Today marks the semiquincentennial anniversary of the USA – or rather, its 250th birthday.And as you’d expect from a country that classes a whole pint of cola as a ‘small’ serving, it’s celebrating with all the subtle restraint of a monster truck rally in a fireworks factory.There will be rockets, flag-waving, tall ships and the small matter of the World Cup to mark the occasion. But for British holidaymakers looking for an excuse to cross the pond after the party is over, what else is on the cards?Around four million of us visit the US every year – its largest overseas market for tourism – and this year more than ever, there is ample excuse to head stateside.From immersive history and Dolly Parton-themed pit stops to hip-hop heritage and singing highways along Route 66, here we look at all of the best new reasons to visit America to celebrate its 250th birthday.Revolutionary Virginia After a landmark preservation and renovation project, Mount Vernon, the former home of George Washington, recently reopened in time for the 250th celebrations. The brand new, $20million education centre and A Revolutionary Life exhibit reimagines the USA’s first president for a new generation. Visitors can sink their teeth into the role of Washington in an interactive simulation, grimace through snow, fog and cannon fire of the Revolutionary War in 4D and even see the great man’s 18th-century dentures. Tickets from $30 for adults and children over 12 (mountvernon.org). Mount Vernon mansion was built in the 1730s by George Washington's father AugustineMaryland history Let’s not forget the darker history that underpins the USA; from the arrival of the first 20 enslaved Africans in 1619 to the legal outlawing of the trade in 1865, this was a country built upon slavery – and its legacy remains palpable in American society today.Which is why figures such as Harriet Tubman are so important. After escaping slavery in 1849, she returned to the south to help more than 70 other enslaved people flee through a secret network of safe houses and routes known as the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1822 in Maryland and, once she escaped to Philadelphia in 1849, she dedicated her life to liberating other enslaved peopleNew for 2026, the Underground Underwater experience at the Harriet Tubman Freedom Center in Cambridge, Maryland, tells how waterways, marshes and forests were critical to the abolitionist’s survival (harriettubmanfreedomcenter.com). Free entry.Singing along Route 66 This historic highway marks its centenary on November 11 – meaning now is the perfect time to explore its newly restored motels, diners and roadside attractions along the iconic route from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California.Cities and towns that line Route 66 will also be opening new museums and throwing parties throughout the year. Springfield, Illinois, for example, will be celebrating the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival from September 25 to 27 (route66fest.com). Meanwhile Springfield, Missouri – the birthplace of the storied route – celebrates on August 7 and 8 with the Birthplace Of Route 66 Festival (route66festivalsgf.com). Both promise hundreds of classic cars, live music and entertainment.The Route 66 Tulsa Birthday Bash will take place on November 11, ending with a concert at Cain’s Ballroom (oklahomaroute66.com). Springfield, Illinois, will be celebrating the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival from September 25 to 27 (pictured, the city's centennial celebration on July 1)There will be lots going on along the whole route, of course, but there’s a standout attraction in Texas, where eight ‘musical roads’ are turning stretches of Route 66 into tarmac jukeboxes. When drivers cruise along at the exact speed limit, the vibrations created will sound out recognisable tunes. There’s already a section of ‘singing road’ on Route 66 near Tijeras, New Mexico, that plays Woody Guthrie’s America The Beautiful’ when you drive over its rumble strips.Go native in Niagara As the States goes berserk for its 250th anniversary, it can be easy to forget that, before European colonisation, the US was already populated by more than 1,000 distinct Indigenous nations and communities.Starting last month, however, the country’s oldest state park, Niagara Falls State Park, has been helping visitors remember.Voices Of The Falls is an interactive exhibit set within the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Welcome Center that brings the destination’s natural history, cultural stories and the voices and perspectives of the area’s indigenous people to life.The park has also unveiled Above The Roar, a virtual reality, multi-sensory experience that places visitors in the midst of the most powerful waterfall in North America – which is surely preferable to going over the falls inside a barrel. Niagara Falls State Park has unveiled Above The Roar, a virtual reality, multi-sensory experience that places visitors in the midst of the most powerful waterfall in North AmericaAlso this summer, a 150-acre expansion will add two miles of new trails through the Niagara Gorge Corridor, linking the falls area with Whirlpool and Devil’s Hole State Parks, creating more than five miles of continuous scenic overlooks along the Niagara River. Free entry for all (niagarafallsstatepark.com).400 years of NYC Not quite as much of a tongue twister as semiquincentennial – but still quite a mouthful – New York City celebrates its quadricentennial anniversary in 2026.The celebrations have been going for a couple of years now due to a debate surrounding the official founding date (the Dutch arrived in 1624 and set up government in 1625) but there are still new ways to see the city amid the excitement of the World Cup and countrywide birthday celebrations. Opened last month, Centre 360 is a brand new 580ft public observatory offering panoramic views of Manhattan from the cupola of the David N Dinkins Municipal Building. It’s an intimate 15-minute experience for just five guests at a time, so book well in advance. Entry free for all (a856-centre360.nyc.gov). Centre 360 offers panoramic views of Manhattan (pictured, view from Liberty Island of Manhattan's skyline)Feel the Bronx's beat New York may be turning 400 but one of its freshest reasons to visit next year has less to do with Dutch settlers and more to do with turntables, trainers and the Bronx. Opening in the autumn, the long-awaited Hip Hop Museum will finally give one of America’s most influential cultural exports a permanent home in the borough where it was born.This won’t be some dusty shrine to old vinyl, either. The museum promises an immersive journey through the rise of hip hop from Bronx block parties to global domination – tracing its influence on music, fashion, dance, language and pop culture around the world (uhhm.org). Hip Hop, Hooray! The long-awaited Hip Hop Museum