Best Patriotic Attraction (2016)

Although it was not just one night that led patriots to take matters into their own hands to begin a fight for freedom, it was the continued lack of freedoms and representation that brought about the Tea Party. At the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, visitors can relive the catalyst to the American Revolution and see memorabilia from the time and event. The museum holds insight into America's path to becoming a free country.
Photo courtesy of Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum

Pikes Peak, the most visited mountain in North America and second most visited in the world (after Mount Fuji), is historically significant as the inspiration behind Katharine Lee Bates' poem "Pikes Peak," which would eventually be set to music as America the Beautiful.
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

New York City has built a memorial for those lost during one of the most tragic events in the United States’ history on the site of the former World Trade Center. Travelers to the great metropolis visit the site, which has two reflecting pools, to pay respect to those lost in the terrorist attacks. It's a solemn, sad visit, but one that every American should strive to make.
Photo courtesy of NYC & Company/Marley White

Plimoth Plantaion, a living history museum, brings the world of seventeenth century America to life. Located on the Plymouth waterfront, recreated buildings and costumed interpreters tell the story of the historic Plymouth Colony, as well as the English and American Indians who met there.
Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

A visit to this unique living-history museum in Virginia is like stepping back in time. Across 300-plus acres, the museum encompasses an impressive selection of historical buildings, including reconstructed, re-created and restored buildings that paint a picture for life in Colonial Virginia, back when Williamsburg was the heart of the state. Guests can browse cultural and educational museums, play golf, go shopping and even relax in the spa in and around “Revolutionary City.” This is a destination like nowhere else.
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To stand beneath the faces carved into granite at Mount Rushmore National Monument is to marvel at history, natural beauty and artistic determination. The 60-foot-tall visages of U.S. presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln were carved into a South Dakota cliff by Gutzon and Lincoln Borglum from 1934 to 1939 to promote tourism in the area. Today, more than 3 million annual visitors trek to the Black Hill to marvel at this iconic American monument.
Photo courtesy of NPS Photo

Starting at the Boston Common, but easily picked up at any point along the way, the Freedom Trail offers historical insight into the city and its surroundings. Easy to "hop on and off", the Freedom Trail weaves throughout the city and highlights some of Boston's most special places, including Park Street Church, the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House and the USS Constitution.
Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

Arlington National Cemetery is perhaps the most famous burial ground in the nation. The 600-plus acres of green hills are lined with seemingly countless white tombs. This military cemetery honors people who have lost their lives in service to the nation, from the American Civil War forward. Visitors who take a tour of the cemetery can see John F. Kennedy’s grave site, the changing of the guard and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
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Gettysburg, as many know, was the fateful location of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the North. It was here, in July of 1863, that the Union Army halted Lee’s advance and broke the back of his, up to that point, mostly undefeated army of crack troops across three days of bitter conflict in the city itself and the lands surrounding it, almost all of which have been meticulously maintained for their historical significance.
Photo courtesy of NPS Photo

The Statue of Liberty, a 450,000 pound gift from the people of France, is a must-see for anyone visiting the Big Apple. The torch that she is holding stands for that enlightenment and inscribed on her tablet is the date of the American Declaration of Independence. For millions of people, the sight of Lady Liberty represents freedom and opportunity.
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock