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Heritage Areas

Regions where historic places, landscapes, traditions and museums are tied together by a shared story and promoted as one cultural journey. Explore National Heritage Areas in the United States and Japan Heritage stories across Japan.

United States: National Heritage Areas

There are 62 National Heritage Areas in 36 states and territories, designated by Congress, supported by the National Park Service and run by local organizations. Their websites list museums, historic sites and events across each region.

62 heritage areas in 36 states and territories
A–C6 states
Alabama2
  • Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area The Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area tells the story of the American South, from Tribal and Spanish colonists contact to the brutality of slavery in the Antebellum South and birth of the Confederacy, to some of the most crucial events in the Civil Rights Movement.
  • Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area spans across six counties within the Tennessee River basin.
Alaska1
  • Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area highlights the experience of the Native Alaskans, Russians, explores, gold miners, and settlers who traveled through the branching valleys and over the waters of this rugged mountain coordinator.
Arizona2
  • Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area celebrates the region’s natural resources, rich history, and heritage shaped by generations of Native American, Spanish, and Mexican cultures.
  • Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area commemorates the natural ford on the Colorado River, which has been a gathering spot for people for over 500 years and is an important landmark of the Nation’s westward expansion.
California1
Colorado3
  • Cache La Poudre River National Heritage Area Cache La Poudre River National Heritage Area was established to commemorate the story of water law and water development in the West. The primary emphasis of current programs is on interpretation and education.
  • Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area in San Luis Valley is the cradle of Colorado’s earliest settlement, and is recognized as a confluence of Hispano, Anglo, and American Indian cultures.
  • South Park National Heritage Area South Park National Heritage Area commemorates the rich mining and ranching history of the American west, and includes 19 working ranches, some of which were founded as early as the 1860s along headwaters of the South Platte River.
Connecticut2
  • The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor got its name because of the surprisingly rural character of the 1,085 square-mile area defined by the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers systems and the rugged hills, forests, and agricultural fields that surround them in northeastern Connecticut and…Also in Massachusetts
  • Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area is located in northwestern Connecticut and western Massachusetts and is noted for its picturesque landscape, the meandering Housatonic River, and traditional New England towns.Also in Massachusetts
D–K5 states
Florida1
  • Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor recognizes the important contributions made to American culture and history by Africans and African Americans known as the Gullah and the Geechee who settled in the coastal counties of South Carolina, Georgia, the southeast coast of North Carolina, and…Also in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina
Georgia3
  • Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area is located in parts of three counties east of the city of Atlanta, Georgia, and comprises a region of active quarries, rolling topography, rural landscapes, and unique granite outcrop ecosystems, and pine and oak forests.
  • Augusta Canal National Heritage Area Augusta Canal National Heritage Area is a nine-mile corridor that follows the full length of the best-preserved industrial canal of its kind remaining in the South.
  • Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor recognizes the important contributions made to American culture and history by Africans and African Americans known as the Gullah and the Geechee who settled in the coastal counties of South Carolina, Georgia, the southeast coast of North Carolina, and…Also in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina
Illinois3
Iowa1
  • Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area encompasses a 37 county area in northeast Iowa. Their mission is to interpret farm life, agribusiness, and rural communities, past and present, for all age groups.
Kansas1
  • Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area encompasses counties in Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri. Along this border, before and during the Civil War, a defining conflict took place between the forces of slavery and freedom.Also in Missouri
L–M7 states
Louisiana2
Maine1
  • Downeast Maine National Heritage Area The Downeast Maine National Heritage Area embodies a nationally important story of America’s northern Atlantic coastal frontier, and relationships between the United States and Canada and between Maine and the Wabanaki people.
Maryland4
  • Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area celebrates the central Appalachian forest – its history, culture, natural resources, and forest heritage.Also in West Virginia
  • Baltimore National Heritage Area Baltimore National Heritage Area includes Baltimore’s oldest neighborhoods, downtown, and waterfront. At its center is the Inner Harbor, one of the Nation’s oldest seaports and today a vibrant destination for tourists and residents.
  • Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area stretches 180 miles along the Route 15 Corridor from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia. Most significant is the region’s role as a cradle of democracy and its key position in the Civil War.Also in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
  • Southern Maryland National Heritage Area Southern Maryland National Heritage Area showcases thousands of miles of shoreline, rich in socio-political, maritime, and agricultural heritage, and a concentration of intangible traditions and tangible historic, natural, and cultural resources relating to the American struggle to widen the circle of rights, inclusion, and opportunity.
Massachusetts5
  • Essex National Heritage Area Essex National Heritage Area preserves and interprets three themes of national significance to American history – Early settlement and the first contact between native peoples and colonists; the Great Age of Sail and America’s rise as an international trading power; and Industrial…
  • Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area in Massachusetts and New Hampshire includes 45 communities stretching across the two states.Also in New Hampshire
  • John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor tells the story of the American Industrial Revolution, which began along the 46 miles of river and canals running from Worcester, Massachusetts, to Providence, Rhode Island.Also in Rhode Island
  • The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor got its name because of the surprisingly rural character of the 1,085 square-mile area defined by the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers systems and the rugged hills, forests, and agricultural fields that surround them in northeastern Connecticut and…Also in Connecticut
  • Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area is located in northwestern Connecticut and western Massachusetts and is noted for its picturesque landscape, the meandering Housatonic River, and traditional New England towns.Also in Connecticut
Michigan1
  • MotorCities National Heritage Area MotorCities National Heritage Area preserves, interprets, and promotes Michigan’s rich automotive and labor heritage through nearly 1,200 auto-related resources – the largest concentration of auto-related sites, attractions, and events in the world.
Mississippi3
  • Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area includes counties in the alluvial floodplain of the Mississippi River. This area was cleared for cotton and plantation life, and peopled by sharecroppers and land owners, including immigrants from Europe and Asia.
  • Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area encompasses a distinctive six-county area of coastal Mississippi where many chapters in the national story have been written. The bounties of the coast’s natural resources have brought people to this area from all over the world.
  • Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped largely by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which produced a powerful concentration of nationally-significant cultural icons.
Missouri1
  • Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area encompasses counties in Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri. Along this border, before and during the Civil War, a defining conflict took place between the forces of slavery and freedom.Also in Kansas
N7 states
Nevada1
  • Great Basin National Heritage Area Great Basin National Heritage Area is a classic western landscape. The history of westward expansion and heritage of Native Americans is represented by significant archaeological sites from the exploration era and by the modern Shoshone, Paiute, and Goshute tribes.Also in Utah
New Hampshire1
New Jersey1
New Mexico1
  • Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area stretches from Santa Fe to Taos and includes the counties of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Taos. It encompasses a mosaic of cultures and history, including eight Pueblos and the descendants of Spanish ancestors who settled in the area as early as 1598.
New York4
  • Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership includes the linked navigable waterways and adjacent lands of Lake Champlain, Lake George, the Champlain Canal, and portions of the Upper Hudson River in the States of Vermont and New York.Also in Vermont
  • Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor stretches 524 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York, including four navigable waterways- the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga- Seneca Canals—showing our Nation’s great successes of engineering, vision, hard work, and sacrifice.
  • Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area stretching from Troy to New York City, contains a rich assemblage of natural features and nationally significant cultural and historical sites.
  • Niagara Falls National Heritage Area Niagara Falls National Heritage Area is home to the natural wonder of Niagara Falls, the rapids of the Niagara River gorge, and the communities of Niagara Falls, Youngstown, and Lewiston.
North Carolina3
  • Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Blue Ridge National Heritage Area encompasses 25 counties in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The rich cultural mosaic of the Blue Ridge mountains and foothills of North Carolina has its origins in three separate continents—North America, Europe, and Africa.
  • Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor recognizes the important contributions made to American culture and history by Africans and African Americans known as the Gullah and the Geechee who settled in the coastal counties of South Carolina, Georgia, the southeast coast of North Carolina, and…Also in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina
  • Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor The Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor connects many of the Carolinas’ Revolutionary War sites, including battlefields, historic communities, farmsteads, and landscapes that reflect the cultural and natural environments of North Carolina and South Carolina in the latter half of the 18th century.Also in South Carolina
North Dakota1
O–R3 states
Ohio2
  • National Aviation Heritage Area National Aviation Heritage Area is recognized as the Birthplace of Aviation and home of the Wright brothers.
  • Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway celebrates the canal that enabled shipping between Lake Erie and Ohio River, opened up frontier settlement in Ohio, and vaulted Ohio into commercial prominence in the early 1830s.
Pennsylvania8
  • Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is a 165-mile corridor which celebrates the region’s industrial history. Canals and railroads transported lumber, anthracite coal, slate, iron, and steel from mountain to market, fueling America’s industrial revolution.
  • Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area stretches 180 miles along the Route 15 Corridor from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia. Most significant is the region’s role as a cradle of democracy and its key position in the Civil War.Also in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
  • Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area includes historic, cultural, and natural resources along the Lackawanna River.
  • Oil Region National Heritage Area Oil Region National Heritage Area tells the story of Colonel Edwin Drake’s drilling of the world’s first successful oil well in 1859, which changed the course of industry, society, and politics in the modern world.
  • Path of Progress National Heritage Tour RouteA 500-mile route which winds through the hills and valleys of nine scenic southwestern Pennsylvania counties.
  • Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area preserves and interprets the legacy of big steel and its related industries. Over 270 heritage development projects are underway or have been completed in the Rivers of Steel eight county region.
  • Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area celebrates the rich culture and history of the Schuylkill River watershed as one of America’s most significant cultural and industrial regions.
  • Susquehanna National Heritage Area Susquehanna National Heritage Area played key roles in our national story, from an early gateway to America’s frontier to the temporary seat of the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War to a major route on the Underground Railroad and strategic location during the Civil War.
Rhode Island1
S–Z8 states
South Carolina3
  • Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor recognizes the important contributions made to American culture and history by Africans and African Americans known as the Gullah and the Geechee who settled in the coastal counties of South Carolina, Georgia, the southeast coast of North Carolina, and…Also in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina
  • South Carolina National Heritage Corridor South Carolina National Heritage Corridor is bounded on one end by the port city of Charleston and on the other by the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
  • Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor The Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor connects many of the Carolinas’ Revolutionary War sites, including battlefields, historic communities, farmsteads, and landscapes that reflect the cultural and natural environments of North Carolina and South Carolina in the latter half of the 18th century.Also in North Carolina
Tennessee1
  • Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area commemorates the powerful stories of vicious warfare, the demands of the home front and occupation, the freedom of emancipation, and the enduring legacies of Reconstruction.
U.S. Virgin Islands1
  • St. Croix National Heritage Area The St. Croix National Heritage Area is renowned for its diverse landscapes, including subtropical rainforests, fertile valleys, coastal plains, beaches, desert-like shrublands, and rocky hills.
Utah2
  • Great Basin National Heritage Area Great Basin National Heritage Area is a classic western landscape. The history of westward expansion and heritage of Native Americans is represented by significant archaeological sites from the exploration era and by the modern Shoshone, Paiute, and Goshute tribes.Also in Nevada
  • Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area encompasses six counties along the Highway 89. The region is recognized for its dramatic landscapes including Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Park.
Vermont1
  • Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership includes the linked navigable waterways and adjacent lands of Lake Champlain, Lake George, the Champlain Canal, and portions of the Upper Hudson River in the States of Vermont and New York.Also in New York
Virginia3
  • Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area stretches 180 miles along the Route 15 Corridor from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia. Most significant is the region’s role as a cradle of democracy and its key position in the Civil War.Also in Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
  • Northern Neck National Heritage Area The Northern Neck National Heritage Area’s location helped shape the social, political, and economic futures of its inhabitants and the country.
  • Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District tells the military and civilian stories of the Civil War from 1861 to 1864 when the Shenandoah Valley was caught in the crossfire between the North and the South because of its strategic location between the two capitals and a key transportation corridor.
Washington2
  • Maritime Washington National Heritage Area Beginning with coastal canoe cultures and continuing to superferries and superfreighters, Western Washington’s community and commerce has grown on our saltwater shores. The story of our maritime heritage is a key to understanding ourselves as a region.
  • Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area The Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area tells the stories of how people, trade, and transportation have shaped, and still shape, this iconic Pacific Northwest landscape.
West Virginia4
  • Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area celebrates the central Appalachian forest – its history, culture, natural resources, and forest heritage.Also in Maryland
  • Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area stretches 180 miles along the Route 15 Corridor from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia. Most significant is the region’s role as a cradle of democracy and its key position in the Civil War.Also in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia
  • National Coal Heritage Area National Coal Heritage Area is a rugged industrial landscape that showcases the stories of miners of many ethnicities who labored to extract and transport coal, and their wives, who struggled to maintain homes under primitive conditions.
  • Wheeling National Heritage Area Wheeling National Heritage Area celebrates 19th century westward expansion and industrialization. Throughout the 19th century, Wheeling served as the “Crossroads of America,” playing an important role in the settlement of the Nation.

