The United States of America turns 250 on July 4, 2026, making this year a great time to explore the country up close — or rediscover some of its most iconic landmarks and landscapes. While America’s vast size means you could endlessly explore its wonders, we’ve narrowed this list to 12 places to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial birthday.
This list reflects a snapshot of the country at a pivotal moment in its history, highlighting must-do American experiences well suited to this landmark year. From road-tripping through California along Historic Route 66 and exploring Utah’s national parks to sampling Kentucky-made bourbon and experiencing Texas cowboy culture, this list covers the breadth of what makes America distinctive. Whether you visit one or all of these iconic destinations, we hope these picks surface both enduring classics and lesser-known places worth experiencing—some before they inevitably change.
Celebrate Route 66’s 100th Birthday in California
Celebrate 100 years of America’s most iconic highway with a drive through California along Historic Route 66 from Santa Monica to the Mojave National Preserve. Expect celebrations throughout 2026 honoring the Mother Road, and discover fascinating roadside oddities along the way, including the official End of the Trail sign in Santa Monica, historic Roy’s Motel and Cafe, and Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch. Since it’s a bit hard to follow this decommissioned highway today, chart your journey with the Route 66 Navigation app.
Explore Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks
The red-rock landscapes of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion, haven’t changed much since America’s founding. But the towns surrounding these desert wonders have evolved from sleepy pioneer settlements into bustling national park gateways. Road trip between these five parks, stopping to experience charming new restaurants, coffee shops, speakeasies, and hotels in St. George, Springdale, Moab, La Verkin, and Torrey. See wondrous arches in Moab, hoodoos in Bryce, epic canyons and buttes in Canyonlands, spectacular desert views in Capitol Reef, and walk the mighty Narrows in Zion. Busy Zion expects to open its new Zion Discovery Center in late 2026, a move designed to alleviate crowding at the west entrance and draw visitors to the less-visited east side of the park. Wrap your visit with a soak at Zion Canyon Hot Springs, a new natural geothermal spa built on the site of a former hot springs resort.
Discover the Windy City
Chicago is one of America’s most vibrant big cities, dazzling visitors with its Midwest charm, incredible cuisine, groundbreaking architecture, celebrated sports teams, and lauded arts and culture scene. But 2026 is especially significant for Chicago, as summer brings the opening of the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center on the city’s South Side. The 19-acre campus features a museum, library, community hub, vegetable garden, and extensive green space open to the public. First-time Chicago visitors also shouldn’t miss an architecture boat tour aboard First Lady, where you’ll learn about the city’s stunning skyline and history as you travel from the Chicago River to Lake Michigan via the impressive harbor locks.
Relive American History in the Country’s Birthplace
There’s no better place to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial than where this historic event took place: Philadelphia. See where the Declaration of Independence was signed at Independence Hall, and enjoy major celebrations throughout the City of Brotherly Love in 2026. July 2nd marks the culmination of these events with a “Red, White, and Blue To-Do” parade and an All-American Block Party, plus a FIFA World Cup match on July 4th. Philly’s American history museums are hosting special exhibits too, including the National Constitution Center, the first and only museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution; the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall; and the Museum of the American Revolution.
Experience Cowboy Culture in Fort Worth
Cowboy culture is having a moment, and you can experience it — with a dose of Texas hospitality — in booming Fort Worth. This Texas city is now America’s 11th largest, yet it somehow maintains a friendly, small-town vibe. See America’s only twice-daily cattle drive in the historic Stockyards, a National Historic District since 1976, then dance the night away at the world’s largest honky tonk, Billy Bob’s Texas. Watch cowboys ride and rope real bulls and broncs at indoor rodeos held year-round at the city’s Cowtown Coliseum. And for even more Western fun, explore the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2026 when it reopens after renovations. Beyond the Stockyards, venture downtown to experience Cowtown’s shopping, dining, theater, and live music at the 37-block Sundance Square Entertainment district.
Celebrate America250 in the Nation’s Capital
Celebrate the United States’ Semiquincentennial all year long with special DC250 events at museums, attractions, and hotels throughout Washington, DC, including super-sized Fourth of July celebrations. In 2026, visitors can see what’s beneath the Lincoln Memorial for the first time at the Lincoln Undercroft, a new museum built within the monument’s underground columns. If you’re curious about the concept of the “American Dream,” explore the new, free Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, located steps from the White House. And if you can’t get tickets to tour The White House, experience the Executive Mansion’s story and see an Oval Office replica at a newer museum, The People’s House: A White House Experience.
Explore the Pacific Northwest in Charming Bellevue
Experience the Pacific Northwest at its best in thriving Bellevue, a big city that’s finally stepping out of Seattle’s shadow. Beautiful Bellevue has grown while preserving its green spaces, establishing itself as an outdoor adventure basecamp in its own right. Within minutes of the town, you can ride along protected bicycle greenways, fly in a float plane, paraglide off Poo Poo Point, or kayak across Lake Bellevue. Bellevue’s big on sustainability, too, and was named “Best Sustainable and Scenic City” for 2026. Here it’s easy to go car-free with the light rail and BellHop, a free, fully electric on-demand rideshare. If you’re into retail therapy, don’t miss the lauded Bellevue Collection’s 200 shops and 50 restaurants.
