Once again, it’s time to slow down our pace and look at those things that make America’s small towns grand: the opening of a new museum that’s been seven years in the making, a community coming together in honor of a prolific local author, and an annual Victorian Christmas celebration that’s been transforming downtown streets for 30 years. These are places that are rich in Blues music and Native American history, offer regional dining favorites like chile rellenos and fish fries, and boast walkable streets and remarkable national parks and monuments at their doorsteps.
While their populations vary, this year’s towns all have 25,000 or fewer residents, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates. They stand out for their cultural history, natural offerings, unique establishments, and reasons that make 2023 an especially good year to visit. For instance, while Los Alamos, New Mexico, is about to be thrust into the spotlight this July with the release of the movie Oppenheimer, which was filmed both in and around the town, Klamath Falls, Oregon, is set to be one of the best spots in the country to catch a rare solar eclipse come October. From a South Dakota university town that’s home to one of the oldest known cellos in existence to Amelia Earhart’s birthplace in Kansas, here are 15 small towns inspiring us to hit the road and experience America’s many incredible wonders.
Musical Small Town: Vermillion, South Dakota (pop. 11,915)
Thousands flock to this university town in South Dakota’s southeastern corner each year to experience the world-renowned National Music Museum, home to one of the largest collections of musical instruments on the planet. Following extensive renovations, the museum, part of the University of South Dakota campus, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the late-August reopening of seven of its permanent exhibition galleries, each of them updated with graphics, stories and interactive elements highlighting the many ways that music shapes our lives (the museum also opened a 16,000-square-foot addition, including a performance hall and special exhibit gallery, in…
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