Touring historic sites is more convenient than living in them, due to their lack of flushable appliances and tendency to come alive until defeated by an unusually smart child. Visit history without going back in time with today's Groupon: for $46, you get a family tour for four people that visits six historic sites in Independence, Missouri from Independence Tourism (up to a $96 value).

Known for its history as a pioneer town and home to former president Harry S. Truman, Independence welcomes visitors to its storied sites, making them more accessible with free trolley rides. Tour the 1859 Jail and Marshal's Home and Museum to glimpse a dwelling for law breakers next to a dwelling for a law keeper, and the clandestine tryst between the abodes that resulted in a museum. The Bingham-Waggoner Estate preserves many of the original art and furnishings of the famed Bingham and Waggoner families, while the National Frontier Trails Museum hails the starting point of the westbound pioneers with bronzed pieces of nuts, raisins, and chocolate bits tracing a path westward.

Sightseers step through The Chicago & Alton Railroad Depot to peruse the restored 1879-built railroad stop and residence before cozying up to the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, surrounded by presidential exhibits, memorabilia, and interactive goings-on for youngsters. The ornate beauty of The Vaile Mansion, a Second Empire Victorian-era domicile, is palpable in its marble fireplaces and ceiling paintings, which come alive whenever Ozark opera tunes are played.