Tagged: history

Play the Casanova at New Museum in Venice

Giacomo Casanova belongs to the rare class of historical figures whose names became common nouns. Traitorous World War II-era Norwegian leader Vidkun Quisling and France's lecherous…

Things to Do on Catalina Island, L.A.'s Island Getaway

Just about everything about Catalina is incongruous. Found 22 miles into the Pacific Ocean southwest of Los Angeles, this rugged isle is a bastion of laid-back calm within sight (on a…

How to See the Drawings of France's Niaux Cave for Yourself

The Grotte de Niaux (Niaux Cave) is one of the few caves with prehistoric art that's still open to the public in France. A guided tour through Niaux feels like an adventure from…

The Notorious B 'n' B: Infamous Historic Buildings That Are Now Hotels

You can’t blame a building for whatever shady, salacious, or downright gruesome dealings go down there. So why let a little mayhem scratch places off travel itineraries? The opposite…

A Walking Tour Into Los Angeles' Abandoned Speakeasy Tunnels

Unknown to most tourists, there's a network of tunnels underneath the city of Los Angeles. By some estimates, 11 miles of them. One growing walking tour company is taking visitors into…

U.S. Civil Rights Trail Links Dozens of Historic Sites in 14 States

Fourteen states, covering a chunk of the U.S. from Delaware to Kansas, are joining together to promote tourism to more than 100 landmarks crucial to the struggle for civil rights.The…

Two New Biographies Are Indispensable for Trips Through Europe or America

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are currently purchasing and avidly reading two monumental biographies in book form about two monumental figures in world and American history. In…

Two Brand New Museums Dedicated to Mississippi History

Side-by-side history museums in Mississippi's capital city, Jackson, will open to the public on December 9—one day before the state's bicentennial.The brand-new institutions share an…

Kohler, Wisconsin Is Flush with Tourism Appeal—And It's Not Just the Plumbing

Kohler isn’t just the name of your finest bathroom porcelain. It’s also a village in Wisconsin where those fixtures are made—a place that has developed a stellar reputation among…

How to Research Your Irish Family History During a Trip to Dublin

To grasp the huge role that emigration has played in Irish history, consider this statistic: While the number of people who have Irish ancestors is thought to be somewhere between 50…

Upper Levels of Rome's Colosseum Reopening for Tours

The upper tiers of the Colosseum in Rome are reopening to the public for the first time in four decades. The renowned architectural marvel—which dates to the first century A.D. and is…

American Historical Sites People Think Are Real—But Are Actually Fake

You probably went to one of these on vacation or a field trip. You probably thought you were walking in the same rooms as the great figures in United States history. You were wrong.…

What to See, Hear, and Eat in the Mississippi Delta—Birthplace of the Blues

You could argue that no other region better exemplifies the American story in all its glory, folly, promise, and sorrow than the sliver of northwestern Mississippi lining the banks of…

Time Capsules: Perfectly Preserved Sites from American History

Sometimes we're lucky enough to recognize greatness while it's still among us. And when we do, if we're really fortunate, we're also wise enough to preserve history while it's still…

New Hostel in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

You can now stay at a hostel in one of the most radioactive places on earth.Backed by the Ukrainian government and housed in a former Soviet dormitory, the 50-bed accommodation…

Oldest Structure on National Mall in Washington Being Restored

In 2018, the newest attraction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will also be the oldest.The Lockkeeper's House, which was built in 1835—before any of its more famous…

New Hotels, a Hostel at Chernobyl, and the National Mall's Oldest Building: Today's Travel Briefing

JUNE 14, 2017 HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS: A MID-PRICED TRUMP CHAIN AND THE FIRST WEST ELM HOTEL LOCATIONTwo widely known brands have recently made announcements that could have a big impact on…

"Will the Real Arthur Frommer Please Stand Up?"

Almost as soon as Europe on 5 Dollars a Day was published, Arthur Frommer became a household name—but not a household face. It had to be that way. If hotels and restaurants knew who he…

Test of Time: Places in the Early Frommer's Guides That Are Still Open Today

This feature was originally published in November 2020.Travel is a turbulent landscape. Tastes and economies peak and ebb, supporting few long-term survivors. But Frommer's is one of…

Travel Joys and Miseries Millennials Will Never Know

Travel has changed radically in the decades since Frommer's started publishing. Sure, millennials can still take vacation photos with an old-fashioned film camera (like this tourist is…

Forgotten Tourist Spots from the Earliest Frommer's Guidebooks

Though there are a number of perennial must-see tourist attractions across the globe—your Great Walls, Grand Canyons, and Big Bens—they are far outnumbered by the travel establishments…

12 Surprising Things You'll Learn at Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution

As the Founding Fathers musical Hamilton points out, history is all about “who lives, who dies, who tells your story.” For a long time, the official story told about the American…

Hamilton Tours at Thomas Jefferson's House

Thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit Broadway musical, Alexander Hamilton has stolen the spotlight from his fellow Founding Fathers. Now the ten-dollar Federalist is even making…

Grand Canyon Visitor Numbers, California Highway 1 Closures, Hamilton Tours at Monticello: Today's Travel Briefing

APRIL 7, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Today's travel news is all about American icons—the Grand Canyon, California's Highway 1, and Broadway's favorite Founding Father. PARTS OF…

The Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia Surely Merits a Visit

Beginning in the fall of 2016, and now continuing into the spring of 2017, this has been a year of museums—a time when America has obtained historical exhibits so compelling that they…