Your July 5th guide to 11 Founding Father landmarks worth a road trip

Walk in the Footsteps of Declaration Signers

Feeling patriotic after July 4th? Good thing it falls on a long weekend this year.

These 11 historic sites let you see where the brave men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 made history.

From beautiful homes to historic gravesites, each place offers a special look into their lives. All these sites are open to visitors in 2025.

1. Adams National Historical Park (Quincy, MA)

John Adams, the second president of the US, lived in this group of historic homes. The park includes three houses: where he was born, where he lived during the Revolution, and the “Old House at Peace field” where Adams family members lived until 1927.

In 2025, the park is open Thursday through Sunday from June to November. Begin at the visitor center at 1250 Hancock Street, where you can watch a short film and take a trolley to tour the houses.

You must buy tickets in person on the day of your visit. Make sure to see the Stone Library that holds 14,000 old books, including John Quincy Adams’ collection.

2. Monticello (Charlottesville, VA)

Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, designed this beautiful mountaintop home himself and kept improving it for over 40 years. This important historic site shows off Jefferson’s brilliant mind through its clever design and beautiful gardens.

You can choose from several tour options, including the regular Highlights Tour, special tours of the upper floors, and guided walks focusing on slavery, gardens, and Jefferson’s life. The visitor center has displays about Jefferson, including a rare copy of the Declaration.

Buy tickets online before you go, since tours often sell out. The site is open every day, with free parking and shuttle buses to take you up the mountain.

3. Moffatt-Ladd House (Portsmouth, NH)

This grand home was where William Whipple lived. He signed the Declaration for New Hampshire and later became a general in the Revolutionary War.

Built in 1763, John Adams once called it the “grandest house in Portsmouth.” In 2025, the house is open daily from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, with guided tours starting every 45 minutes (last tour at 3:30 pm).

Tickets cost $10 per person, and you don’t need reservations for small groups. Look for Whipple’s personal items including his sword and portrait.

4. North Cemetery (Portsmouth, NH)

This historic cemetery, created in 1753, contains the grave of William Whipple, who signed the Declaration for New Hampshire. His tombstone has words honoring his work as a delegate to the Continental Congress and as a judge.

The cemetery is open to visitors daily during daylight hours for free. Among its roughly 1,800 graves are other important people including Prince Whipple (William’s former slave who gained freedom and fought in the Revolutionary War), John Langdon (another founding father), and veterans of various American wars.

A special bronze plaque marks Whipple’s grave near the cemetery’s flagpole.

5. Franklin Court (Philadelphia, PA)

Though Benjamin Franklin’s original home is gone, this interesting site keeps its memory alive through steel frames that show where his house and print shop once stood. Located in Philadelphia’s historic area, Franklin lived here during the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention.

The courtyard is open daily with no admission fee. You can also visit the underground Benjamin Franklin Museum (which does charge admission) to learn about Franklin’s life through interactive displays.

Small openings in the courtyard pavement let you look down at remains of the original house foundations. The site was updated in 2025 and remains popular with visitors to Independence National Historical Park.

6. Christ Church Burial Ground (Philadelphia, PA)

This peaceful cemetery in downtown Philadelphia holds the graves of five Declaration signers, more than any other burial ground in America. Benjamin Franklin’s grave is visited most often, with tourists traditionally throwing pennies on his tombstone for good luck.

The burial ground is open March through November, with a small entry fee. You can see Franklin’s grave from the sidewalk through iron railings at 5th and Arch Streets, even when the cemetery is closed.

The other Declaration signers buried here are Benjamin Rush, Francis Hopkinson, Joseph Hewes, and George Ross. Tours are available that tell the stories of these revolutionary heroes.

7. Independence Hall (Philadelphia, PA)

This iswhere delegates debated and signed both the Declaration and later the Constitution. It’s one of America’s most important historic sites.

Tours run daily all year, with timed tickets required from March through December (available online for $1). Inside the Assembly Room, you can see the famous “Rising Sun” chair used by George Washington during the Constitutional Convention.

The building next door has original printed copies of the Declaration, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. The building looks much like it did in 1776.

8. Heyward-Washington House (Charleston, SC)

Thomas Heyward Jr. was just 30 years old when he signed the Declaration as one of South Carolina’s representatives. His nice brick townhouse, built in 1772, was later rented to President George Washington for a week during his southern tour in 1791.

Tours of this well-kept home show old furniture, including the best collection of Charleston-made furniture in America. It’s open for guided tours Monday through Saturday, with an admission fee.

After signing the Declaration, Heyward was captured by the British during the fall of Charleston in 1780 and held prisoner for a year. The house became Charleston’s first historic house museum in 1929.

9. Middleton Place Plantation (near Charleston, SC)

Arthur Middleton, another South Carolina signer, lived at this beautiful plantation with America’s oldest planned gardens (started in 1741). The original mansion was partly destroyed during the Civil War, but the remaining buildings and spectacular gardens make it worth visiting.

Open daily all year, visitors can tour the House Museum containing Middleton family belongings, walk through 65 acres of formal gardens, and visit the stable yards where staff in period clothing show traditional crafts. Middleton was captured by the British along with Thomas Heyward and held prisoner for a year.

The plantation now tells the complete story of all who lived there, including the enslaved people who worked on the property.

10. Hopsewee Plantation (near Georgetown, SC)

Built around 1740, this well-preserved plantation was the birthplace of Thomas Lynch Jr., who at age 26 was one of the youngest signers of the Declaration.

The beautiful home sits on the Santee River surrounded by old oak trees covered with Spanish moss. Now privately owned, Hopsewee is open Tuesday through Saturday for guided tours.

Visitors can see the main house with its original wood paneling and learn about Lynch, who died young when his ship was lost at sea in 1779. There’s also a tea room on the property where you can enjoy traditional English tea.

11. The William Floyd Estate (Fire Island National Seashore, NY)

William Floyd risked everything for independence, including this estate, which was occupied and damaged by British troops during the Revolutionary War. Floyd had to flee with his family to Connecticut for seven years while the British used his property as a base.

Open seasonally from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Friday through Sunday. The 25-room “Old Mastic House” contains furniture from three centuries of the Floyd family, who owned the property until 1976 when they gave it to the National Park Service.

Visitors can tour the house, outbuildings, cemetery and 613-acre grounds that include forest trails and marshland.

Read More on WhenInYourState.com:

• The South Carolina raid where Harriet Tubman freed 750 slaves in one military operation
• The Untouched Beach at This Former South Carolina Plantation Has Ancient Shell Mounds from 4000 Years Ago
• What to in the Beautiful Town of Bluffton, South Carolina