Cue the fireworks: On July 4, 2026, Americans will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. For historic U.S. attractions, America250 offers a massive opportunity. This historic event has the potential to connect to every single American—that’s 334 million people.* It makes a major moment and provides an urgent, limited-time reason for visitors to attend perennial institutions.
That gives us two plus years for historic attractions (and all attractions, frankly) to plan for success.
Because simply adding an America250 logo or red, white and blue drink? Probably not going to drive many ticket sales.
So what will? Amanda Blackman, Chief Strategy Office of AKA, an advertising agency specializing in attractions, destinations and entertainment, shares that the two most cited reasons for NOT visiting an attraction are consistently “I didn’t think of it” and “I didn’t think it was for me.” Blackman calls this resonance and relevance and says it’s the key to attracting new visitors, especially as 250 rolls around.
Here are her top three tips for ensuring your historic attraction cuts through the noise, welcomes everyone in, and, crucially, moves people to purchase tickets.
Blackman explains, “America250 should be relevant to all Americans, but we need to really show that connection. This is an amazing opportunity to take advantage of a platform with incredibly wide familiarity AND to tell lesser known and unknown stories.”
“Every American has a connection to America250, and this celebration will truly be a reflection of the millions of diverse histories, stories and experiences across our country,” says AKA collaborator, bestselling author and public historian Jason Steinhauer, founder of the History Communication Institute. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invite visitors in, engage them in conversation, and show how theirs and their families’ journeys connect to the broader history of our nation,” Steinhauer states.
Blackman explains that relevance matters both in programming and in communications. “How are we reflecting a wide variety of experiences in our advertising? Are the creative, messaging, and experience itself welcoming and accessible to all? Are people seeing their friends—or Influencers they follow—sharing how much they loved your attraction, and wholeheartedly recommending it online and in real life? Are potential attendees hearing about your exhibition or event and thinking, ‘That sounds like it’s for me’? That’s relevance.”
The second point Blackman says will be key for success is resonance, which starts with reaching people at the right time in their planning journey. “It’s a wildly cluttered landscape with many experiences competing for attention—including sitting on your couch and ordering in,” Blackman says. “We HAVE to be in front of potential audiences at the right time and be top of mind when they are making their decisions.” She explains that full-funnel advertising campaigns work best when planned in conjunction with various audiences’ booking latency, in addition to the right messaging. “Resonance means being top of mind,” she says, “but is also about sharing values with audiences.”
To increase both relevance and resonance, Blackman encourages historic U.S. attractions to make Influencers part of their America250 journey now. She notes, “Not just any Influencer, of course. We really suggest focusing in on people that align with your mission and resonate with the audience you want to invite in—regardless of follower count. If someone’s built up trust with one of your target audiences, and their engagement rate is high, that can be way more valuable than a MacroInfluencer with little to no engagement.”
Finally, Blackman suggests working together with other attractions, museums, sites and attractions to create can’t-miss experiences—both in programming and communications. “We can make America250 bigger in each market by partnering together. Most travelers plan full days rather than singular activities, so let’s make it easy for them.” Blackman is intrigued by taking heavy lifting of itinerary planning off visitors and giving them options based on their interests. She suggests the ability to book itineraries based on interests, time, cost or traveler type. “All boats can truly rise with the tide if we work together. Is there an Ultimate America250 Travel Experience tour out there yet that? Who’s creating the trip of a lifetime—one that visits each revolutionary site and attraction in the country with a dedicated historian? That’s clearly a big undertaking, but it’s the sort of thing that pierces the veil of indifference and gets people talking.”
Want more ideas on how to make the most of America250? If you’re ready for an America250 campaign strategy that delivers impactful results, contact hello@aka.nyc.
About AKA NYC:
AKA is a global, full-cycle advertising agency with offices in the US and UK. The AKA Group, including Digital Media Services and the film advertising agency The Creative Partnership, delivers creative, strategic, and insightful campaigns to entertainment and cultural destinations worldwide. The New York office, led by Elizabeth Furze, has a proven record for delivering creative cross-platform campaigns that get people to go places.
Clients include Destinations and Attractions: Asian Art Museum, British Museum, Edge at Hudson Yards, Federal Hall, The Frick, The Friends Experience, Historic Royal Palaces, The Royal Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Morgan Museum and Library, New York Botanical Gardens, New-York Historical Society, Tate, V&A, The Wallis, and the YMCAs of Greater New York. Live Entertainment: & Juliet, A Beautiful Noise, Back to the Future, Cabaret, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hell’s Kitchen, Second Stage, The Enemy of The People, The Heart of Rock and Roll, Water for Elephants, The Wiz.
For more information, visit https://aka.nyc.
*Source: United States Census Bureau
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