Family Travel: Places Kids Should See – American Civil War History

One of the most important events in America's history for kids to learn about is the American Civil War. Continuing our series "Places Every Kid Should See," we'll explore a couple of destinations where you can rent a timeshare and allow your kids to actually see, hear and feel what the Civil War was like.

Rent a Pennsylvania timeshare and drive to Gettysburg to visit the site of the most famous battle of the Civil War. Fought over 3 days in 1863, this battle had the largest number of casualties in the Civil War. There are a number of ways by which your kids can explore the battlefield and learn about this turning point in American history.

Ranger programs with campfire talks and living history events are a way for your kids to become immersed in the sites and sounds of this historic Civil War battle. Or you can take a bus tour that is narrated by licensed Gettysburg guides. A self-guided driving tour is another option, using CDs and photo guidebooks. A unique way for your kids to tour the historic battlefield is on horseback. Choose guided horseback riding tours from either the National Riding Stables or Hickory Hollow Horse Farm for an experience your kids will never forget.

While at Gettysburg, why not take a quick detour from the Civil War, and visit the Eisenhower Farm. Adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield, this farm served as a weekend retreat for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and was also a favorite place for him to meet with world leaders. Your kids will have fun joining a park ranger and exploring 1950's Secret Service operations.

The U.S.S. Monitor was the first ironclad warship ever built by the United States. In 1862 the first ever naval battle between two ironclad warships occurred when the U.S.S. Monitor clashed with the Confederate States Navy's C.S.S. Virginia. That event "marked the turning point in the history of modern warfare and the way war is waged at sea," as explained by the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, VA. Rent a timeshare in Williamsburg and take the short 30 mile drive to Newport News, where the museum houses the 65,000 sq ft U.S.S. Monitor Center, close to where the encounter between the two famous ships actually took place. Here your kids can climb through a full-scale replica of the U.S.S. Monitor, and experience the drama of the battle in a high-definition theater.

(Photo from old-picture.com)
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