will be opening in the Bronx in autumnDolled up in Tennessee While we’re running through historic birthdays, American country star and icon Dolly Parton became an octogenarian this year – but she’s still working 9 to 5. This year sees the opening of three new Dolly-themed attractions in her home of Tennessee.At her theme park, Dollywood, she’s just opened her most ambitious ride ever, NightFlight Expedition: a groundbreaking hybrid indoor ride that combines roller coaster, whitewater rafting and immersive multimedia experiences in the Smoky Mountains.In Nashville, the new SongTeller Hotel and Life of Many Colors Museum is set to welcome guests for an immersive celebration of her music, stories and extraordinary career, featuring iconic costumes and never-before-seen memorabilia.Finally, having just opened in June, Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville does for the Deep South’s road trippers what Cobham Services does for motorists on the M25. Located just off Interstate 65, it offers fuel, coffee, fast food and merchandise to weary travellers.Starry Los Angeles On the subject of American icons, Star Wars creator George Lucas will be launching the Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art on September 22 (though surely he should have picked May the 4th!)This landmark museum, set within a striking, futuristic building in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, will celebrate the art of storytelling through film, comics, illustration, photography and fine art, showcasing an extraordinary collection of pop culture artefacts and art. Tickets from $25 (lucasmuseum.org). Star Wars creator George Lucas will be launching the Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art on September 22Riding round Deep South Having opened in Frisco, Texas, this week, Universal Kids Resort is not only the first ever theme park created by Universal Destinations And Experiences specifically for families with young children, but it’s so new the rides will still be entirely free of kiddie sick – maybe.Centred around beloved characters including SpongeBob, Minions and the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, the theme park’s immersive lands and interactive attractions are brought to life in a more relaxed family-friendly setting.Personally, I’ll be at Universal Epic Universe, which opened in May last year, being rocketed around on Orlando’s ultimate vomit comet, Stardust Racers. Entry passes from $54.99 (universalkidsresort.com; universalorlando.com). Orlando's Universal Epic Universe theme park, which opened in May last year, has entry passes from $54.99 (£41.20)Similarly, Walt Disney World in Orlando has apparently realised that nobody under the age of 40 really cares about 1970s dad rock, which is why Aerosmith’s Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster has recently been rebranded a Muppets ride.Nearly everything about it has stayed the same, except now the soundtrack comes from a different set of 1970s relics: The Muppets (disneyworld.co.uk).Mardi Gras marvel For a more sedate experience on rails, the new twice-daily Amtrak passenger train service is reconnecting Mobile, Alabama, with New Orleans in Louisiana for the first time in nearly 20 years.Stops between these two cities – renowned for Mardi Gras celebrations – will allow passengers to soak up the sun on white sand beaches and explore the aquatic and historical attractions of Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay Saint Louis. Fares start at $15 one-way, with discounts available for children, seniors and groups (amtrak.com). Round Island Lighthouse can be found in Pascagoula, MississippiPlaytime in DC Not every big American opening needs to involve a founding father, a battlefield or a presidential library. Sometimes what you really need is a giant, climbable, joyfully silly installation in one of Washington DC’s grandest buildings. Running until August 30, The Playground at the National Building Museum transforms its vast Great Hall into an oversized interactive landscape designed by Snarkitecture. Think climbing, building and general low-stakes mucking about in a monumental indoor space more usually associated with architecture buffs. Running until August 30, The Playground at the National Building Museum transforms its vast Great Hall into an oversized interactive landscapeTimed to coincide with America’s 250th celebrations, it’s exactly the kind of new, playful attraction that makes a DC city break feel fun rather than dutiful (nbm.org).Bridge with Canada For the first time in more than 60 years, visitors will be able to walk or cycle directly across the US-Canada border between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. Due to open this year, the brand-new Gordie Howe International Bridge is a completely new way to experience one of the world’s busiest international crossings.It also looks spectacular – a vast, cable-stayed structure designed as much as a modern landmark as a piece of infrastructure. Just make sure your Esta (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is up to date before strolling over... When the Gordie Howe International Bridge opens later this year, visitors will be able to walk or cycle from Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, OntarioTeddy, set, go Dakota Opening today, the brand new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, is one of the biggest new cultural openings of the year.Set on the edge of the Badlands in the landscape that shaped Roosevelt’s love of the outdoors, it promises to be rather more thrilling than your average presidential library.Expect immersive exhibits, big ideas about conservation and democracy, and architecture designed to blend into the prairie rather than plonk itself on top of it. Pair it with a road trip through Theodore Roosevelt National Park and you’ve got a new excuse to head west (trlibrary.com). The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is opening today and features immersive exhibitsCastle in the capital Washington DC’s Smithsonian is joining the USA’s 250th birthday celebrations with the reopening of two of its grand old dames: the Smithsonian Institution Building – or The Castle, as its more commonly known – and the Arts And Industries Building. Washington DC's Smithsonian is reopening its Arts And Industries Building (pictured) as well as its Institution BuildingThe latter is the really juicy bit: open again until September 7, this gloriously ornate Victorian edifice was once the nation’s first national museum, where Americans first gawped at amazing inventions such as the telephone and lightbulb.Now, after years out of action, it’s back with a new exhibition looking at the country’s past and future. In a city packed with free museums, this is an excellent opportunity for visitors to explore something genuinely fresh (si.edu/museums/arts-and-industries-building).