Historic Destinations

Welcome to the gallery of Historic & Cultural Photos taken by PreservationDirectory.com staff or submitted from user of our website.  Here you will find photos from a wide variety of historic destinations, and will see historic districts, main street and downtown photos, amazing architecture, roadside attractions and Americana, and much more.  The aim is to have a truly inclusive gallery of historic places, historic structures and cultural attractions - both by our efforts to add new historic places to the gallery each month, but also by allowing you, our users, to submit photos with accompanying descriptive information and citations to be added to existing galleries or that will be used to create entirely new galleries.  Please note - all photos, unless noted, are copyrighted by PreservationDirectory.com.  If interested in using photos, please contact us first - thanks!

Ashland, OR Ashland is located just north of the beautiful Siskiyou Mountains of the Cascade Range in Southern Oregon.  A historic main street welcomes thousands to the famous Shakespeare Festival held in Ashland each year.

Burlington, VT Burlington is often mentioned as one of the best and most liveable small cities in the United States, and with good reason.  It is a quaint college town (home of the University of Vermont), and well known for its progressive citizens.  Burlington also happens to be the birthplace of my favorite band, Phish - a band that seems to represent all the unique qualities of this great city (progressive, exploratory in their music, celebrating diversity and cultural pursuits, and most importantly not taking themselves too seriously).  Burlington, aside from its historic and liveable downtown (including the charming Church Street Marketplace), is simply beautiful - located on the banks of Lake Champlain, the city sits nestled at the foothills of the Green Mountains with views of the Adirondack Mountains in New York.

Canandaigua, NY The jewel of the Finger Lakes Region in Western New York, Canadaigua is known for its beautiful lake and historic and vibrant main street (as well as being the birthplace of Wegman's Supermarkets and the president of PreservationDirectory.com).

Ellensburg, WA Ellensburg is located in Central Washington State, just east of the beautiful Cascade Range on I-90.  It is home to Central Washington University.

Eugene, OR Eugene is home to The University of Oregon and is the third largest city in Oregon (after Portland and Salem).  Known for the outdoors, the nearby Oregon Country Fair in Veneta, and the Saturday Market (the first Saturday market in the United States), to name a few.

Geneva, NY Geneva is located at the north end of Seneca Lake, part of the Finger Lakes Region in Western New York.  Home to Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

German Village Historic District Columbus, Ohio German Village is the oldest historic district in the city of Columbus, Ohio, and the largest privately-funded district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. German immigrants began settling in the area in the 1840s and both the neighborhood and its population thrived until the early 20th century when anti-German sentiment from World War I and financial decline due to Prohibition and the Great Depression led to a period of decline. When the area was targeted for urban renewal initiatives in the 1950s, residents established the German Village Society to preserve and protect the old-world charm of one of the city’s oldest urban neighborhoods. The German Village has been an architectural review district since 1963 and successful preservation efforts have made the German Village central Ohio’s premiere tourist destination.

Havre, MT Located in Northern Montana near the Canadian Border, Havre is tied closely to the railroad.  The photos were taken while on a "lunch break" during a trip on Amtrak's "Empire Builder" line from Spokane, WA to Chicago, IL.

Pittsford, NY Located along the Erie Canal just south of Rochester, NY, Pittsford is a quaint town with a beautiful and historic downtown.

Portland, OR Portland, Oregon is located near the Columbia River along the border of Oregon and Washington.  It's vibrant and compact downtown is often studied by public planners, preservationists, and mass transit professionals - and just happens to be the home of PreservationDirectory.com.  The city is also known for beer (most craft breweries per capita in the US), natural beauty, and general "weirdness" exhibited by its independent-minded populace.

Rochester, NY Home to Eastman Kodak, the Genessee River and birthplace of the Women's Rights Movement (Seneca Falls, NY is located approx. 30 miles away).  Located just north of the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of Western NY, Rochester has a rich history and its inhabitants have helped to shape the story of America (Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony...).

Sacramento, CA Sacramento is the state capital of California.  An outgrowth of Sutter's Fort, Sacramento was founded by John Sutter and was an important part of the distribution chain for the California Gold Rush.  Be sure to check out the incredible 28 acre historic State Historic Park - known as "Old Sacramento" - located along the banks of the Sacramento River.

Seattle, WA Seattle, aka the Emerald City, is the beautiful metropolis of Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest.  The city is intertwined with all things water - from the constant rain during the fall/winter/spring (but the summers are great!) to its location between Elliot Bay and Lake Washington.

St. Francisville, LA St. Francisville has survived and reflects the growth and character of the surrounding countryside. A stroll through its historic center awakens a sense of place and an awareness of history with two centuries of architecture and life styles. Picturesque 19th-century structures throughout downtown St. Francisville are filled with an eclectic selection of little shops andrestaurants.  In the St. Francisville area, there are six antebellum plantations and some of the state's best Bed and Breakfasts in historic townhouses and country plantations.

Theaters, Movie Palaces, Music Halls & Opera Houses Historic theater, opera houses, and movie palaces are held in high esteem here at PreservationDirectory.com.  We are happy to display theaters that have been lovingly preserved and maintained across North America.  Check back often as many new theater photos are added regularly.

Yreka, CA Located in Northern California in the Siskiyou Mountains, Yreka is a small historic town in gold country.  Yreka was born when gold was found in the mountains surrounding town, and the historic downtown is nice place to stretch your legs after emerging from the Siskiyou Pass.