America250 Motorcoach Itinerary
3-Day, 2-Night Where Iowa Started
Celebrate with a "Stars, Stripes, and Birthday Bites" themed Interary.
Day 1
Celebrate America’s Legacy
Step into history and celebration as Dubuque, Iowa, proudly hosts America’s 250th birthday party! Our theme brings together the heart of Americana—patriotism, tradition, and community—with birthday fun that everyone can enjoy.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotel Julien Dubuque
Welcome & check-in for motorcoach groups
Activity: America’s Birthday Toast with specialty cocktail, a small performance, and birthday cake
Highlight: Abraham Lincoln once walked these halls—experience history firsthand
9:00 AM – Berning Acres
Activities: Feed a calf, milk a cow, sample fresh cheese curds, and enjoy local craft beer tasting
Duration: 1.5 hours
Highlight: Experience Iowa agriculture and America’s farming legacy
12:00 PM – Field of Dreams Movie Site
Activities: Ballpark lunch, Ghost Player conversation, birthday ice cream social, guided house tour
Duration: 3–4 hours
Highlight: Celebrate the dreamers who built America
4:00 PM – Iowa’s Oldest Log Cabin & Ham House
Activities: Guided tour of the cabin and the Ham House, storytelling about pioneer life, and photo opportunities
Duration: 45 minutes–1 hour
Highlight: Over 250 years old, a living piece of Iowa’s early history
5:00 PM – AMERICA250 Historic Progressive Dinner
Activities: Enjoy a dinner experience and hear the history of our town with an Americana Sparkle!
Duration: 3–4 hours
Day 2
Rivers and Views
From Abraham Lincoln’s footsteps at the historic Hotel Julien to the rolling fields that shaped America’s agricultural spirit, Dubuque invites you to experience the stories that built our nation. Raise a glass with us at America’s Birthday Toast, savor Midwest classics like cheese curds and local brews, and join in birthday activities at iconic attractions like the Field of Dreams and the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium.
9:00 AM – National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Activities: Self-guided museum tours, hands-on wood burning craft, cookies & punch in the Train Depot
Duration: 2–3 hours
Highlight: Explore America’s original highway and learn its 250-year impact
10:00 AM – Fenelon Place Elevator
Activity: Take a ride on the Shortest, Steepest Funicular in the World
Duration: 45 minutes
Highlight: Take in the view of three states from this vantage point
11:00 AM – American Lady Lunch Cruise
Activities: Scenic Mississippi River cruise with narration and lunch service
Duration: 2 hours
Highlight: Experience the river that shaped America’s story
3:00 PM – Eagle Point Park + Lock & Dam 11 Tour
Activities: Scenic overlook, guided stop at Lock & Dam 11, photo opportunities
Duration: 1–1.5 hours
Highlight: Iconic Mississippi River views and river operations
4:30 PM – Potosi Brewery & National Brewery Museum
Activities: Guided brewery tour, museum visit, tasting, and dinner option
Duration: 2–3 hours
Highlight: Celebrate American brewing traditions and enjoy hometown hospitality
Day 3
Farewell America250
This isn’t just a party—it’s a journey through America’s roots, told through Dubuque’s unique blend of history, heritage, and hospitality. Together, we’ll honor 250 years of dreams, determination, and the people who made America what it is today.
Morning – Hotel Julien Dubuque
Farewell breakfast buffet with America250 send-off gift
Depart Dubuque with memories of Iowa’s role in shaping America
On Your Way Out – Washington Park
Before leaving Dubuque, stop at Washington Park — a downtown square rich in patriotic history. Here you’ll find an 8½-foot copper replica of the Statue of Liberty placed in 1950 by the Boy Scouts, a bicentennial time capsule buried in 1976 to be opened on July 4, 2076, and the restored gazebo, also rebuilt as part of Dubuque’s Bicentennial celebrations. It’s a fitting place to reflect on America’s past and future.