Alliance of National Heritage Areas

05/27/2026

The Arabia Mountain NHA online book reading has been pushed back to June 4th! Get yourself registered at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arabia-reads-online-images-of-america-arabia-mountain-nha-tickets-1988503744228!

05/27/2026

The Blackstone River Greenway/Bikeway is more than a recreational trail. It’s a vital link connecting communities, history, and landscapes across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Through programs like Bike Ambassadors, Blackstone Heritage Corridor is doing more than leading rides. They are building public support for the full bi-state completion of the trail while helping people experience the Valley’s rich industrial, cultural, and transportation history firsthand.

As the only organization actively advocating for the trail’s full completion across both states, the Corridor continues to champion a vision that expands access, strengthens regional connectivity, encourages outdoor recreation, and preserves the stories embedded within the Blackstone Valley landscape.

This is heritage areas at their best: connecting people to place while advocating for investments that benefit communities for generations to come.

05/06/2026

The Alliance of National Heritage Areas Spring Meeting is officially underway at the Niagara Power Vista in the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area! Representatives from National Heritage Areas across the country have already been exploring the incredible 13-mile corridor of the Heritage Area, experiencing the stories, landscapes, history, culture, and communities that make this region so special. And we’re just getting started. More adventures, conversations, and discoveries are still ahead this week!

05/02/2026

Recently, Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area marked the 100th anniversary of Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River in Florence—a century of impact that goes far beyond what meets the eye.

Construction began in 1918 with nearly 18,000 workers, and by 1925, the dam was complete. Originally built to support nitrate production during World War I, it has since become a cornerstone of the region. With 21 generating units producing 663 megawatts, Wilson Dam powers hundreds of thousands of homes while providing flood control, navigation, recreation, and a reliable water supply.

That’s the power of place.

Across the country, National Heritage Areas help ensure stories like this don’t fade with time. They preserve, interpret, and celebrate the people, places, and milestones that define our communities.

A dam is infrastructure.

A century of impact is heritage.

04/20/2026

In 2025, the bicentennial of the Erie Canal wasn’t just a date on a timeline. Through the leadership of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and a network of statewide and community partners, it became a year-long, statewide celebration of place, history, and identity.

It started in the spring with a paddling event at the Flight of Locks in Waterford that put hundreds of people directly into the story. It closed in the fall by welcoming a global audience to World Canals Conference in Buffalo. In between, the canal corridor came alive with hundreds of local events, talks, performances, and commemorations.

And importantly, people experienced it.

Riders took part in the Cycle the Erie Canal, traveling across the state along the historic route. The Flotsam River Circus brought art and spectacle to canal communities. The Voyage of the Seneca Chief retraced history in motion, connecting towns and stories from end to end.

This is what National Heritage Areas do at their best. They take big moments and make them local. They connect national stories to Main Streets. They turn anniversaries into experiences that drive visitation, support small businesses, and give communities a renewed sense of pride in where they live.

Programming. Storytelling. Partnerships. It all comes together to make history something you can actually feel.

04/17/2026

When war broke out in 1812, Baltimore officials rushed to defend one of America’s busiest ports. At Fort McHenry, commander George Armistead called for a flag “so large the British would have no trouble seeing it.”

That job went to Mary Pickersgill, who, alongside her daughter, mother, nieces, and Grace Wisher, hand-stitched a 30 x 42-foot flag in the summer of 1813. Larger than her own home, the work even spilled into a nearby brewery for space. Made from English wool bunting and cotton, the flag was finished in just six weeks.

This is the kind of story the Baltimore National Heritage Area helps bring to life. Through preservation and storytelling, National Heritage Areas connect us to the people and places that shaped our country.

Follow along: Baltimore Heritage (Facebook) | (Instagram)

04/15/2026

National Heritage Areas consistently prove the power of partnerships.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is an asset to our region - it boasts history and beauty. Which is why we’re very excited to announce Keep the Natchez Trace Beautiful! (a community clean up event)

We are partnering with Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area and Wildwood Tavern to host a clean up event on the Trace, May 3rd 10 - 12. We’ll have teams at three different locations - one in Mississippi, one in Alabama, and one in Tennessee. (A choose your own journey situation) You can sign up for which location you’d like to attend (link below) We’ll provide trash bags, bring whatever else you think is necessary.

Afterwards, we’ll meet up at Wildwood Tavern for lunch at 1:30ish! We’re excited to help improve our area and give the national park service a helping hand. Hope to see y’all on The Trace!

Thanks to Payton Pruitt for his design vision.

Sign up sheet:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSlaX_m5xsGOOdiR3zenVFrvUfp5b3LgoGX0hYrffGP_wCiQ/viewform

04/04/2026

Across the country, National Heritage Areas are doing more than preserving history. They are actively shaping the future of the communities they serve.

One strong example is the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area in central Utah. Stretching across six counties, it connects the landscapes and towns shaped by early Mormon settlers, while working hand in hand with local partners to keep those places vibrant today.

Through partnerships with the National Park Service and community stakeholders, the heritage area has supported the restoration of historic commercial districts, invested in museum improvements, and expanded recreational opportunities. The result is not just preservation, but progress that respects local identity.

Take Mt. Pleasant, for example. Its downtown revitalization shows what is possible when thoughtful planning meets targeted investment. Historic buildings have been preserved and reactivated, creating a Main Street that serves today’s residents while honoring its past.

This is the power of National Heritage Areas. They bridge past and present, telling stories of settlement, culture, and resilience while delivering real, tangible benefits to local economies and communities.

From Utah to communities across the country, NHAs are proving that when you invest in place, you invest in people.

Read more at: https://www.mormonpioneerheritage.org/press-release-preserving-the-pioneer-story-with-national-heritage-areas/

03/25/2026

Did you know Colorado has just one federally designated Wild and Scenic River?

In 1986, Congress recognized 75 miles of the Upper Cache la Poudre River for its “outstandingly remarkable” natural and cultural value, making it the state’s only Wild and Scenic River. A decade later, the Cache la Poudre River Corridor Act established the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, protecting and interpreting the lower 45 miles of the river and the stories tied to it.

So what does “Wild and Scenic” mean? Designated through the National Park Service, these rivers must remain free-flowing and are protected for their exceptional natural, cultural, and historic significance.

Through the work of National Heritage Areas, places like Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area do more than preserve landscapes. National Heritage Areas help educate communities, share complex stories like water law and western expansion, and conserve the natural resources that continue to shape these regions today.

The Poudre is more than a river. It is a living classroom and a reminder that stewardship of our natural resources is part of preserving America’s story.

Follow along to learn more about the places where nature and history come together and why they matter for generations to come.

📸 View of Poudre Falls on the Cache la Poudre River, c. 1975–1981
Credit: Denver Public Library, Western History Collection [Z-4191]

02/22/2026

Colorado is famed for its dramatic landscapes and outdoor recreational opportunities, ranging from skiing in the Rockies to hiking the mesas. Yet beyond these