Celebrate Labor Day Weekend with a 3-Day Getaway
The last holiday weekend of the summer season is the perfect time to explore a new destination
Summer goes out with a bang on Labor Day. Pick a place close to home—or across the country—and plan a trip that will send you into autumn in top spirits. Whether you head to a quiet seaside destination or a bustling city, end your summer on a high note with our list of 10 fantastic Labor Day weekend getaways.
Boston, Massachusetts
You'll find more than 80 different types of plants at the Boston Public Garden—the country's first botanical garden.
Stay in Boston for an eclectic mix of historic landmarks, collegiate energy, and New England patriotism. Kids are especially welcome at family-friendly attractions like the Boston Public Garden and Franklin Park Zoo. Foodies keep Beantown cuisine on the top of their must-eat list for the Boston Cream Pie, Italian pasta shops and handmade lobster rolls. Baseball fans can sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at one of America’s oldest ballparks, Fenway Park. If you’re on a budget, you can get your exercise and enjoy the city views for free from Bunker Hill Monument. For the ultimate American history lesson, walk the Boston Freedom Trail and download the self-guided tour app, which takes you along the 2.5-mile walkway featuring 16 of the city’s most famous historic sites.
San Diego, California
Set sail in San Diego on a 90-minute seal-spotting adventure in an amphibious vehicle with San Diego SEAL Tours.
Book a San Diego hotel and discover a top option for Labor Day weekend vacation getaways with its golden beaches and warm weather. This is not a one-beach-fits-all area. You'll find wide expanses of sand, craggy cliff beaches, protected beaches and rocky waterfronts, all within viewing distance. Mission Bay, a 4,200-acre water park, offers 27 miles of sandy shoreline and waterways to explore by kayak or canoe. You can also Jet Ski, water ski, sail and surf here. While the San Diego Zoo has its penguins, pandas and polar bears, you can cast off from the shore to get a closer look at California’s creatures on a seal-watching tour. Then continue your search for sea life in the tide pools near Seaside Beach, where Tide Beach Park appears below the cliffside when the tide is low.
Nashville, Tennessee
Spend your long weekend listening to live bands and soaking up music history in Nashville: Music City, USA!
Music fans, especially of country music, won’t miss a beat with a stay in Nashville. The green jewel of the South has long been a mecca for watching live concerts starring musicians from a variety of genres including Bluegrass, country, blues and even pop and rock ‘n’ roll. You can catch a variety of country music acts at the Grand Ole Opry, or learn the history of the two-step at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Bluebird Café is a local venue where both world famous and up-and-coming musicians test out their newest tunes. When your ears need a break, feast your eyes on gorgeous Centennial Park, with 132-acres of lush greenery, walking trails and even a replica of the Greek Parthenon.
Denver, Colorado
Head west to the Mile High City for a mini-vacation over the 3-day Labor Day weekend.
Stay in Denver to explore a cultural hub with modern attractions and a rich Old West history. The city pays homage to its heritage with ambassadors in cowboy hats who welcome you at the airport and lead you into present day Colorado’s capital city. Check out the ultramodern Denver Art Museum and a vast array of public art pieces scattered throughout downtown—the famous 40-foot-high Blue Bear near the Convention Center is a great place to start your art crawl and explore all that Denver has to offer. Don't miss the Museum of Nature and Science with its dinosaurs and digital planetarium. Kids will likely want to stop by the world-famous Denver Zoo to see everything from polar bears to Gila monsters, while sports fans can head to a baseball game if the Colorado Rockies are in town.
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New Orleans, Louisiana
Go to the corner of Bourbon and St. Louis Streets and join the locals for some French Quarter fun.
Don’t let the still-summery temps of early September keep you from staying in New Orleans—Labor Day weekend in the Big Easy delivers in a big way. Join in the fun of the massive, multi-day extravagance that is the Southern Decadence festival. Celebrating LGBTQ+ culture, this epic event rivals even Mardi Gras and kicks off with a midnight dance party. Many of the festival events are free—but you can buy passes online for total access. Tickets sell out fast! No visit to the Crescent City is complete without a stroll through the French Quarter. This National Historic Landmark is full of things to do and see, with its main draw—Bourbon Street—acting as the city's infamous party hub. While in town, pay a visit to the National WWII Museum. Or, if you have the time for it, take a swamp tour with the Louisiana Tour Company.
