is enshrined at the Gettysburg Military Park and honors the three-day battle with exhibits and guided tours. They also include a unique film narrated by Morgan Freeman. The David Wills House can be seen on the 6,000-acre home, where Lincoln finalized his famous Gettysburg Address. Devil’s Den is also a unique viewpoint where you can see the large boulders used as Union battle posts. An observatory deck here provides panoramic views of the field.
6 thoughts on “Best Historical Cities to Visit in the US”
I would like to meet Ricarda and join her on her adventures. I too thought of doing the same thing. It would be nice to find someone worth while to share it with. I am a retired federal worker with a few college degrees . Sociology, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement. I am also a army veteran. I am well rounded and have many interests. Tony Bellomo
I have been to 9 of the 11, but I have trouble picking a favorite. The two I have missed are Gettysburg and St. Augustine. However, I have been to Valley Forge of the Revolutionary War. I have been to a Civil War battlefield in Virginia. I have been to Plymouth, Charleston, Santa Fe, Williamsburg, and Philadelphia once each; Boston, New Orleans, and San Antonio twice each, and Washington, DC five times. I guess that would make it my favorite.
I would not argue the historic importance of any of these cities, nor their claim for a place on any such “short list.” I suppose every list has to stop somewhere. That said, how can a gallery of Best Historical Cities….in the U.S. not include New York, our 1st National Capitol & the beginning and ongoing center of so much, or St. Louis, the jumping off point for the Westward Expansion, Savannah, Georgia, the single Georgia city Gen. W.T. Sherman didn’t burn, and the beneficiary of one of the more successful historic preservation efforts in the USA?
Maybe one limits the group in order to eliminate the Run-On Sentence? guilty.
Fredericksburg, Virginia should be on the list. It has a rich colonial history. George Washington grew up in the area, his mother’s home is open to the public, and Kenmore, the home of Washington’s sister and her husband, Fielding Lewis is also open. Unlike Willamsburg, the colonial features are original and restored. James Monroe’s law office is here also. Other colonial features are High Mercedes Apothecary and the Rising Sun Tavern as well as Masonic Lodge 4 of which Washington was a member. Of course there is a rich civil war history as well. Not only is there the Fredericksburg battlefields but 3 other major battlefields in the area: Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Courthouse. A lot to see and do in the area. I’ve only scratched the surface.
The first actual Thanksgiving was at Berkeley Plantation in Virginia about 2 years before the Pilgrams sailed to America.
Please consider adding Savannah, GA to your list. I had the pleasure of visiting last July and loved it (in spite of the summer heat).