The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future. - Inscription at the base of a statue near the entrance of the National Archives Building, Washington.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States defines heritage tourism as "traveling to experience the places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past", and "heritage tourism can include cultural, historic and natural resources".

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According to Cheryl Hargrove, the first director of Heritage Tourism for the National Trust and author of Cultural Heritage Tourism: Five Steps for Success and Sustainability, it is the fastest growing sector of tourism.  It focuses on the unique combination of authentic experiences that define a particular place, person or event.  Today’s tourist is seeking a meaningful experience rather than just entertainment.

Heritage Areas ranging from a single restored historic house museum in a small southern town to the larger areas like Colonial Williamsburg are valuable economic contributors to the regions in which they operate. The partnerships they create and facilitate, and the efforts put forth to attract visitors, create economic development, and preserve the culture, history, and assets of their regions truly make a difference in local communities. 

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These living history exhibits throughout our country offer us unique glimpses into the lifestyles and architecture of the past providing us with a sense of time and place.  They act as learning laboratories for us to participate in the everyday lives of our ancestors.  They provide the preservationist an opportunity to familiarize themselves with regional building techniques and characteristics.  Techniques that were influenced by the existing lifestyle of those who built the environment.   For instance, those who settled in the Northeast held more Puritanical and stricter religious beliefs so the homes tended to be more austere in appearance.  While in the south more forgiving climes and freer religious rituals are reflected in less severe and more open architecture. 

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Other sites are more event specific like the Alamo, Gettysburg, Yorktown and Appomattox, VA battlefields. These places commemorate the military actions that took place there.  In Fredericksburg, VA a visit to Chatham Manor on the east side of the river, affords the visitor a very different perspective of how one thriving family farm was commandeered and became the staging ground for the Battle of Fredericksburg.

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Colonial Williamsburg, VA; Sturbridge village in Massachusetts; Saint Augustine, Florida; Old Salem, North Carolina; Drayton Hall in Charleston South Carolina, are just a few of the more recognizable facilities that are available to experience. Visitors can expand and enhance their knowledge of the past by experiencing the variances between architectural styles and construction materials of the different periods. For example, the replication and restoration of structures in Colonial Williamsburg in the English style and the stabilization and original materials as existing at Drayton Hall. Other examples can be found in the Spanish influences in St. Augustine Florida and the Moravian in Old Salem, NC and antebellum in Charleston.

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Get out there and explore these exciting areas and get to know our history in a way that is also fun for you and your family.