St. Louis, MO
Some amazing Labor Day photo-ops await from the ground at the Old Courthouse, or up high in the iconic Gateway Arch.
Book your St. Louis hotel for a Labor Day weekend in the Gateway to the West. Start with a visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden and you might end up spending your whole vacation celebrating the history, culture and peoples of Japan. The Japanese Festival at the gardens is one of the oldest and largest festivals of its kind in the country. Enjoy everything from taiko drumming and bon odori festival dancing, to martial arts exhibitions and candlelight walks. The St. Louis Zoo and the St. Louis Art Museum—both in Forest Park— offer some awesome family-friendly experiences. And, of course, no trip to St. Louis is complete without a stunning view from atop the famous Gateway Arch.
New York City, NY
A long weekend in New York City means there's time for plenty of Big Apple sightseeing.
Not only is Manhattan the one of the most photographed cities in the world, it has so many things to do that no three-day-weekend is long enough to see and do it all. It's still one of the top places to visit during the Labor Day holiday. So grab your camera, book your New York City hotel, and discover the city that never sleeps. Start by lacing up your sneakers and head to the heart of Manhattan to discover all the things to do in Times Square—NYC's most vibrant, neon-lined, selfie-centered block. Or, save your feet from all the walking by touring NYC by boat. Join art aficionados at the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit along University Place for the fall show. And finally, join thousands of fans at the Electric Zoo, an electronic dance music festival at Randall’s Island Park.
Los Angeles, California
Labor Day vacation in La La Land means sand, surf, and a whole lot of family fun in the sun.
While Labor Day usually signals the end of summer most places, it's far from fall in the City of Angeles. Pick your Los Angeles area hotel and spend your three-day-holiday by the bar, in the pool, on the beach—or all of the above. A great way to kick off your vacation is with a visit to the LA County Fair, which begins the Saturday before Labor Day. Want to spend less time in the city and more time ocean-side? Head to your favorite beach, or discover a new local hot spot to splash the day away. Have shopping itch you need to scratch? Check out some of the best vintage stores in Los Angeles. And finally, join in the fun of Fleet Week—a celebration of the US Armed Forces that takes place during the Labor Day weekend and features ship tours, flight and military equipment demos, live music, resource tents for active military and veterans, and so much more!
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A 3-day weekend in Philly means extra time to feel the love of this historic city.
It's the City of Brotherly Love, and you'll quickly see how easy it is to fall for historic Philly. Book your Philadelphia hotel and explore the town that birthed the U.S. Constitution. Get in some sightseeing of the most iconic Philly sights, like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Or, follow a Founding Father on a unique tour with a Ben Franklin impersonator. Join the locals on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the Made in America Music Festival. With dozens of top performers and multiple stages, this massive, two-day music festival curated by Jay-Z is one of the year’s best events. Explore the city's rich maritime history at the Independence Seaport Museum, located along the scenic Delaware River waterfront. The best part? You can catch some great views of the Labor Day Fireworks show from the second story terrace.
Austin, Texas
A 3-day weekend in Philly means extra time to feel the love of this historic city.
Stay in Austin for a Labor Day weekend full of fun (and even a little weird) things to do. Get a Texas-sized chuckle at the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, a live-performance event showcasing the best in improv, sketch and standup. It's the longest running comedy festival in Austin, and the biggest in the South. Are you a music lover? Check out Austin's music scene. While in town, plan time for sightseeing Austin's most iconic movie locations. And, if you're looking to keep it weird like the locals, see the Cathedral of Junk (explore the grounds by appointment only), or shop for oddities on South Congress. Finally, head to the Congress Avenue Bridge to watch the world’s largest urban bat colony take to the skies.
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