I have a senior in high school, so we are in the middle of college application season. We’ve done a bunch of college tours, which I always love, and I usually try to sneak in a historical site or two as part of the tour. Here are some of my favorites! If you have any upcoming college visits, be sure to research historical sites near you!
Alabama
Auburn University – Civil Rights Road Trip
Take my Civil Rights Road Trip to get to Auburn which will take you to several important stops such as the Montgomery Civil Rights historic sites.
California
UCLA – La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles
Just six miles from the UCLA campus is one of the coolest historical sites you can visit. The La Brea Tar Pits and its still-oozing tar is so unique. It’s one of the best places to learn about prehistoric life.
Georgia
Georgia Tech – Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, Atlanta
A short drive from Georgia Tech’s campus will bring you to the area where Dr. King grew up and is now buried. There is a museum and you can tour his childhood home.
Kentucky
University of Kentucky – Mary Todd Lincoln House, Lexington
One block from UK’s campus is the home where Mary Todd Lincoln lived before her move to Springfield, Illinois where she met and married Abraham Lincoln. The Lincolns visited this home, and it has many artifacts important in telling Mary’s tragic story.
Massachusetts
Boston College – Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, Boston
If you tour BC (or any of the Boston-area colleges), you will likely be staying in Boston for a night. You can do so many historical things here, but my favorite is the interactive Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. It’s so much fun and really brings history to life!
North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Carolina Basketball Museum, Chapel Hill
History can be fun! Tour this amazing museum full of the glory days of Carolina basketball featuring its biggest star, Michael Jordan.
Duke University – Bennett Place, Durham
Only a few miles from Duke’s campus is the site where the Civil War ended – weeks after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Many people don’t know that there was another Confederate Army under Johnston that didn’t surrender until April 26, 1865. This is the one site on this list I haven’t visited, but I plan to soon!
Tennessee
Vanderbilt University – Tennessee State Museum, Nashville
Make time after your college tour to see the artifacts at the state’s historical museum. It’s worth a visit!
Texas
Southern Methodist University – George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Dallas
This presidential library is easy to add on to any SMU tour – it’s on campus! SMU students and faculty get free admission.
Baylor University – Waco Mammoth National Monument, Waco
Did you know that you can see prehistoric mammoth fossils in the middle of Texas? Just outside of Waco is the national park where they are still excavating these massive fossils.
University of Texas-Austin – Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin
This presidential library is housed on the massive campus and is a great way to get out of the Texas heat for a while. It’s a fascinating look at the mid-20th century.
Texas A&M University – George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station
Not only can you visit President Bush’s library, you can also pay your respects at his gravesite. It is on campus at Texas A&M.
Virginia
University of Virginia – Monticello and Highland, Charlottesville
Tour Thomas Jefferson’s university and then visit his house on a nearby mountain. And his next-door neighbor was James Monroe so add in his home, Highland, as well.
What college and historical site pairing is your favorite?
