You can't deny it: As addicted as you are to finding hard genealogy facts and adding generations to your family tree, there's a deeper desire driving your family history quest. You're not satisfied with mere names and dates on your pedigree charts—you want to learn what your forebears' lives were actually like. You aim to understand their trials and triumphs, to envision their everyday experiences and to discover their roles in shaping our collective past.

But you won't find the answers you're after in microfilm rolls or computer files. And you'll have a tough time imagining other eras amidst the skyscrapers and strip malls that make up modern cityscapes. So where can you step into your ancestors' shoes? We searched high and low for America's hottest historic destinations—places where yesterday remains as vibrant as today, and you can truly experience history as your forebears lived it. We finally settled on 28 timeless towns that represent our nation's (and your families') diverse historical, cultural and geographic backgrounds. Our roundup highlights eight spectacular spots across America, and gives snapshots of 20 more heritage havens, so you can start planning a getaway to your ancestors' day.

Boston, Mass.
Our country's Revolutionary past seems to seep from every cobblestone in Boston, which is why the best way to explore it is on foot. The city has established a number of "trails" to let visitors discover Boston at their own pace.

The Immigrant Heritage Trail highlights parks, side streets, churches, cemeteries and historic buildings that are part of Boston's ethnic tapestry. For information on the trail and links for researching your own Boston roots, visit www.bostonfamilyhistory.com.

A historically anti-slavery city, Boston has deep African-American roots. The city's Museum of Afro-American History (617-725-0022, www.afroammuseum.org), a stop along the 1.6-mile Black Heritage Trail, tells the story of African-Americans during the Colonial years.

Beginning on Boston Common, America's oldest park, a wide, red line points the way along the Freedom Trail. This 2.5-mile path winds its way through the central city, Old Boston and the North End, and then over the Charles River to Charlestown, ending at Bunker Hill. It encompasses many key Revolutionary sites, including the Old State House (where the Boston Massacre took place), Paul Revere's house and the final resting places of John Hancock and Boston's founder, John Winthrop. Contact the Boston National Historical Park (617-242-5642, www.nps.gov/bost) for guided tours, or grab a map and forge your own way.

Bed-and-breakfasts abound here, especially in the bohemian South End. Contact the Bed and Breakfast Agency of Boston (800-248-9262, www.boston-bnbagency.com).

Detroit & Dearborn, Mich.
Established in the early 18th century as a French fur-trading post, Detroit is better known for its automotive history. In 1896, Henry Ford drove his first car 9 miles from Detroit to his home in Dearborn, setting the stage for the city to become the center of the 20th-century American automotive industry.

Ford's interest in ingenuity and invention also laid the framework for Dearborn's The Henry Ford, which includes the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. Ford began planning his museum in the 1920s, and now it's a 12-acre indoor collection of objects of innovation. It chronicles the evolution of the car in American life, complete with more than 100 vehicles and a 1940s roadside diner. Visitors also will see Edgar Allan Poe's writing desk, the limousine in which John F. Kennedy was shot and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

Greenfield Village is a conglomeration of reconstructed historical sites that played a part in America's shift from an agricultural to industrial society: Ford's birthplace, Thomas Edison's laboratory, an 1880s Ohio sheep farm and the Wright brothers' home and cycle shop—all staffed by costumed presenters.

With its proximity to Canada, Detroit was a major stop on the Underground Railroad, making it a logical home for the Museum of African-American History (313-494-5800, www.maah-detroit.org), the largest of its kind. Its permanent exhibitions chronicle 400 years of African-American heritage.

Natchez, Miss.
Situated 120 miles northwest of New Orleans on the banks of the Mississippi River, Natchez was the heart of the "Cotton Kingdom" in the 1840s to 1860s. The city takes pride in its well-preserved antebellum past and gives visitors endless opportunities to step into its pocket of Southern heritage.

The Natchez National Historical Park (601-446-5790, www.nps.gov/natc) showcases cornerstones of Natchez history. Melrose, an 80-acre estate built by lawyer and plantation owner John T. McMurran, includes a Greek Revival mansion, restored slave quarters, formal gardens and outbuildings. Don't miss the newly renovated William Johnson House, the former residence of a freed slave.

Scores of antebellum homes and churches are open year-round, but the best time to visit is during the Natchez Pilgrimage Tours (800-647-6742, www.natchezpilgrimage.com) in spring and fall. Each day, hoopskirted hostesses guide visitors through dozens of antebellum homes, and the town hosts lively programs every evening. For example, the Southern Road to Freedom, performed by the Holy Family Choir, chronicles the African-American experience in Natchez from the Colonial period to today.

Hundreds of years before cotton reigned, this area was home to the Natchez Indians, mound builders who lived here until the French drove them out in 1729. The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians (601-446-6502, www.mdah.state.ms.us/hprop/gvni.html) preserves what's left of their civilization. The site features a museum, a reconstructed Natchez house and three ceremonial mounds.

Natchez brims with pre-Civil War and Victorian bed-and-breakfasts, such as the 26-acre Monmouth Plantation (800-828-4531, www.monmouthplantation.com).