Baltimore Features Alongside Denver, Salt Lake City and New Orleans as Brand USA Puts Scenic Train Holidays in the Spotlight for 2027

Brand USA is promoting 2027 rail holidays across the United States, placing Baltimore, Denver, Salt Lake City and New Orleans at the centre of a tourism push built around the country’s railway bicentenary. The national destination marketing organisation’s update, published on 28 September 2026, brings together scenic trains, heritage attractions and railway hotels to encourage international visitors to explore beyond conventional road trips.

The promotion arrives as several developments give travel businesses new products to sell. Baltimore’s railroad museum is preparing a $38 million campus transformation for January 2027, while Amtrak’s first Airo trains entered passenger service in September 2026. These investments connect the anniversary’s historical appeal with changes that visitors can experience during their journeys.

Baltimore’s railway bicentenary brings history into focus

The central anniversary falls on 28 February 2027, exactly 200 years after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad received its charter. That date marks the railway company’s foundation, rather than the start of its passenger operations. The distinction is important. Construction began in July 1828, and regular operations between Baltimore and Ellicott’s Mills, now Ellicott City, started on 22 May 1830. The 2027 commemoration therefore recognises the B&O’s establishment and its subsequent influence on American railway development. It should not be described as the precise anniversary of the first B&O passenger departure.

Baltimore’s museum is also entering the anniversary period with a different identity. On 14 July 2026, the former B&O Railroad Museum announced its new name, the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, reflecting a broader remit covering railway heritage and future transport technology. Its redevelopment restores the 33,000-square-foot South Car Works building. Planned facilities include Innovation Hall, two classrooms and dedicated accommodation for an archive containing more than 30 million documents. The project also adds gathering spaces, an outdoor amphitheatre, improved accessibility and a redesigned entrance.

The museum’s project update lists construction as 70% complete, with $30 million raised towards the $38 million investment and an opening scheduled for January 2027. For group travel and educational tourism, the expansion adds new reasons to include Baltimore in a wider Maryland itinerary.

Five rail experiences offer different ways to explore America

The principal products span long-distance transport, premium sightseeing and regional connections. Their differences matter when building packages: a sleeping-car journey, a daylight excursion and a premium seat on a seasonal train are not interchangeable.

Gulf Coast trains turn New Orleans into a regional starting point

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service gives the 2027 promotion an established example of restored passenger connectivity. The New Orleans–Mobile route began operating on 18 August 2025, returning Amtrak passenger services to the Mississippi Gulf Coast after a two-decade absence. In an anniversary update published on 18 August 2026, Amtrak said ridership would reach 150,000 customer trips that week, including more than 100,000 during 2026. These are passenger journeys, not a count of unique tourists or international arrivals.

The route serves Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula between its Louisiana and Alabama endpoints. Two departures in each direction give travel planners a framework for extending a New Orleans stay along the coast. Onward connections broaden that potential. The Southern Rail Commission identifies same-day connections with the City of New Orleans service towards Memphis and Chicago. Connections with the Crescent and Sunset Limited require an overnight stop in New Orleans. That difference affects hotel bookings and the practical length of an itinerary. The commission also provides tourism partners with a marketing toolkit, supporting coordinated promotion among destinations along the railway.

Canyon Spirit makes western scenery the main event

Colorado and Utah provide a different proposition: a railway holiday built around the view rather than simply the transfer between cities. The American Southwest operation previously marketed through Rocky Mountaineer now operates under Canyon Spirit, with the change taking effect from 2026. Current travel descriptions therefore need to use the new brand rather than present Rocky Mountaineer as the unchanged name of the American service.

Visit Salt Lake describes a three-day route operating in both directions, with Salt Lake City serving as either the departure point or final destination. The experience includes panoramic windows, an open-air viewing area, narrated commentary and regionally inspired meals. The Utah section passes through Price Canyon, Soldier Summit and Spanish Fork Canyon. Visit Salt Lake lists an April-to-November season and two departures a week in each direction for 2027. Its tourism guidance encourages additional city nights before or after the railway journey.

Canyon Spirit’s hotel partners include properties in Denver, Glenwood Springs, Moab and Salt Lake City. Hotel stays, luggage handling and transfers help distinguish the product from a conventional overnight sleeper train. The package combines time aboard the train with accommodation on land.

The Southwest Chief offers a different Route 66 story

Brand USA also connects railway travel with the appeal of Route 66, whose centenary falls in 2026. Its suggested alternative uses Amtrak’s Southwest Chief to parallel parts of the historic highway corridor, rather than reproduce the road mile for mile. The Chicago–Los Angeles service provides access to destinations including Albuquerque in New Mexico and Flagstaff in Arizona. On board, travellers can choose coach accommodation or sleeping rooms, with dining facilities and a Sightseer Lounge supporting the long-distance experience.

Some major attractions require separate connections. Amtrak describes connecting buses to the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, while passengers travelling to Santa Fe can use the Lamy Shuttle Service, which requires advance reservations. These arrangements allow a railway itinerary to include destinations beyond the main line. They also create practical distinctions for travel sellers: a Southwest Chief ticket does not itself deliver passengers to every Route 66 landmark, the Grand Canyon’s South Rim or a Santa Fe hotel. Connecting transport and accommodation remain essential components of the complete holiday.

Established long-distance trains widen the western choice

The California Zephyr offers another way to make the landscape central to a US holiday. Amtrak highlights the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Moffat Tunnel and Colorado’s Gore, Byers and Glenwood canyons among its scenic features. Coach seats, sleeping accommodation and a Sightseer Lounge provide different ways to experience the journey.

The Coast Starlight supplies a separate West Coast option, with coach accommodation and private rooms for passengers travelling between Seattle and Los Angeles. Its route brings Oregon and California destinations into a longer coastal itinerary. Farther north, the Empire Builder connects Chicago with the Pacific Northwest through North Dakota and Montana. The route passes Glacier National Park, with onward sections from Spokane serving either Seattle or Portland. These are distinct journeys, each requiring its own allocation of travel days and destination stays.

Alaska combines glass-domed travel with wilderness excursions

Alaska Railroad’s GoldStar Service adds a premium viewing experience to the national rail proposition. It is a class of travel, not a separate railway route. Passengers travel beneath glass-domed ceilings and can use upper-level outdoor viewing platforms. GoldStar tickets include meals, soft drinks and guided narration. The operator also identifies the service as accessible.

GoldStar operates on the Coastal Classic, linking Anchorage, Girdwood and Seward, and the Denali Star, connecting Anchorage with Fairbanks through Wasilla, Talkeetna and Denali Park. The published operating window for both is mid-May to mid-September, making seasonality a central consideration for 2027 bookings. The Coastal Classic follows Turnagain Arm before entering backcountry scenery on the approach to Seward. From there, visitors can add cruises on Resurrection Bay or into Kenai Fjords National Park. Those fjord experiences take place beyond the railway itself. Separating the train journey from the onward cruise gives travellers a clearer understanding of what their booking includes and how much time they need in Seward.

Maryland’s wider rail heritage reaches beyond Baltimore

Maryland’s railway attractions extend the anniversary story into smaller communities. The state tourism office promotes the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad between Cumberland and Frostburg, alongside vintage passenger-car journeys on the Walkersville Southern Railroad near Frederick. Historic buildings provide additional stops. Baltimore’s President Street Station houses the Baltimore Civil War Museum, while former railway stations elsewhere accommodate attractions such as the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum and Gaithersburg Community Museum.

These locations offer different combinations of architecture, local history and railway experiences. They can support touring itineraries across Maryland, but they are separate attractions rather than one continuous heritage passenger service. Travel programmes therefore need to account for the journey between museums, stations and excursion departure points.

Steam railways and local festivals broaden the anniversary’s reach

The heritage offering extends well beyond Maryland. Colorado’s Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad carries passengers through the San Juan Mountains and maintains a railway museum in Durango. Its programme includes Silverton excursions and winter journeys into Cascade Canyon. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad provides a separate steam railway experience from Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado, with specialist excursions alongside its scenic journeys. These established operators allow western holidays to combine contemporary rail travel with preserved railway equipment and historic routes.

In Branchville, South Carolina, the Raylrode Daze Festivul draws on a tradition dating to 1969. The town identifies the celebration as an annual September event and promotes its historic railway junction as a defining local attraction. A specific 2027 programme needs to be distinguished from the festival’s established annual tradition. National anniversary coordination is also developing. Baltimore’s museum is inviting organisations to join a shared bicentenary initiative, with a searchable calendar intended to publish activities as participating institutions confirm their dates and arrangements.

Historic hotels keep the railway experience going overnight

Rail-themed accommodation allows visitors to extend the experience after leaving the train. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, The Hotel Chalet at the Choo Choo offers stays in restored Pullman carriages within the city’s historic railway complex. These are stationary hotel rooms, rather than sleeping compartments aboard a scheduled passenger service.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, Asher Adams, Autograph Collection incorporates the restored 1909 Union Pacific Depot. Marriott lists 225 rooms across the hotel, including distinctive historic rooms and suites within the landmark building. Its central location also connects the railway theme with a conventional city stay. The property sits close to TRAX light rail, the Salt Palace Convention Center and the Delta Center, serving leisure visitors as well as meetings and events business.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot preserves elements of the former Milwaukee Road complex. The original depot dates from 1899, and the property retains historic railway architecture alongside modern accommodation and event facilities. Together, these properties demonstrate three different accommodation formats: rooms inside retired carriages, rooms within a converted depot and a hotel associated with a larger historic terminal complex. Booking descriptions need to make that distinction clear.

Airo brings modern passenger trains into the anniversary year

The bicentenary is not solely a heritage story. Amtrak introduced its first two Airo trainsets on Amtrak Cascades on 30 September 2026, beginning with four daily trips across parts of the corridor serving Vancouver in Canada, Seattle, Portland and Eugene. Each trainset provides more than 300 seats. Features include panoramic windows, adjustable headrests, complimentary Wi-Fi, individual power outlets, USB-C ports, digital information displays and improved accessibility.

Amtrak has ordered eight Airo trainsets for Cascades, with additional equipment entering service through early 2027. The operator identifies a planned late-2027 introduction on Northeast Regional as the next deployment. For travel planners, the distinction is between trains already carrying passengers and equipment still scheduled for future introduction. The September launch does not mean every Cascades departure immediately uses Airo. Amtrak identifies designated new-train services during booking, while the fleet transition continues.

The commercial opportunity extends beyond selling train tickets

The different products create different ways to assemble a holiday. Gulf Coast services provide regional connections, western sightseeing packages incorporate hotel stays, and heritage railways offer excursions that can become part of a broader touring programme. For inbound operators, the practical task is to connect these components accurately. A museum visit needs an opening date. A premium seasonal train needs the correct departure and travel class. An overnight connection needs a hotel, while an excursion beyond the railway needs its own transport arrangements.

The 2027 anniversary provides a common promotional theme, but the saleable holiday depends on each supplier’s confirmed programme. The emerging national events calendar, museum redevelopment and published operator information give travel businesses a basis for turning that theme into bookable itineraries, without presenting every planned activity as already available.