History is like Frankenstein's monster; all it takes to make it come alive is the right education, a large body of artifacts exhumed from the earth, and an electrical storm. Learn from the past with today's Groupon: for $7, you get two adult admissions to Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site in Richmond (a $15.60 value).

At Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, visitors time travel to the historic fishing village of Steveston, observing and interacting with exhibits, watching films, and listening to guided tours. Built in 1894, the cannery envelops visitors in solid-wood walls as they touch sculptures of myriad fish varieties and view life-sized fishermen statues. Amid steam and the mellifluous three-part humming of machinery, tour guides demonstrate a 1930s salmon-canning line and recount the personal stories of its workers. At the reduction plant, visitors take a crash course in transforming herring into fish oil and meal in an immersive 6,500-square-foot exhibit. Between tours, prospective fishers can punch in at the cannery time clock, peruse historical photo galleries, or take mental snapshots of monthly rotating collections of West Coast fishing artifacts such as net-mending needles and cartoon slides about can handling. After viewing all the exhibits, venture out to the docks to walk along the waterfront or purchase Ides of March presents for pet flounders at the gift shop.