Montana
- Glacier National Park
- Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
- Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
- Lewis and Clark Trail Adventures
- Covered Wagon Ranch
Nebraska
- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
- Pioneer Village
- Lincoln Children’s Museum
- Chimney Rock National Historic Site
- Joslyn Castle
Nevada
- Hoover Dam
- Red Rock Canyon
- Great Basin National Park
- Lake Mead Cruise
- Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
New Hampshire
- Fort Constitution Historic Site
- Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves
- Canterbury Shaker Village
- Mount Washington Auto Road
- Conway Scenic Railroad
New Jersey
- Battleship New Jersey
- Liberty State Park
- Atlantic City Boardwalk
- Cape May
- Morristown National Historical Park
New Mexico
- White Sands National Monument
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Sandia Peak Tramway
- International UFO Museum
- Bisti Wilderness Area
New York
- Niagara Falls
- Statue of Liberty National Monument
- Letchworth State Park
- Fort Ticonderoga
- Lake Placid Olympic Sites
North Carolina
North Dakota
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Fort Seward Annual Wagon Train
- International Peace Garden
- Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center & Fort Mandan
- Bonanzaville
Ohio
Oklahoma
- Turner Falls Park
- Marland Estate
- Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
- Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
- National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Oregon
- Cannon Beach
- Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
- Crater Lake National Park / Wizard Island Tour
- Astoria Column
- Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area / Vista House at Crown Point / Multnomah Falls
Pennsylvania
- Independence National Historical Park
- Hershey Park
- Crayola Experience
- Gettysburg National Military Park
- Valley Forge National Historical Park
Rhode Island
- Newport Cliff Walk
- Newport Mansions
- International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Providence Children’s Museum
- WaterFire
South Carolina
- Myrtle Beach / Broadway at the Beach
- Historic Charleston
- Brookgreen Gardens
- Patriots Point
- Fort Sumter National Monument
South Dakota
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Ingalls Homestead
- Corn Palace
- Wall Drug Store
- Custer State Park / Buffalo Roundup
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
- Arches National Park / Delicate Arch
- Zion National Park / Canyon Trail Rides
- Golden Spike National Historic Site
- Rainbow Bridge National Monument
- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Vermont
- Hildene – The Lincoln Family Home
- Smugglers Notch State Park
- Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory Tour
- Vermont Teddy Bear Company Tour
- Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm
Virginia
- Historic Triangle – Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestowne, Yorktown
- Mount Vernon
- Luray Caverns
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Natural Bridge
Washington
- Pike Place Market
- Mount St. Helens / Ape Caves
- The Space Needle
- Olympic National Park / Lake Quinault
- San Juan Islands
West Virginia
- New River Gorge National River & Bridge
- Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
- West Virginia Penitentiary
- Harpers Ferry
- Highland Scenic Highway
Wisconsin
- EAA Air Venture Museum
- Wisconsin Dells / Noah’s Ark Waterpark
- Circus World
- Door County / Peninsula State Park
- Union Star Cheese Factory Tour
Wyoming
- Yellowstone National Park
- Devils Tower National Monument
- Grand Teton National Park
- The Beartooth Highway
- National Bighorn Sheep Center
Want to make your road trip even more memorable and educational? Check out these posts –
- Keeping a Travel Journal on a Road Trip
- Creating a Road Trip Notebook
- Collecting Postcards and Coins While Traveling
- Four Ways to Sneak in Geography Learning While Traveling
- Learning Geography with the National Park Passport Program
- Scrapbook Your Family Road Trip
- Best Smartphone Apps for Family Road Trips
- Geography Fun From the Backseat
What did I miss? What would you add to my list?
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Our family was blessed to be able to just this – travel and home school in an rv. We did this close to four years – my dh and me, three kids, four cats and a dog. We were able to see many of the things on your list. Our kids are grown and have their own families now but still talk about our trip. Once we retire, we plan to go back out on the road. It’s a hard bug to get rid of!
I now home school my two grand daughters – I enjoy your site.
Thank you Donna! What a blessing to be able to travel like that; I’m sure many fond memories were made! Lord willing, we will be able to take some trips in the future.
This list is amazing. I too dream of traveling the USA with the family and always have but I do realize all 50 will probably never happen. I like this list because I can at least start with some of the states near us. Actually, I will begin with our own state, New York. I never even heard of Letchworth State Park and it has been awarded the best state park in the USA.
I would take the lighthouse boat tour and see 10 lighthouses around Narragansett by boat! Get a history of navigation through a fun fast trip on a boat!!
For Alaska, I would recommend seeing Denali National Park. Also, Chena Hot Spring is a nice place to visit for the day. If you like fishing, there are plenty of great fishing spots.
In Louisiana, I would recommend the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. In Lafayette, I would recommend the Alexandre Mouton House, Acadian Village and St. John’s Cathedral. The food is great there, too.
Linda – Thanks so much for the recommendations!
I know you were limiting to 5 per state, but there are so many more educational opportunities in Colorado. In Denver there is the US Mint. In Colorado Springs there is Cave of the Winds and the Manatee Cliff Dwellings. Up I-70 from Denver there are many gold mines. There is Dinosaur National Park in the Northeast corner and Bent’s Old Fort in LA Junta.
These are just a few of my kids’favorite field trip destinations in our lovely state.
Heather – I appreciate your suggestions! I want people to comment with more ideas! It was definitely hard to narrow it down to just 5 for some states! I’m already thinking of doing a follow up post with even more ideas! Thanks for sharing!
I love this post! Makes me want to take off in an RV and see these places right now! Saving this list for a spring trip!
I hear ya! After I made the list, I was ready to hit the road!!
I am working on putting together a bucket list for each state as I begin my road trip threw the states! I absolutely love this list because some of them I have been to, but there are a lot of them that I haven’t heard of! Excited to get started and blog my entire trip through it!
Hey Sarah!! Your site is so awesome! Thanks for sharing Killgore Adventures as the Must-Do Attraction in Idaho. Jet boating through the heart of Hells Canyon should be on everyone’s bucket list! We are going to share your link on our social media today. Thanks again, and please let us know if you ever want to collaborate in the future.
Much love,
The Killgore Adventures Team
Great list! I’m in Indiana so of course had to see what you listed. Amish Acres is awful “touristy”. If you want to see more real, authentic Amish living, take the back roads around Middlebury, Shipshewana and LaGrange. “Shipshe” (ship-shee) as its known round these parts, has a flea market, a “mall” with an indoor carousel and tons of little shops with quilts, clothes, crafts, candy, a music store, and there’s a great bulk foods store as well as The Cheese Factory (I think it’s in Shipshe – you can watch them making cheese and sample tons of different cheeses) and lots of little Amish general/grocery stores all over the countryside.
LOVE this post as we are 10 states in of taking our family to all 50 states before they leave for college. A lot of these are on my ongoing list. A few I’d like to add Montana: Drive the Beartooth Highway. Love the town of Red Lodge too right by it so grab a bite, walk around and drive up the Beartooth Hwy! Michigan you nailed, but I’d like to add Tahquamenon Falls-great hikes so well kept and gorgeous views. Can’t wait to explore some of these places!
Thanks for the suggestions! How fun that you are visiting all 50 states! It’s my dream to go on a nationwide field trip with our kids; not sure if we will hit all the states, but would love to try!