Is your family bored with trips to the movies and amusement parks? Why not learn about plantation life at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello? Or test your child's skills in the Secret Agency in the Oval Office Program at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Hyde Park? Or meet the resident ghost at John Tyler's Sherwood Forest?

Instead of another video game, how about a living history lesson at the homes and historic sites associated with our presidents? Nearly all are open to the public. Most feature programs for children, school project help and special family events. Since they are nationwide, chances are one is near your home. Be sure to check schedules, contacts and listings before you go to avoid disappointment because they frequently change. See you at the White House!

Historic Homes
George Washington's Mount Vernon is a terrific spot to take your children. It offers scouting programs, land surveying, revolutionary war encampments, Colonial Days, wheat treading, archaeology fairs and more. Located in Mount Vernon, Va., you can get more information by calling 703-780-2000.

John Adams' birthplace is the oldest surviving presidential birthplace and dates back to 1670. It is located at 133 Franklin Street, Quincy, Mass. 617-770-1175

Thomas Jefferson's well known Monticello centers around plantation life including garden insect workshops and archaeology. It is located at 931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville, Va.

James Madison's Montpelier is particularly fun for holidays with kids and includes a Halloween haunted barn, horse shows, Constitution days, dog and sheep shows, and more. You can contact them at P.O. Box 67, Montpelier Station, Va., or by phone at 540-672-2728.

Kids can paper-quill and cook over an open hearth at James Monroe's Ash Lawn. It is located in Highland, Va. 804-293-9539.

John Quincy Adams' birthplace at 114 Franklin Street, Quincy, Mass., is also the site of a law office used by his father, John Adams. There are family events and lectures. 617-773-1177

Visit Andrew Johnson's home in Greeneville, Tenn. 423-638-3551.

Martin Van Buren's Lindenwald is a wonderful estate to visit. Your kids will love the fact that Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow featuring the Headless Horseman was penned here. It is located on Old Post Road in Kinderhook, N.Y.

William Henry Harrison's Berkeley Plantation is open at 12602 Harrison Landing Road, Charles City, Va. The phone number is 804-829-6018.

Not only is John Tyler's home, Sherwood Forest, open to the public, Tyler's descendants are still in residence and so is a ghost called the Gray Lady that they'll happily show you evidence of. You'll find this spooky destination at 14501 John Tyler Memorial Hwy. 804-829-5377

James Polk's Memorial and replicated buildings from the 400-acre farm where he was born are in Pineville, N.C. 704-889-7145

Zachary Taylor's birthplace is in dispute, though it's thought to be Montebello. You can visit his grave at Zachary Taylor Cemetery on 4701 Brownsboro Road, St. Matthews, Ky. 502-893- 3852

Millard Fillmore's refurbished cottage is at Shearer Avenue East, Aurora, N.Y. There's also a replication of the log cabin where he was born at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia, N.Y. where there are waterfalls, fishing and campsites. 716-652 8875 or 315-497-0130

Franklin Pierce's Pierce Manse is restored and features many original furnishings at 14 Pemcook Street, Concord, N.H. 603-224-0094

James Buchanan's estate, Wheatland, is open to the public. It is located at 1120 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, Pa. 717-392-8721

Abraham Lincoln's historic birthplace, Sinking Spring Farm, is open to the public. There is a log cabin similar to the one where he was born and some original furnishings, such as the family Bible and tools. In Washington, D.C., you can also visit the Lincoln Memorial as well as the Ford's Theatre Historic Site. Sinking Spring Farm is located at 2995 Lincoln Farm Road, Hodgenville, Ky. 270-358-3137

At Andrew Jackson's home you can sign an oversize copy of the constitution in September or take a Christmas or Memorial Day tour. It is located in Greeneville, Tenn. 423-638-3551

At the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site you can walk the estate including the icehouse, chicken house and more. There is a junior ranger program for kids ages 5 to 16. Visitors to the Big Apple can also visit Grant's Tomb in Riverside Park. The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is located at 7400 Grant Toad, St. Louis, Mo. 314-842-1867

Rutherford Hayes Presidential Center and Gravesite is at Spiegel Grove State Park, 13337 Hayes Avenue, Fremont, Ohio. 419-332-208.

At James Garfield's Lawnfield, you can take a tour and watch a video. It is located at 8095 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, Ohio. 440-255-8722

The tiny house where Chester Arthur was born is open to the public Look for it at Historic Site Rte. 36, Fairfield, Vt. 802-828-3226

Grover Cleveland's birthplace is at 207 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, N.J. (973-226-0001). His fishing camp, Acorn Lodge, at Duncan Lake, Ossippee N.H. (603-539-2151) is a bed and breakfast where you can stay.

Benjamin Harrison's home welcomes families with President's Day reenactments. It is located at 1230 N. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, Ind. 317-631-1898.

William McKinley's birthplace and Memorial Library is at 40 Main Street, Niles, Ohio. 330-652-1704

Teddy Roosevelt’s Summer White House, Sagamore Hill, is a delight for children with nature walks in the 37-acre environmental center, reenactments and the house itself, which features Teddy Roosevelt's hunting trophies -- zebra skins, a bronze Rhino, mountain lions, elk antlers as well as his Rough Riders hat, sword and binoculars. It is located at 20 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, N.Y. 516-922-4447

Want to see more?

• Take a Ride on the Underground Railroad: Indiana's African-American Heritage
• Cashiers, North Carolina: Patriotic Family Traditions
• Take a Trip Back in Time to Old Sturbridge Village
• Talk about it!