It’s probably not news to travelers with mobility problems, but unfortunately, “historic” often equals inaccessible.

Older structures simply weren’t designed with accessibility in mind, and adding features like ramps and elevators is often difficult — or even impossible — without severely degrading the historic nature of the building.

Fortunately, though, America’s heritage is becoming increasingly accessible.

So this week, to celebrate President’s Day, PeterGreenberg.com presents a guide to the most accessible cities of our American heritage — and gives you a heads up on which landmarks are more accessible than others.

PHILADELPHIA

William Penn may have laid out much of the city long before anyone considered the needs of the less mobile, but today, Philadelphia offers a variety of fully accessible historic attractions. Most visitors interested in learning about our nation’s heritage in Philadelphia start with Independence National Historic Park. For visitors with accessibility issues, it’s not a bad place to start, either. As an added bonus for visitors with limited mobility, Independence National Historic Park is compact, with a number of important sites in an area covering just a few square blocks.

A good place to begin is The Independence Visitors Center at Sixth & Market, which is fully accessible, including its public bathrooms. Here, you can pick up maps and more information about Philadelphia, or even get last-minute help deciding on the best activities. The main outdoor area of Independence Park is accessible via a gentle slope from Chestnut St. on the north side.

Nearby, the Liberty Bell building is also fully accessible, and a must-see for many visitors. No matter what your level of mobility, you’ll be able to get just as close to this national symbol as everyone else.

Also in the area is Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. History buffs will definitely want to see this landmark, but unfortunately, only the first floor is accessible to all; a photo and text album describes the second floor for less mobile visitors. Similarly, Congress Hall, which housed Congress in its early days, is accessible on the first floor via ramp, while the second floor, which once housed the Senate, isn’t.

History buffs might also like the Independence Living History Center. The Center hosts storytelling sessions, “1776″ sing-a-longs, and artifacts from the historic district. “Once Upon A Nation,” which runs storytelling programs throughout the city, also features other “living history” exhibits at the Free Quaker Meeting House at 5th and Arch. The first floor of the Free Quaker Meeting House is fully accessible. For more, check out www.onceuponanation.org

Also nearby is the National Constitution Center at 525 Arch Street. Here, bronze replicas of the Founding Fathers are arranged as they might’ve been during the debates leading up to the signing of the Constitution. Though the Center itself is accessible, the room containing the life-size bronze replicas could be tough to navigate for those in a wheelchair. Some visitors in wheelchairs have complained that the displays are set up in such a way that navigating among them is difficult or simply impossible. While you’ll be able to see the room and the replicas, you may not get the same view as others. For more, visit www.constitutioncenter.org

For more on the accessibility of landmarks in Independence National Historic Park, visit www.nps.gov/inde/visit.html

Not too far from these sites, at 6th and Race Streets, is Franklin Square, one of the five main squares Penn designed for the city. When the Square reopened after extensive renovations in July 2006, it boasted full accessibility with new walkways and bathrooms. The underground museum — Franklin Court Underground Museum — is also fully accessible via ramp or elevator (though you may have to get a ranger to unlock the elevator).

Finally, a quick jaunt down Elfreth’s Alley might be in order. Elfreth’s Alley is the oldest continually inhabited residential street in the States, a cobblestone path with flat flagstone paths on either side. But keep the jaunt quick — the house museum is not wheelchair accessible, only the gift shop next door is. For more, check out www.elfrethsalley.org

For information about accessibility for a specific venue in the Philadelphia area, Art Reach, a non-profit group dedicated to making art and culture available to all, has a pretty comprehensive online database, so you might try searching: ArtReach.org

Searches can be done by the name of an attraction, by location, venue type, or accessibility features. So if you hear about a local event, and are worried about the accessibility of the venue, this site might be able to help.

WASHINGTON, DC

Though Washington, DC, isn’t quite as old as Philadelphia, most of the city’s buildings pre-date the advent of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Fortunately, the city has made huge strides in accessibility, especially with many of the Capitol’s most prominent landmarks. Though a few landmarks remain inaccessible, most visitors find Washington, DC, to be a pretty accessible city.

