WASHINGTON, DC — Brand USA’s latest roundup of what’s new and next in the United States makes for a list “that’s bigger and bolder than ever,” says the tourism organization.

From major sporting events and new cultural attractions to hotel openings, culinary hotspots, and milestone anniversaries, there’s no shortage of draws for travellers to the U.S. in 2025 and 2026.

“There are so many reasons to visit the U.S. and even more reasons to return,” says Fred Dixon, President and CEO, Brand USA. “The joy of travelling to the U.S. comes from the constant sense of discovery – whether it’s a new attraction, a reimagined destination, or a once-in-a-lifetime event. There’s always something new on the horizon, and we welcome travellers from around the world to experience it all.”

Here’s a look …

GETTING AROUND

• The LAX/Metro Transit Center is set to open in June 2025. The station at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street will connect to the K Line and C Line, and will eventually connect to the LAX automated people mover train (which is under construction and expected to open in early 2026).
• The Amtrak Mardi Gras Service will travel twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile via Coastal Mississippi beginning summer 2025. In addition to travel between New Orleans and Mobile, the cities of Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula will also have same-day connections in both directions between New Orleans and Chicago, via Memphis.
• American Cruise Lines (ACL) will offer a selection of 50-plus-day river cruises starting in 2026, coinciding with the United States’ 250th anniversary.
• Holland America’s new itinerary, “28-Day Glaciers & Volcanoes: Alaska to Hawaii” voyage sails from some of Alaska’s most scenic (and less crowded) ports to Hawaii’s awe-inspiring beaches and volcanoes for an unforgettable journey. The cruise departs from Seattle on Aug. 31.

AN EVOLVING CULINARY LANDSCAPE

• The MICHELIN Guide has expanded to encompass the “American South” region, going beyond the major urban cities and diving into more rural areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee (encompassing the pre-existing Atlanta Guide).
• In Madison, WI, the Madison Public Market will open just down the corridor from the State Capitol Building on East Washington Street, serving as a year-round public marketplace with various local food merchants.
• In downtown Portland, OR, the James Beard Public Market is set to open its first phase in early 2025, with full completion slated for September 2026.
• Food & Wine recently named Cure (New Orleans, LA) “the best bar in the U.S.” as part of its 2025 Global Tastemakers awards.

MAJOR MOMENTS IN SPORTS

• The 2025 Club World Cup will debut its expanded 32-team format across 12 U.S. cities June 14 – July 13, 2025. The tournament kicks off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and culminates with the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
• In July 2025, Cobb County, GA, will host the MLB All-Star Game for a week-long celebration that will transform Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta into a vibrant hub for sports fans.
• The 2025 Ryder Cup will be held from Sept. 25-28, as 24 of the best players from Europe and the U.S. compete in an epic golf match play competition at the Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.
• Milestone Super Bowl LX – 60 takes over the San Francisco Bay Area on Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
• The 2026 World Baseball Classic returns to the U.S. from March 5-17, with games played in Houston, San Juan and Miami as part of this premier international tournament.

ATTRACTIONS

• Disneyland Resort marks its 70th anniversary in 2025, celebrating seven decades as a world-renowned destination for family fun and imagination.
• The Utah Film Trail invites movie enthusiasts to experience the state’s iconic geography and fan favourite filming locations firsthand.
• In Lake Placid, NY, explore the newly opened Adirondack Rail Trail – a 34-mile scenic path along the former rail corridor between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake.
• Universal Orlando Resort’s Universal Epic Universe has 50 attractions across five immersive worlds: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe.
• On the Virginia Beach oceanfront this summer, the beginning of unveiling of a partnership with Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams, Atlantic Park, will serve as a first-of-its-kind indoor/outdoor experience and mixed-use entertainment complex with a live entertainment venue, curated shopping and dining experiences, and boutique lodging among other attractions.
• Starting in June 2025, the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum along Route 66 in Sapulpa, OK, will offer the Model T Experience, where participants will learn the history of and how to drive a Ford Model T.
• Now open in Pigeon Forge, TN, MegaZip is America’s longest zipline, soaring over 1,000 feet above the Great Smoky Mountains.

NEW HOTELS AND RESORTS

• Opening in late spring of 2025, The Printing House in Nashville celebrates the city’s printing heritage.
• Following an extensive restoration, the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York reopened in spring 2025 in the heart of Manhattan.
• Hotel del Coronado in San Diego recently unveiled the final phase of its multi-year restoration.
• Populus Seattle is set to open in late spring and will follow in Denver’s footsteps as the second-ever “carbon positive” hotel in the U.S.
• Coming summer 2025, The Curtis Hotel in downtown Denver is revealing a reimagining of its design, including 12 new “hyper-themed” guest rooms.
• The Ava Hotel in Paso Robles will blend the charms of Paso Robles hospitality with the authentic, community-driven spirit rooted in the region’s rich viticultural heritage in a brand-new, four-story property with 151 rooms and Paso Robles’ largest rooftop destination opening Summer 2025.
• In Big Sky, MT, One&Only Moonlight Basin Montana resort accepts reservations beginning November 2025. The second One&Only resort in the U.S. is set to debut in New York’s Hudson Valley.
• In Bentonville, AR, the new, independent lifestyle hotel The Compton will open its doors in late fall of 2025 in Bentonville’s historic square.

