Conferences & Training

The National Trust offers a wide range of face-to-face training programs to help preservationists across the country protect the nation's heritage. Each listing below includes a description, the date of the next session, and a link to learn more.

Lied
PLT at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center, Nebraska City, Nebraska, 2006.

Credit: Alison D. Hinchman

Center for Preservation Leadership

The Center for Preservation Leadership strengthens and supports a network of committed and informed preservation leaders by providing the tools and resources needed to carry out preservation activities in their own communities. 


    Historic Sites and House Museums

    Creating Successful Interpretive Plans is a one-day advanced workshop for historic house museums co-taught by Tim Merriman and Lisa Brochu of the National Association for Interpretation (NAI). Registration includes the 166-page bestselling book, Interpretive Planning: The 5-M Model for Successful Planning Projects (interpPress, 2003).  To register, contact the American Association for State and Local History.

    Great Tours, the popular one-day workshop on creating thematic tours at historic sites, features large and small group interactive exercises based on a case study of an historic site, providing participants with practical experience.  Registration includes the bestselling book, Great Tours! Thematic Tours and Guide Training for Historic Sites (AltaMira Press, 2002).

    Historic Real Estate Program

    The Historic Real Estate Program helps agents be better stewards of historic properties. Led by Dwight Young of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it covers the history of major American architectural styles, conservation easements, and historic preservation regulations and tax incentives.

    • Check back soon for the 2008 course schedule.

    Legal Advocacy & Tools

    The National Trust's Legal Defense Fund offers a number of workshops providing an in-depth analysis of historic preservation laws affecting buildings, urban communities, and archeological treasures.

      Lobby Day

      The National Trust and its partners—Preservation Action, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and National Alliance of Preservation Commissions—train preservation advocates during the spring Lobby Day.

      National Main Street Center

      The premiere conference on preservation-based commercial district revitalization, the annual National Main Streets Conference brings together over 1,400 people from small and rural towns, suburban communities, large and midsized cities, and urban neighborhood business districts to network and share ideas, solutions, issue-exploration, and networking opportunities.

      The National Main Street Institute offers basic and advanced level training for downtown revitalization professionals through seminars that examine the basics of Main Street, support real estate or business development, and provide advanced certification.

      National Preservation Conference

      The National Preservation Conference is the premier educational and networking event for historic preservation professionals, volunteer leaders, and advocates. Expert practitioners lead approximately 100 educational and field sessions, all designed to provide tools that participants can use to improve their own communities.

      Cultural Heritage Tourism Workshops

      The Heritage Tourism Program offers a variety of workshop formats that are customized to the needs of the client. Contact program staff, amy_webb@nthp.org or carolyn_brackett@nthp.org to discuss your workshop needs and to obtain workshop fee information. 

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