The Washington Monument approaches accessibility in a particularly unusual way. The Monument is fully accessible, with an elevator whisking you to the top. That’s not the unusual part. The unusual part is the “periscopes” given to visitors in wheelchairs so they can see out of the taller windows just as easily as someone standing up can. Instead of re-building or renovating the Monument, this low-cost solution enables wheelchair-bound visitors to enjoy the views just as much as someone standing up.

An interesting idea, and one that might be especially good for groups that include both physically impaired and fully mobile travelers, is Scootaround’s City Scooter Tours. A three-hour scooter tour ($75) will provide an overview of many sites around the National Mall area. The price includes a guide and headset so you can hear him or her no matter where you’re scooting at the moment. Moreover, more mobile travelers have the option of choosing a bicycle over a fully motorized scooter. Still, even people who can bike or walk that distance might enjoy giving their feet a rest. Check out City Scooter Tours for more.

The National Archives recently completed a $100 million renovation that has made that building, and the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, fully accessible. Now restored, all pages of the Declaration are on view. For more, visit www.Archives.gov.

Appropriately for the first American President to use a wheelchair, the FDR Memorial is completely accessible. For visitors in wheelchairs, learning more about one of the greatest American Presidents — who just happened to be physically handicapped — could be an inspiration. Just take the accessible Metrorail Blue Line to the Smithsonian stop to get there. And speaking of the Smithsonian, our national museum is regularly hailed as one of the nation’s most accessible museums.

Dupont Circle, with its restored old mansions, is a center of DC’s arts and culture, but not exactly a hot spot for accessibility. A major exception to this rule is the Phillips Collection museum. This old mansion now has ramps, elevators, and is fully accessible. Considering the high quality of art located here — Renoir’s famous “Boating Party” painting and works by Toulouse Lautrec, among others — it’s definitely worth a stop, especially if the Smithsonian doesn’t satisfy your museum fix.

But sites of great cultural importance aren’t limited to DC’s monuments and museums. Consider the historic hot dog stand, Ben’s Chili Bowl. Probably one of the only things that Republicans and Democrats can agree on is the deliciousness of the food at this local landmark. Ben’s itself is accessible, though the bathroom is not. Therefore, it’s probably a good idea to gawk at the celebrity photos on the walls before scarfing down a bowl of chili.

The Ford Theater, the infamous theater where John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln, has been accessible for a while, and now the basement museum, previously off-limits for visitors in wheelchairs, is accessible. An innovative sort of lift will transport wheelchair-bound visitors down to museum, which contains Lincoln-related artifacts such as the gun Booth used, and the clothes Lincoln was wearing when he died.

There’s also the little known, but fully accessible, National Museum of Health & Medicine. From the bullet that killed Lincoln to medical anomalies in jars of formaldehyde, this museum may be the very definition of “offbeat” compared to DC’s other rather staid collections.

If you’ve had your fill of the indoors, you might pay a visit to the U.S. Botanical Gardens. Among the District’s best-kept secrets, the Gardens are a veritable living museum with thousands of plants. From a simulated jungle to an enormous greenhouse, you might just forget you’re in downtown DC. The entire place is fully accessible; including permit-only parking spaces right out front, automatic doors, a TTY, and an elevator.

There’s also the Capital Crescent Trail. This old railroad path, now converted into a hiking and biking trail, stretches from Silver Spring, MD, to the Georgetown district of DC. Fully accessible, this path is great for getting out into nature for some exercise.

DC’s government maintains a reasonably comprehensive calendar of events online, and it’s specifically focused on those with disabilities. Just keep in mind it tends to lump all types of disabilities together — including mental and visual, not just physical. Check it out at: http://mrdda.dc.gov/activities/

But for the real inside scoop on accessibility in DC, it’s hard to beat www.disabilityguide.org. This comprehensive site includes information on DC’s landmarks, restaurants, hotels, theaters, and just about anything else a traveler could need in terms of accessibility information.

So no matter what your level of physical ability, our national heritage has become accessible to all.

By Matthew Calcara, New Media Manager, for PeterGreenberg.com.

For more info, check out our Accessible Travel Resources.

For more information on our nation’s capital, check out Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Washington, DC.