Waldorf Astoria, New York

2025 ANNIVERSARIES

• This year marks the 40th anniversary season of Dollywood, which first opened on May 3, 1986. It’s also the 25th season for Dolly’s water park, Dollywood’s Splash Country, and the 10th anniversary of Dolly’s original resort, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa.
• Festivities for the 50th anniversary of Cuyahoga Valley National Park outside of Cleveland kicked off in September 2024 and continue through 2025 with the park’s “CVNP 50” initiative.
• Ashland Springs Hotel in downtown Ashland, OR first opened in 1925 during the golden age of rail travel as the Lithia Springs Hotel (once the tallest building between Portland and San Francisco!) and is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
• Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara’s iconic Funk Zone neighbourhood is commemorating its 100th anniversary in 2025 and offering a special centennial cocktail and overnight stay package to celebrate.
• Lexington, KY, the ‘Horse Capital of the World,’ marks its 250th anniversary this June with a full year of events.
• On the central coast of California, SLO CAL (San Luis Obispo County), home to the world’s first motel, is celebrating its road trip heritage and the 100th anniversary of the original motel in 2025. The Milestone Mo-Tel opened in SLO County back in 1925. Today, visitors can enjoy a night at one of the many chic and modern restored motel properties in SLO County.
• In 2025, the Lava Beds National Monument of Siskiyou County in California is celebrating its 100th birthday. The features that make up the monument are over half a million years old, but this location was established as a national monument in November 1925.

RELAXATION, SPA AND WELLNESS

• In New York City, exhale at Thompson Central Park is celebrating its official grand opening and bringing the brand’s signature blend of luxury, mindfulness and movement back to the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
• In honour of Heritage Hotels & Resorts’ 20th anniversary, this New Mexico hospitality brand is launching “The Heritage Retreat,” in the summer 2025 – a new wellness experience and holistic healing journey.
• The La Jolla grand dame, La Valencia Hotel, will soon welcome a new spa as an exciting milestone ahead of the historic property’s nearly 100-year history, in 2026. Slated for a mid-2025 debut, the Spa at La Valencia Hotel features six treatment rooms.

ARTS & CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

• The Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles will reopen on June 27, once again inviting visitors to experience its iconic seaside setting and world-class collection of ancient Greek and Roman art.
• The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center (The Joan), a new state-of-the-art theatre, will open in San Diego in September 2025.
• In 2025, Miami Beach enhanced the EXP Miami Beach Tours App, which provides visitors with immersive, self-guided experiences – highlighting the city’s history, arts scene and cultural landmarks.
• Opening in Columbus, OH over Labor Day Weekend 2025, explore Prototype: The Experimental Museum –a 30,000-square-foot sensory playground designed by Roto, featuring immersive kinetic art, VR environments, and more.
• Dataland, “The world’s first Museum of AI Arts and digital ecosystem dedicated to data visualization and AI-based creativity,” is launching its flagship location in 2025 at The Grand LA in downtown Los Angeles.
• The Frick NYC just reopened following a five-year, $220 million renovation. This revamp unveiled an opening of the mansion’s second floor to the public, transforming what were formerly the Frick family bedrooms into galleries.
• The Rothko Pavilion at Portland Art Museum unveiled a brand new, three-storey building and central entrance to the Portland Art Museum (PAM).

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026

• 2026 will be a landmark year across the United States, marked by major anniversaries, global events, and exciting new openings.
• America 250, the official celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, will kick off in 2026 bringing a yearlong celebration of the nation’s history, culture, and future with special events, exhibitions, and programming in all 50 states.
• Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the legendary Route 66 will honour a century of road trip culture with events and experiences across its historic path from Chicago to Santa Monica.
• World Cup 2026, hosted across North America, will take over nearly a dozen cities in the U.S., hosting matches across various regions, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle from June 11 to July 19.
• Coming early 2026 from Caesars Entertainment and Lisa Vanderpump, The Vanderpump Hotel will bring a bold new brand and an original concept to the heart of The Strip in Las Vegas in what used to be The Cromwell.
• Orange County, California’s newest development, OCVibe, is a 100-acre master planned campus taking shape around the Honda Center in Anaheim and will begin a phased opening in 2026.
• Opening July 4, 2026, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will bring the legacy of America’s 26th president to life in Medora, ND.
• In Columbus, OH, 2026 marks the 150th anniversary of North Market and the debut of its expansion with “The Merchant Building.”
• In the summer of 2026, Michigan’s National Cherry Festival will celebrate its 100th anniversary in Traverse City, known as “The Cherry Capital of the World.”

More details can be found at VisitTheUSA.com.