Sip American Spirits in Kentucky’s Bourbon Country
Bourbon is booming in Kentucky, and taking a pilgrimage to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a classic American experience. Taste America’s only native spirit at over 60 distilleries on this growing choose-your-own-adventure trail while cruising by idyllic horse farms and country road views. From rustic Buffalo Trace to chic Woodford Reserve, enjoy a range of tasting experiences at bourbon’s biggest brands, or sip something special from craft distilleries like family-run Willet, the new Heaven’s Door Distillery, co-founded in a collaboration with Bob Dylan, or Castle & Key, a newer distillery set in a historic castle. Come in June for rare tastings, distillery-hosted dinners, and educational experiences at the third annual National Bourbon Week celebration, held in Bardstown, Kentucky, the Bourbon Capital of the World. Keep the theme going at new bourbon-centric hotels, The Trail in Bardstown, and Bourré Bonne in Louisville.
Drive the Overseas Highway Through the Florida Keys
Drive across an engineering marvel on the Overseas Highway, a floating 113-mile roadway connecting Miami to Key West over 42 bridges. Cruising Florida’s only All-American Road takes about four hours, but you can break up the drive with an overnight stay in Islamorada. This charming town is known for sport fishing but is also home to state parks and spectacular ocean-view restaurants. Continue to Key West for fresh key lime pie, Ernest Hemingway landmarks, and the best sunset celebration in the U.S. Make time to scuba dive or snorkel at Florida’s Coral Reef — the only living coral reef in the United States—as rising sea temperatures and pollution may threaten its unique marine life in the future.
Explore the Peaceful Side of the Great Smoky Mountains
Did you know that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the country’s most visited national park? Still, you can avoid the hustle and bustle of its gateway, Gatlinburg, by trading it for the peaceful side of the Smokies in Townsend, Tennessee. Here you can easily access Cades Cove, a lush valley rife with bears, deer, and historic churches, cabins, and mills — from an 11-mile, one-way scenic drive. In town, sample craft Tennessee whiskey at Company Distilling and taste farm-to-table Appalachian cuisine at Dancing Bear Bistro. End your trip underground with a stop by Tuckaleechee Caverns, the largest caverns east of the Mississippi. Extend your adventure by driving to the park’s Cataloochee Valley and see a land preserved in time with historic buildings, elk herds, and majestic beauty. Continue to Waynesville, North Carolina, for alpaca yoga at family-owned Winchester Creek Farm and old-fashioned summer circle dancing in town — a 100-year-old tradition. If you’re feeling fancy, hang your hat for a night at the lauded Catalochee Ranch hotel.
Discover Virginia’s Blue Ridge in Roanoke
The old railroad town of Roanoke, Virginia, is reviving and thriving, with a host of new downtown businesses driving expansion in the downtown core. See historic buildings transformed into bustling new hotels, including a bank-turned-boutique called The Liberty Trust, a charming old fire station redesigned into a high-end furniture shop, Fire Station One Boutique Hotel, and the former First National Exchange Bank opening as The Promissory Hotel in early 2026. But there’s plenty to love beyond the city. Go driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway for panoramic mountain views, ride a bike on newly paved sections of the Roanoke River Greenway, or hike to McAfee Knob, the Appalachian Trail’s most famous viewpoint. Visit in October to see Roanoke fully embrace its outdoor backyard at a large, free downtown event, GO Outside Fest, which encourages residents and visitors to get outdoors and explore.
Experience Big Skies and Even Bigger Mountains in Bozeman
The “Yellowstone Effect” from this popular television series has made Montana boom. However, you can still find old-timey American experiences here, especially in the outdoorsy metropolis of Bozeman, a charming Montana town with a lot of local flair. Come for the outdoors, stay for entertaining cowboy bars like The Jump and The Molly Brown Bar. Just an hour south of Bozeman, find the mega mountain resort of Big Sky. This ski area is going big in 2026 with the recent opening of Kircliff, a two-story all-glass observation deck at 11,166 feet on Lone Peak. This development unlocks base-to-peak access for foot passengers for the first time, allowing non-skiers to enjoy Montana’s highest scenic overlook. Take the world’s fastest 10-person gondola up to these sweeping views across three states and two national parks, and ski or ride back down. Big Sky’s transformed in the last decade, adding 13 new lifts to become one of the best and most technologically advanced ski resorts in North America.
Whether you cruise Historic Route 66, explore America’s national parks, drive the Florida Keys, explore the nation’s capital, or see soaring skyscrapers in Chicago, make 2026 the time to visit America’s most iconic landmarks — and a few hidden gems too.
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