Interpreting America's Historic Places: Implementation Grants

The staff at an historic house works with scholars to identify the roles played by the site and its resident(s) in a major national story, such as the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Homestead movement, or the debate over slavery in the early Republic.

Four historic sites each played a role in a major national story, such as the development of the Blues, the Hudson River school of painting, or American religious freedom. The staffs from all four sites work together with scholars to develop an overarching narrative that incorporates events associated with each site. Each site's staff works with the scholars to develop interpretive programs, tours, and educational brochures that tell the overarching story and the role of their site in it. The four sites jointly develop marketing materials for attracting local residents and encouraging travelers to visit all four sites.

A state historical association works with historians across the state to develop a website that provides thematic connections among historic markers found on the state's roads and highways. Visitors to the website can learn how a particular marker fits into a larger historical context. They can also use the website to assemble an itinerary that allows them to follow an episode in American history from marker to marker.

Local historical societies, regional tourism bureaus, and other organizations collaborate to develop an orientation exhibition, public programs, and touring aids that help visitors to sites along the Missouri-Kansas border learn about "Bleeding Kansas" and the Civil War in this region.