Tweet
Budget Travel - 15 Places Every Kid Should See
Here's our pick of the places in America that every kid should visit before turning 15. Our choices might surprise you.
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.: In a city of inspiring sights--Washington, Jefferson, and Vietnam memorials; Arlington National Cemetery--Abe's big statue is a can't-miss.
Colonial Williamsburg, Va.: Kids growing up with e-mail and iPods might not believe it, but there was life before electricity, and even before a United States (history.org, $37, one kid free with adult). Editor's Note: This offer is no longer valid. As of May 2007, admission is $36; kids $18.
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: Sunk by a surprise attack on December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona remains six feet below the water as a lasting monument to World War II veterans.
Grand Canyon: Look at what wind, water, and erosion can do: At 5,000 feet deep and an average of 10 miles across, it's the most magnificent natural wonder in the country, and perhaps the world.
National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis: The motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed is a museum chronicling the African-American struggle from slavery to Rosa Parks and beyond (civilrightsmuseum.org, $12, $8.50 kids). Also highly worthwhile: Alabama's Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (bcri.org, $10, kids free) and Cincinnati's Underground Railroad Freedom Center (freedomcenter.org, $12, kids $8).
Redwoods National Park, Calif.: Everyone feels humbled, in a good way, when exploring in the shadows of 300-foot-tall trees--many of which are over 1,000 years old.
Monticello, Va.: Besides the Declaration of Independence, one of Thomas Jefferson's other masterpieces is the estate he built and tinkered with over the course of five decades, located four miles from the University of Virginia--which Jefferson also founded (monticello.org, tours from $15, kids $6).
Gettysburg, Pa.: It's never too early to learn about the sacrifices of those who came before: In the bloodiest war in our nation's history, this Civil War battlefield was the bloodiest of all.
The Alamo, San Antonio: The stories of courage in the face of overwhelming forces will be remembered (thealamo.org, free).
Ground Zero, New York City: The hole in lower Manhattan is sacred ground. The nearby Tribute Center exhibits crushed firefighter helmets and other recovered items (tributewtc.org, $10 donation).
Niagara Falls, N.Y.: The most powerful falls in North America, with as much as six million cubic feet of water plummeting over the gorge every minute, were awesome when your grandparents honeymooned there and remain awesome today. It's worth crossing into Canada to see them from the other side.
Freedom Trail, Boston: Visit Bunker Hill, Paul Revere's house, and other spots pivotal to the American Revolution. Walk the trail on your own for free or book a tour with a guide in 18th-century garb (thefreedomtrail.org, $12, kids $6).
Independence Hall, Philadelphia: It's where George Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the founding fathers truly laid the nation's foundation, in the form of the U.S. Constitution (nps.gov/inde, free but tickets for timed tours are required).
Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando: Behold the power of imagination. And they're not going to be kids forever. Make them happy.
Hey we've taken DS to 10 of these! I don't think we'll make all the other 5 in just 2 more years though.
Here's our pick of the places in America that every kid should visit before turning 15. Our choices might surprise you.
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.: In a city of inspiring sights--Washington, Jefferson, and Vietnam memorials; Arlington National Cemetery--Abe's big statue is a can't-miss.
Colonial Williamsburg, Va.: Kids growing up with e-mail and iPods might not believe it, but there was life before electricity, and even before a United States (history.org, $37, one kid free with adult). Editor's Note: This offer is no longer valid. As of May 2007, admission is $36; kids $18.
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: Sunk by a surprise attack on December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona remains six feet below the water as a lasting monument to World War II veterans.
Grand Canyon: Look at what wind, water, and erosion can do: At 5,000 feet deep and an average of 10 miles across, it's the most magnificent natural wonder in the country, and perhaps the world.
National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis: The motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed is a museum chronicling the African-American struggle from slavery to Rosa Parks and beyond (civilrightsmuseum.org, $12, $8.50 kids). Also highly worthwhile: Alabama's Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (bcri.org, $10, kids free) and Cincinnati's Underground Railroad Freedom Center (freedomcenter.org, $12, kids $8).
Redwoods National Park, Calif.: Everyone feels humbled, in a good way, when exploring in the shadows of 300-foot-tall trees--many of which are over 1,000 years old.
Monticello, Va.: Besides the Declaration of Independence, one of Thomas Jefferson's other masterpieces is the estate he built and tinkered with over the course of five decades, located four miles from the University of Virginia--which Jefferson also founded (monticello.org, tours from $15, kids $6).
Gettysburg, Pa.: It's never too early to learn about the sacrifices of those who came before: In the bloodiest war in our nation's history, this Civil War battlefield was the bloodiest of all.
The Alamo, San Antonio: The stories of courage in the face of overwhelming forces will be remembered (thealamo.org, free).
Ground Zero, New York City: The hole in lower Manhattan is sacred ground. The nearby Tribute Center exhibits crushed firefighter helmets and other recovered items (tributewtc.org, $10 donation).
Niagara Falls, N.Y.: The most powerful falls in North America, with as much as six million cubic feet of water plummeting over the gorge every minute, were awesome when your grandparents honeymooned there and remain awesome today. It's worth crossing into Canada to see them from the other side.
Freedom Trail, Boston: Visit Bunker Hill, Paul Revere's house, and other spots pivotal to the American Revolution. Walk the trail on your own for free or book a tour with a guide in 18th-century garb (thefreedomtrail.org, $12, kids $6).
Independence Hall, Philadelphia: It's where George Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the founding fathers truly laid the nation's foundation, in the form of the U.S. Constitution (nps.gov/inde, free but tickets for timed tours are required).
Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando: Behold the power of imagination. And they're not going to be kids forever. Make them happy.
Hey we've taken DS to 10 of these! I don't think we'll make all the other 5 in just 2 more years though.
We've done 11!!!
And, although we live in NY, none of us have ever seen Niagara Falls.
It was the only big real vacation my family ever went on. And yes we drove.
And, Wacky, we visited The Arch, too. Two of these places didn't yet exist. My kids still talk fondly about those trips & are now taking their children to see all these places.
Comment