12 Fun Virtual Field Trips to Learn about US History

Not living the RV-homeschool life? No problem! Tour the country & learn US history with these virtual field trips.

As a (now-retired) Army family, we’ve been able to see some pretty cool places. But as a military family, it’s also been a struggle at times to find time to get away.

Maybe you’re in a similar situation. Or a budget that is smaller than your bucket list.

And that’s where virtual field trips come in. They’re not as good as being there in person, but they can be so much better than reading a book or watching a video.

Colonial Era Virtual Field Trips

A Day in the Life of a colonial kid

This virtual field, courtesy of North Carolina Historic Sites, will lead your 3rd-7th grader through a typical day in 18th-century America. The free download includes links to videos, discussion questions, activities, coloring pages, and more. Download-and-go, this virtual field trip would be a great activity to do with homeschool friends or just for something different.

Battlefield tours

Walk around some of the battlefields of the Revolutionary War. I love these tours because it’s easier to imagine what the soldiers might have seen when you’re on eye level with the landscape. There are quite a few you can tour, including Yorktown, Kings Mountain, and Cowpens.

museum of the American Revolution

From Scholastic & the author of the I Surived… series, take a virtual tour to the Museum of the American Revolution. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum, learn about two teens who served in the war, and more.

The lesson plan activities are broken down by age range — ideal for not boring older kids AND great if you have kiddos in multiple stages.

A Country Divided

Andersonville

Andersonville, Georgia, had one of the largest Confederate prisons during the Civil War. In this virtual tour, your teens will add to their understanding of the Civil War, examine what it may have been like to be a prisoner there, and reckon with the continued effects of the war.

If you have elementary-aged kiddos, this is not inappropriate for them. The lesson plans & content are aimed at older kiddos, but younger ones can certainly learn form ‘walking around’ the site and watching the videos.

battlefields of the civil war

As with the battlefields of the Revolutionary War, many from the Civil War are also available to tour virtually, including Fort Sumter and Gettysburg.

It’s also worth checking out all the other resources on Battlefields.org, like artifacts and biographies.

Ford theater

Unlike most of the virtual field trips for history on this list, Ford Theater offers live events. Some of the events are free for anyone. For others, you’ll need to gather up a group of at least eight homeschoolers in order to get a free event. This would make a great opportunity with 1-2 other homeschool families or in a class/co-op setting.

Presidential Virtual Field Trips

mount vernon

Mount Vernon offers several interactive activities & virtual tours. Create a mini-unit using their tours + Hands-on History At Home section + Mount Vernon lesson plans + explore their primary source collection.

• Take a street-level 360° tour of Washington’s old stomping grounds.
• Learn about enslaved people at Mount Vernon in Lives Bound Together. “Walk” around the museum to look at exhibits, read signs, and watch videos.

monticello

At Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, you can take a 360° tour of his home or participate in a live event.

the life & legacy of jimmy carter

. Created by the same people who made the Andersonville virtual tour, Jimmy Carter, Life &Legacy focuses more on this life before & after the White House than his time actually in it. After all, his work in recent years with Habitat for Humanity is legendary.

This short tour is a perfect add-on for your teen.

The white house

Tour The People’s House from home. Walk the hallways, learn about the artwork, and sense the history that’s been made in this building. The interactive notebook (via Google Slides) is geared at kiddos in grades 4-7, but the tour itself would be good for all ages.

And a few more ideas….

Ellis island

Aimed at grades 4-7, this presentation & virtual tour of Ellis Island is very informative. Watch just the 30-minute video for something simple. Or spend additional time on the site learning about immigrants, who came to Ellis Island (and why), and more.

National World war ii museum

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans regularly offers virtual field trips. (Once they’re over, they post them on their website.) Past topics have included manufacturing on the Home Front, the Japanese American & the African-American experiences in WW2 and, most recently, the Holocaust. Additional resources like slides & lesson plans are often included.

US Holocaust Memorial Museum

While not a ‘walk-through’ type of virtual tour, the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. provides several online exhibits for teens & adults. Two that directly pertain to the US are Americans & the Holocaust and Voyage of the St. Louis.

the Statue of Liberty

Give me your tired, give me your poor.

Take a trip inside the Statue of Liberty courtesy of the National Park Service. You can also view the grounds, the stairs up to the top, the museum, and more. While this won’t be a long or detailed virtual tour, it’s a nice add-on when you’re studying the 1800s or 1900s.

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