Frequently Asked Questions -- Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries

Itineraries have been created by the Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary program, a division of the National Park Service's (NPS) Office of Cultural Resources Interpretation & Education. The NPS neither owns nor operates most of the sites featured within itineraries. Many of your questions may be better answered by contacting the properties operating organization, which can be found within individual itinerary listings.

I want to visit a property. How do I do that?

The Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary program is a program of the National Park Service. The National Park Service does not own or operate the majority of properties described in the itineraries. Included within each itinerary listing is a link to the operating organizations website, where you can find more information on how to visit a specific site.

I want to host/hold an event, like a wedding, at one of the properties. How do I do that?

The National Park Service does not own or operate a majority of properties described in the itineraries. For information on hosting events at a site, please reference the operating organizations website, which is provided within each itinerary listing.

How do I get to the specific property I want to visit?

Each itinerary listing includes location information and a link to the operating organization's website. Please reference the operating organization's website to obtain information on visiting hours, admission fees, directions, or other applicable information.

The information in the description is incorrect. What should I do?

The properties are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In most cases the information in the descriptions is based on the National Register of Historic Places file. Please check the file to see if the National Register file either confirms or disputes the information in the itinerary. You can find the file by going to the research section of the National Register website. (www.nps.gov/nr/research/)

Yep, the NR file is wrong, too. What should I do?

In order to update a file in the National Register of Historic Places you can contact the National Register (NR) program. Generally the file was prepared by a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The SHPO would have to update their file, then inform the NR of the change, then the itinerary can be updated.

I don’t think I really need to check the NR file to tell you that World War II ended in 1945, not 1845. How do I report a typo?

Yes, for a brief period of time we reported that World War II ended in 1845. We have many people in our office and our partners review the itineraries before we launch an itinerary, but we still find tpyos. Please report any typos or mistakes that you find to us via the Contact Us link in the page's footer. Please include the property name, the itinerary and the URL of the page.

One (or more) of the links in your itinerary is broken. How do I report this?

Please let us know via the Contact Us link in the page's footer. Please tell us the property name, itinerary name, and the URL of the page. If you know the correct link, please tell us that also.

Can I use one of the photographs from the itinerary?

The photographs have a credit line under them. Please contact whoever is credited. The credits page on each itinerary may be able to help you to find the copyright holder. The National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Program does not own the copyright to the photographs used in the itineraries. If a photograph has a credit line of "NPS photo" or photograph by NPS or similar wording then the photograph is in the public domain. Photographs taken by federal employees in the normal course of their duties are in the public domain.

Why was a property that should be included was not included?

There are many reasons why some properties were chosen and others were not. The property may not be listed in the National Register of Historic Places, or the property may not have been listed when the itinerary was created, the property may not fit within the theme of the itinerary.

How do we get a property added to the itinerary?

Please contact us via the Contact Us link in the website's footer. Please be aware that due to staff shortages we may not be able to add a property.

Why isn't there an itinerary of my favorite place/town/vacation area?

We work with our partners to create an itinerary. Our partners do a lot of work of work on the itineraries. In some cases we approach people, agencies, programs, societies, organizations to ask if they have the time and resources to create an itinerary. In other cases we were approached with the idea of doing an itinerary.

How can I propose a new itinerary?

Please contact us via the Contact Us link in the website's footer. Please be aware that due to staff shortages we may not be able to add an itinerary.

How do I contact you?

You can reach us via the Contact Us link in the website's footer.

If you are referring to a specific itinerary or description, please provide us

1. the name of the property,

2. the name of the itinerary and the

3. URL of the web page.

Please keep in mind that the NPS Travel Itinerary Program does not own or operate any of the properties in the itineraries. Your question may be better directed to the owner of the property. Contact information for the properties are at the bottom of each page.

I know someone who died in the Civil War, how do I find out more information about them?

The National Park Service has a Civil War website. On the website is the Soldiers and Sailors Database that may be of help to you.

Can you send me more about the subject covered in the itinerary?

We post everything that we have about the properties. We do not have any additional materials. Each itinerary includes links to the operating organizations website. To learn more please explore the information they've included within their site.