Is the open road calling? Go ahead and pick up! North America is full of places you’ll want to explore up close. Think ancient settlements, historic military forts, and storied battlegrounds, plus museums that dig deep into the past, into both tragedies and triumphs.
These ten historical stops that span the U.S. and Canada can turn an ordinary road trip into something more memorable. Trust us, these will stick with you long after the gear is packed away.
1. Gettysburg National Military Park – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
At Gettysburg National Military Park, you’re on the ground of the Civil War’s most pivotal and costly battle, fought over three days in July 1863. Start at the Museum & Visitor Center with the 20-minute film A New Birth of Freedom, then take in the dramatic 360-degree cyclorama painting of Pickett’s Charge, one of the war’s defining moments. From there, head out on a narrated bus tour or follow a self-guided driving route with 16 stops, including Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, and McPherson Ridge.
Nearest KOAs:
Gettysburg / Battlefield KOA Holiday
Hagerstown / Antietam Battlefield KOA Holiday (MD)
Elizabethtown / Hershey KOA Holiday
2. Maritime Museum of the Atlantic – Halifax, Nova Scotia
Set along Halifax’s historic waterfront, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic traces 400-plus years of Canada’s seafaring history. The museum holds one of the most significant RMS Titanic collections, covering everything from first-class life aboard the ship to Halifax’s role in recovery efforts. You can even sit in a reproduction Titanic deck chair. Another popular exhibit recounts the 1917 Halifax Explosion, the largest human-made explosion before the atomic bomb. Outside, climb aboard the historic CSS Acadia and walk the decks of the century-old survey vessel.
Nearest KOAs:
Halifax West KOA
Truro / Tidal Bore KOA Holiday
3. Mesa Verde National Park – Cortez, Colorado
Explore one of North America’s most remarkable archaeological sites, where the Ancestral Pueblo people lived for more than 700 years. Mesa Verde National Park protects over 5,000 known sites, including 600 cliff dwellings built into sandstone alcoves across the Four Corners region. Ranger-led tours allow access to Balcony House, Long House, and Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America. A six-mile self-drive route on Mesa Top Loop Road features overlooks and short paved paths to 12 ancestral sites, including Fire Temple and Square Tower House.
Nearest KOAs:
Ouray KOA Holiday
Monument Valley KOA Journey
4. Golden Spike National Historical Park – Promontory Summit, Utah
At Golden Spike National Historical Park, stand where the Transcontinental Railroad was completed—with a golden spike, naturally—on May 10, 1869, linking the United States by rail for the first time. From early-May through early-October, ranger programs re-enact the moment with replica steam engines. Self-guided auto tours follow the original railroad grade, including the West Grade and its “10 Miles of Track Laid in One Day” marker. A 1.5-mile walk on the Big Fill Loop Trail traces both rail lines, with views of the Promontory Mountains and Great Salt Lake.
Nearest KOAs:
Brigham City / Perry South KOA Journey
Bear Lake / Trail Side KOA Journey
Bear Lake / Marina Side KOA Holiday
5. Kennedy Space Center – Merritt Island, Florida
Immerse yourself in the story of America’s space program, from Apollo and Skylab to the Space Shuttle era, at Kennedy Space Center. A guided bus tour takes you behind NASA’s gates to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, home to the largest rocket ever flown. At the Visitor Complex, stroll the Rocket Garden with its nine super-size rockets and come face-to-face with Space Shuttle Atlantis, displayed as if in orbit. More than 60 interactive simulators bring to life the history of spaceflight.
Nearest KOAs:
Orlando / Kissimmee KOA Holiday
Orlando Southwest KOA Holiday
Orlando NW / Orange Blossom KOA Journey
6. Fort Henry National Historic Site – Kingston, Ontario
At Fort Henry National Historic Site, a 19th-century British military fort overlooks the confluence of the Cataraqui and St. Lawrence rivers, built to defend Upper Canada’s key waterways. Today, living history programs evoke the 1860s garrison era with military drills, costumed interpreters, rifle firing demonstrations, and guided tours. Step inside the garrison bakery for fresh bread and baked treats, then head to the ramparts for scenic views across Kingston and Lake Ontario.
Nearby KOAs:
1000 Islands / Kingston KOA Holiday
1000 Islands / Ivy Lea KOA Holiday
1000 Islands / Mallorytown KOA Holiday
7. Buffalo Bill Center of the West – Cody, Wyoming
At Buffalo Bill Center of the West, wander the oldest and largest museum complex dedicated to the American West, including the Buffalo Bill Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, and Cody Firearms Museum. Dig into history here, from frontier art and indigenous cultures to wildlife and weaponry. Beyond artifacts and exhibits, there’s much more, like live raptor meet-and-greets and chuckwagon dinners with steak, trail beans, and fruit cobblers.
Nearby KOAs:
Cody / Yellowstone East KOA Holiday
Greybull KOA Holiday
Red Lodge KOA Journey
8. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site – Collinsville, Illinois
Step onto the remains of the largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. Around 1100 CE, Cahokia was home to 20,000 people, with nearly 120 earthen mounds. Climb 156 steps up Monks Mound, the largest earthen structure in North America, for views toward the St. Louis skyline. Follow trails past dozens of mounds, with QR codes explaining their ceremonial, residential, and burial roles. Don’t miss Woodhenge, an ancient solar calendar, plus the interpretive center’s artifacts, dioramas, and videos on Mississippian life.
Nearby KOAs:
St. Louis N.E. / I-270 / Granite City KOA Journey
St. Louis West / Historic Route 66 KOA Holiday
Benton KOA Journey
9. New Mexico Mining Museum – Grants, New Mexico
Along historic Route 66 in Grants, Santa Fe Avenue still hums with vintage neon, retro motels, and roadside nostalgia, including the 18-foot Route 66 neon drive-thru sign. Grants flourished during the 1950s uranium boom. Today, the New Mexico Mining Museum brings that era to life with tools, helmets, and artifacts. Ride an elevator underground into a simulated mine, complete with equipment and recorded miner stories, then explore the role Grants played in the Cold War.
Nearest KOAs:
Grants KOA Journey
Albuquerque North / Bernalillo KOA Journey
Albuquerque KOA Journey
10. Herkimer Diamond Mines/Erie Canal – Herkimer, New York
In New York’s Mohawk Valley, geology and engineering history intermingle. At Herkimer Diamond Mines, crack open ancient dolostone in search of quartz crystals formed some 500 million years ago. Rent tools, try sluice mining, or explore the Miners’ Village before shifting gears to the Erie Canal. Completed in 1825, the canal was a game-changer for American trade, linking the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Join a 90-minute narrated cruise with Erie Canal Cruises and glide through Lock 18, where boats are lifted and lowered in this still-working waterway.
Nearest KOAs:
Herkimer Diamond Mines KOA Resort
Cooperstown KOA Journey
Catskill Mountains / Gilboa KOA Holiday
About the Author: Erin Gifford
Erin Gifford is a Virginia-based travel writer who loves road trips, outdoor adventures, and national parks. In honor of America’s 250th birthday, she created the digital travel guide Explore America: 250 Places to Go in 2026. Erin blogs about hiking at Go Hike Virginia and has written three hiking guides for Falcon Guides. Follow her on Instagram: @byeringifford.
