How to Fit 250 Years of American History and Culture Into One Map

How to Fit 250 Years of American History and Culture Into One Map

From There's More to That by Smithsonian Magazine

February 26, 2026 · 30 min · Season 2 · Episode 22

About this episode

This episode discusses the significance of the United States' 250th birthday and features an interactive map highlighting 250 notable places across the country.

In honor of the United States’ 250th birthday this year, Smithsonian magazine has curated an interactive map, “ 250 Places to Celebrate America .” The map features 250 of the most dramatic, intriguing, and surprising places to visit across the country, spanning ten categories including food, film and oddball Americana. In this episode, we speak with one of the editors behind the map project. In addition, we interview a preeminent historian and co-host of the podcast “This Day” to discuss the significance of the 250th anniversary, how other national birthdays have been celebrated in the past and the larger context of this moment in American history. To subscribe to “There’s More to That,” and to listen to past episodes about the growing concerns around human-made objects in orbit hurtling back toward Earth , the vast fleet of shipwrecks at the bottoms of the Great Lakes and the L.A. wildfires as viewed through the eyes of two photographers , find us on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. “There’s More to That” is a production of Smithsonian magazine and PRX Productions. From the magazine, our team is Ari Daniel , Debra Rosenberg and Brian…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ari Daniel, Debra Rosenberg, Brian Wolly

Guest: co-host of the podcast “This Day”

Topics covered

  • American history
  • 250th anniversary
  • interactive map
  • historical significance
  • cultural celebration
  • national birthdays

Keywords

  • 250th birthday
  • interactive map
  • American culture
  • historian interview
  • celebration
  • historical context
  • places to visit

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Smithsonian magazine

Books & works: This Day

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