Past decades have dealt several windfalls to historic preservation. Thanks to the broadening of the movement to include places with social historical relevance, as opposed to a focus on mansions and political-history sites, “We’re seeing more diverse faces,” says Valecia Crisafulli, acting vice president of programs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP), “and certainly the Modernist thread is bringing in younger people.” More recently, the Great Recession has provided another jumpstart, as frugal Americans are visiting nearby historic state parks and other sites more frequently.

Yet the economic downturn has put those very travel destinations in jeopardy. Budget cuts are forcing closure of myriad state-owned properties, particularly in Arizona, California, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. For that reason, this year NTHP listed all state parks and state-owned historic sites as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The others include: