50 States, 50 Unusual Landmarks

KANSAS: Mennonite Heritage Museum
This living museum of eight historic buildings in Goessel -- including a one-room schoolhouse -- tells the story of the Mennonites, who fled Russia in the late 1800s for Kansas. skyways.lib.ks.us/museums/goessel/

KENTUCKY: Kentucky Derby Museum
The newly expanded attraction at Churchill Downs in Louisville boasts video graphics and hands-on activities designed to capture the spirit and style of the great American horse race. www.derbymuseum.org

LOUISIANA: Laura: A Creole Plantation
This Vacherie sugar plantation, which dates from 1805, introduces visitors to the Creole culture through the life of owner Laura Locoul Gore. Kids will enjoy discovering the origins of the Br'er Rabbit folk tales, which were recorded from slaves who lived on this plantation. www.lauraplantation.com

MAINE: Seashore Trolley Museum
All aboard a restored early 20th-century streetcar for a ride into the past at this family-friendly Kennebunkport museum. www.trolleymuseum.org

MARYLAND: National Aquarium
Join a guided tour of the shark tank, take the kids to a touch pool, and visit a shark nursery at this state-of-the-art aquarium in Baltimore. You might even spend the night there through a special sleepover program. www.aqua.org

MASSACHUSETTS: Old Sturbridge Village
Spend a day in the early 1800s at this 200-acre recreated village, where visitors can learn to milk a cow, gossip with costumed "residents," and dine on meals created from authentic recipes. www.osv.org

MICHIGAN: Mackinac Island
There are no cars allowed on this scenic island, which retains the Victorian flavor of its heyday, but families can bike, take carriage rides, or visit the historic fort nearby. www.mackinac.com

MINNESOTA: Mall of America
So big it even has its own Camp Snoopy amusement park, Underwater Adventures shark encounters, and NASCAR indoor races, this collection of more than 500 stores in Bloomington could keep you busy -- and shopping -- for days. www.mallofamerica.com