Source: National Park Service, National Heritage Areas map data (updated December 2025). Map points mark the approximate center of each area.

Japan: Japan Heritage

Since 2015, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs has recognized 104 Japan Heritage stories. Each ties together historic sites, museums, crafts, festivals and food across one or more towns, such as a silk-producing region, a pilgrimage route or a castle town. Read the stories in English at japan.travel ↗

104 Japan Heritage stories in 47 prefectures
A–C4 prefectures
Aichi2
Akita1
Aomori1
Chiba1
D–K18 prefectures
Ehime2
Fukui5
Fukuoka3
Fukushima2
Gifu3
Gunma2
Hiroshima5
Hokkaidō5
Hyōgo9
Ibaraki3
Ishikawa3
Iwate2
Kagawa3
Kagoshima1
Kanagawa4
Kōchi2
Kumamoto3
Kyōto6
L–M3 prefectures
Mie3
Miyagi2
Miyazaki1
N4 prefectures
Nagano4
Nagasaki4
Nara7
Niigata3
O–R4 prefectures
Ōita3
Okayama7
Okinawa1
Ōsaka8
S–Z14 prefectures
Saga3
Saitama1
Shiga6
Shimane7
Shizuoka2
Tochigi4
Tokushima2
Tōkyō1
Tottori4
Toyama3
Wakayama7
Yamagata4
Yamaguchi1
Yamanashi4

Sources: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Heritage portal (story pages); story list, places and highlights from Wikipedia’s “Japan Heritage” article. Map points mark the main town of each story, not its full extent.

Part of a heritage area?

If your museum, library, archive or historic site is in a National Heritage Area or a Japan Heritage region, add or claim your listing so visitors can find you as they explore the region.

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