This Fourth of July, think bigger than the burger on the grill. Think in historical terms, and dare to brave the holiday crowds by celebrating our nation’s birthday at a patriotic destination.
1. Freedom Trail, Boston
This historic 2.5-mile, red-lined route begins at the Boston Common and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument. On the trail are 16 historically significant sites where “every step tells a story” about the American Revolution. Included are such sites as the Massachusetts State House, Granary Burying Ground, Site of the Boston Massacre, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, the Old North Church, and USS Constitution.
Know before you go:
- Ninety-minute walking tours can be booked year-round through The Freedom Trail Foundation. Tickets can be purchased at www.thefreedomtrail.org or on-site.
- Tickets purchased online are discounted 10 percent. Adults cost $12, $10 for seniors and students, and $6.50 for children ages 6 to 12. Tickets purchased online must be printed out to be valid.
- A few sites along the trail charge additional entrance fees.
- Self-guided tours are free. Download a trail map online. Enhance the experience with an audio guide, available for rent or purchase.
- Military installations nearby include USCG Base Boston, Boston Navy Yard, and Hanscom AFB.
For more information:
2. The Historic Triangle, Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown, Va
Visit Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and the Yorktown Battlefield, linked by the Colonial Parkway, a 23-mile scenic plantation route.
Know before you go:
- Special Fourth of July holiday events are scheduled, and you can learn about them and ticket options through the Williamsburg Visitor Center or the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Online Store.
- Military installations nearby include Fort Eustis, Langley AFB, Fort Story, Fort Lee, Camp Peary, U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, and Naval Station Norfolk.
For more information:
- Colonial Williamsburg Regional Visitor Center
- Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
- National Park Service
- Virginia Is for Lovers
3. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore
Where better to celebrate America’s birthday than at the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” penned by Francis Scott Key at dawn’s early light Sept. 14, 1814, during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Fort McHenry is both a national monument and a historic shrine, and it was one of the first forts built by the brand new U.S.
Know before you go:
- Visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at the Star Fort. The visitor center closes at 5:45 p.m.. Tickets cost $10 a person and are free for those 15 and younger.
- Plan to spend about two hours walking around, indoors and outdoors, on your own self-guided tour.
- Leashed pets are welcome at Fort McHenry, but they aren’t allowed in the historic area, defined by the wooden fence that surrounds the fort.
- Military installations nearby include Fort Detrick, Aberdeen Proving Ground, and the U.S. Coast Guard Yard.
For more information:
4. The Alamo, San Antonio
As you plan your Independence Day festivities, remember the Alamo, a timeless symbol of resistance and independence that resonates today just as vividly as it did back in 1835 when Texans fought for their independence from Mexico.
Know before you go:
- Special events on July Fourth (9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) include live music, living-history demonstrations, and readings from the Declaration of Independence.
- Entrance is free, but guided tours cost $15 for adults and $10 for military personnel and are free for children 8 and under.
- Continue the party with an icy margarita along San Antonio’s nearby famed River Walk.
- Military installations nearby include Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB, Camp Bullis, Kelly Field Annex, Naval Air Station Kingsville, Laughlin AFB, and Fort Hood.
For more information:
5. Fort Sumter, South Carolina
The American Civil War began April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery fired on Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbor. Nearby Fort Moultrie — named in honor of Colonel William Moultrie who led the battle that saved Charleston from occupation — on Sullivan’s Island, is also a must-see.
Know before you go:
- Fort Sumter is accessible by ferry from downtown Charleston or from Patriots Point. Entrance is free; however, the ferry costs $21 for adults, $18.50 for military personnel, and $13 for children (children under 3 are free). America the Beautiful passes do not apply to ferry fees. Pets are not allowed on Fort Sumter.
- At the fort museum exhibits describe its construction, key events leading to battle, and the reduction and bombardment of Fort Sumter by artillery later in war.
- Nearby military installations include Joint Base Charleston, Shaw AFB, McCrady Training Center, Fort Jackson, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
For more information:
6. The Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pa.
The battlefield, situated on 6,000 acres, is located in the Gettysburg National Military Park, which includes museums, Civil War artifacts, the Gettysburg National Cemetery, and the site where Abraham Lincoln delivered the famous Gettysburg Address Nov. 19, 1863.
Know before you go:
- Strategize your visit, as there are more than 30 miles of marked roads. Drive it yourself, hire a licensed battlefield guide to drive your car, or take a tour bus. Walking also is an option if you have the stamina.
- At the visitor’s center, check out the impressive Cyclorama that “brings the fury of the final Confederate assault on July 3, 1863 to live.”
- Nearby military installations include Carlisle Barracks, Letterkenny Army Depot, New Cumberland Army Depot, and Fort Indiantown Gap.
For more information:
7. Tennessee Based Battlefields, Shiloh and Chattanooga, Tenn.
Shiloh National Military Park, established in 1894, is one of the best-preserved battlefields of the Civil War. It is home to the battlefield of Shiloh itself, the Shiloh Indian Mounds, and a U.S. National Cemetery that serves as the final resting place for 4,000 soldiers and families.
Head west to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, where nearly all of the 1,400 monuments and historical markers on the battlefields were planned and placed by veterans of the battles themselves.
Know before you go:
- The Shiloh Battlefield has a 12.7-mile auto-tour route with 20 stops at places such as the Peach Orchard, the Hornet’s Nest, and the Albert Sidney Johnston death site.
For more information:
- National Park Service, (Chickamauga and Chattanooga)
- National Park Service (Shiloh)
- Tennessee Department of Tourism
8. USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Honolulu
One of the most visited places in Hawaii, this somber memorial is accessible only by boat and hovers above the sunken hull of USS Arizona, the final resting place of 1,102 sailors and Marines killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, an event which marked the U.S. entry into World War II.
Know before you go:
- Entrance is free, sans a $1.50 nonrefundable service fee, but only 1,300 tickets are available daily. Arrive at the visitor center when it opens at 7 a.m., call (877) 444-6777, or reserve tickets up to two months in advance at www.recreation.gov .
- Parking is free and available in front of the visitor center.
- The tour lasts one hour and 15 minutes and begins in a theater with a 23-minute documentary about the attack. You then board a Navy shuttle for a short ride to the memorial. There are no restrooms at the memorial.
- Visitors are asked to dress respectfully to the site (no bathing suits or questionable T-shirts). Military personnel who chose to visit the site in uniform are required to dress in Class B or better.
- Nearby military installations include Schofield Barracks, Fort DeRussy, Wheeler Army Airfield, and Coast Guard Base Honolulu.
For more information:
Tip: Consider purchasing an America the Beautiful Pass for only $80 (free for military servicemembers and their families). The pass allows you to access more than 2,000 federal recreation sites, some listed above. See www.recreation.gov for details.