Quick — what was the Monroe Doctrine? When was the Constitution written? Who was president during the Civil War?

A study by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute has found that a great many graduates of American universities are unable to answer even such simple questions about our nation’s history. For instance, only slightly more than half the college seniors surveyed knew the century in which Jamestown was settled, and 55% didn’t know that the Revolutionary War effectively came to an end at the Battle of Yorktown.

Parents hoping to raise educated children might want to rethink their vacation strategies: Instead of charging off to an impoverishing day at an outlet mall, why not visit Lincoln’s Log Cabin in Illinois? Why not experience history firsthand at Massachusetts’s Old Sturbridge Village, instead of challenging your pacemaker on the terror-rides at Six Flags?

Sadly, visits to historic places have lost favor in recent years, as families have sought different kinds of entertainment. But a number of historic attractions have recently adjusted their games, trying to win back the fickle American tourist by brushing up their programs and facilities. As a result, a number of the old favorites are beginning to rebuild their audiences.

The executive director of the Nantucket Historical Association, William Tramposch, has seen the slide firsthand, having worked at both Old Sturbridge Village and at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. More and more people seem to prefer “caving” in their own homes and enjoying all the new home entertainment options; after busy, tough weeks, people want to vegetate, he said. Meanwhile, those who are visiting outdoor history sites seem more sophisticated and scrutinizing than before, seeing costumes and re-enactments as not real. “There is a sense of ‘been there, done that,’ even though Williamsburg and Old Sturbridge Village invest hugely to make their programs authentic and ever-changing,” he added.

In response to the fall-off in visitors, management of some of these tourist attractions have had to overhaul their programs. It’s no longer enough to have people wandering the streets in period costumes. Visitors are more demanding than ever and want interactive programming and luxury accommodations; perhaps most important, those returning demand a new experience.

Probably no historic site is better known than Colonial Williamsburg. Like similar destinations, Williamsburg saw attendance drop in the 1990s, and again after the terrorist attacks in 2001. According to a spokesman, Jim Bradley, the restored village sold a record 1.3 million tickets in 1975; by 2004, the figure had dropped to 707,000. Recently, he downtrend appears to have reversed, but not without significant investment in new programs and facilities.

“There’s this feeling about historic sites: I’veseenitonce, there’s nothing more to see,” Mr. Bradley said. “The challenge is to, year after year, offer something new and fresh. Think of amusement parks — every year they come out with new rides.”

Williamsburg has answered that challenge in part by introducing daily street theater presentations that use period props in authentic locations. For instance, one of the two-hour shows acts out the story of a captain in the British army, Henry Hamilton, who was captured and imprisoned for rumored atrocities committed against revolutionary troops. No charges were ever brought against Hamilton, who was held incommunicado for more than a year before being traded for American prisoners of war. An implied parallel with the current situation of the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay is expected to bring the story to life.

Not only has Williamsburg invested in new programs, it has also refurbished the anchor hotel of the site, forged stronger ties to the town’s 45 holes of golf, and recently built a 20,000-square-foot spa. Not losing sight of its main mission, the spa offers “five centuries of wellness treatments” derived in part from those favored by American Indians. (Who knew Pocahontas was into facials?) The renovation appears to be paying off, with attendance climbing gradually over the past two years.

A similar rebuilding in Nantucket, one of New England’s great early whaling centers, has also seen success. The Nantucket Historical Association recently oversaw a two-year, $14 million redesign and restoration of the island’s principal museum, which reopened last year. The Whaling Museum of the NHA houses an exceptional collection of artifacts, including a startling 46-foot-long skeleton of a sperm whale, complete with ferocious teeth. Today, it’s a brightly lit state-of-the-art exhibition space, full of flat-screen TVs and eye-catching videos. The NHA has also initiated various programs to entice visitors, especially focusing on the local community.

Like Colonial Williamsburg, the NHA has seen attendance bounce up since the museum reopened. In the first two weeks of July, attendance was up 16%. Though trends are hard to measure — a couple of rainy days can drive up the visitor count — it appears the considerable investment in the property will be a success.

For some historic places, a drop in government support has taken a toll, as well. A volunteer at the Lincoln Log Cabin in Lerna, Ill., for the past 23 years, Hal Malehorn, said that when he began, the house belonging to Abraham Lincoln’s father was served by 10 paid staff members; today, there are only three. The number of visitors has fallen off to only 100,000 a year recently, from well over 125,000. A lack of investment in the site (and possibly the realization that Abe never actually lived there) has discouraged tourists, according to Mr. Malehorn.

With the euro and most other foreign currencies rising in value, America is experiencing a jump in tourists from abroad. Unfortunately, visitors from many countries do not place our historic sites at the top of their itineraries.

“Though we’re pretty excited about our 200-year-plus history,” Mr. Bradley said, “foreigners aren’t quite so impressed.”

Having just toured the ruins of Ephesus, which boasted a population of 200,000 in the time of Augustus, I can see his point.

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