Add a dimension to your camping trips with historical walking tours and battle reenactments across the country. The tours offer insight and information not normally found on a drive through your favorite city, and battle reenactments put history on display in realistic vignettes.
Here are ten of the most popular historic tours across America.
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour
This tour starts from Battery Park in NYC and includes round-trip ferry boat transportation to and from Liberty Island, where participants can skip the lines and visit the Statue of Liberty pedestal and observation decks, then head to the Liberty Island Museum. When your investigation of Lady Liberty is over, the ferry boat will deposit travelers to Ellis Island. There visitors can explore the Ellis Island Immigration Museum at their leisure, selecting when they would like to return to Battery Park on a ferry boat. Tour cost per person is $57.
San Diego Gaslamp Segway Tour
Venture around the historic districts of San Diego on a Segway, complete with guide. Cruise through the downtown entertainment region known as Gaslamp Quarter, then hop off for pictures along Navy Pier, Seaport Village, and downtown San Diego. The tour also includes Balboa Park, with several museums and art studios, a foray through Chinatown, and side trip past trendy restaurants and clubs housed in Victorian era buildings. Your guide offers not only highlights and historical information, but snacks along the way. Cost per person is $149.
Historic Charleston Walking Tour
Explore one of the oldest towns in America, discovering its 400-year-old history as you walk cobblestone streets, venture into alleyways, and view its distinctive architectural style. Learn of Charleston’s role in the Civil War, and how it has blossomed into a charming city of the South today. The tour will take visitors past historic churches, into regal neighborhoods, and through centuries-old districts that stand as testament to a resilient town and its people. Tour guides offer historical overviews, and there is plenty of time for photos along the way. Tours cost per person is $20.
French Quarter Historical Sights and Stories
Take a walking tour of the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, and discover the French Quarter’s heritage and architecture. Participants will see Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, and the Mississippi River while learning of the city’s French, Spanish, Caribbean, and American influences. Wander down Royal Street, where street performers and world famous restaurants entice you, and get suggestions from your local guide about the many dining and shopping opportunities that abound in the Crescent City. Tour cost per person is $25.
Revolutionary War Reenactment
Visit with General Washington himself on his Mount Vernon Estate as you meander through Continental soldiers’ camps. Battle reenactments take place all weekend, with hundreds of Continental and Red Coat fighters, cannons, and cavalry. Historical discussions on military techniques and life in the 1700s will give visitors insight into the fight for freedom from Great Britain. Cost per person is $18.
Live Nashville Walking Tour
Enjoy walking the streets of Music City with a tour guide that will highlight the history of this hip town. Discover the thieves and gamblers, music producers, and civil rights leaders that all had a hand in creating the Nashville of today. Guides describe the colorful history here as you pass Ryman Auditorium and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, walk through Printer’s Alley, or see where Andrew Jackson nearly lost his life in a duel. It’s an eclectic collection of historical proportions. Tour cost per person is $25. 
Jail and Sail: Alcatraz Tour and San Francisco Bay Cruise
Get locked up in the world’s most famous prison, and hear about the Birdman of Alcatraz, along with many other residents of The Rock. This walking/boating tour starts in San Francisco with a drop off at Alcatraz, where participants can take a self-guided audio tour of the prison and its surrounding wildlife and gardens. Tourists can stay as long as they’d like on the island and catch any of the departing tour boats back to Pier 33. Tour cost per person is $40.
Washington DC Guided Night Tour
See the Capitol City lit up at night, avoiding the day crowds with this popular bus tour. Guides will stop frequently to study many of the memorials and attractions on foot, giving a historical overview of each. Visit the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and Tidal Basin, among other sights. This 3-hour-long tour lets visitors see many of the highlights of our nation’s capitol in one evening, covering what would normally take several days. Cost per person is $58.
Seattle Underground History Tour
Walk the underground tunnels of Seattle’s first neighborhood, Pioneer Square. Your guide will share historical stories of the Klondike gold rush and Skid Row as you wander the subterranean passageways. You will finish with more recent iterations of the Emerald City and its technology-driven present and future. Guests over the age of 18 may opt to take the “Red Light District Tour,” highlighting the underside of Seattle’s underground. Cost of Underground History Tour is $20 per person, and the Red Light District Tour is $22 per person.
Gettysburg Civil War Battle Reenactment
See history come alive at this three-day event, where rebel yells, the smell of black powder, and the pounding of horse hoofs across the battlefield will give viewers a real sense of what was won and lost in this most hallowed place. The battles are authentic to actual historical fights on the grounds at Gettysburg, and spectators can also see medical tents, soldiers quarters, and firing competitions. Cost starts at $39 for one day.
Take A Tour in an RV Rental
Rent an RV from Outdoorsy to visit any of these historical sights on your next camping vacation. They are guaranteed to become the highlights of your trip!
