This article was originally published in 2025 and most recently updated on June 19, 2026, with current information.
This article is part of our America 250 coverage. See calendar recommendations for the Midwest, the Northeast, and the West, plus more stories on things to do and signature foods to eat in each of the 50 states (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico).
July 4, 2026, marks 250 years since the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. Those two and a half centuries are a milestone known as the U.S. Semiquincentennial. Across the South, where 5 of the original 13 colonies were founded, states are hosting once-in-a-generation events, festivals, museum retrospectives, and community gatherings as part of the nation’s America 250 celebrations. The anniversary offers a chance to showcase the beauty and varied cultures of the South, as well as reckon with the region’s history and imagine how the country might continue building its “more perfect union.”
America 250 at George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia
Dates: ongoing
In late 2025, George Washington’s riverside estate reopened several newly restored mansion rooms—including the Washington bedchamber—alongside Patriots Path, a re-creation of an 18th-century Continental Army encampment where visitors can interact with artifacts in the army tents, wash soldiers’ clothes, and discover what it takes to cook for a battalion of troops. Launching in June,George Washington: A Revolutionary Life is a new immersive exhibit that re-examines the first president’s legacy through interactive displays on leadership, enslavement, and nation-building. The exhibit includes a replica cabin representing the living quarters of an enslaved family held on the estate and sealed glass bottles from Washington’s cellar.
On July 3 and 4, the estate has a full calendar of America 250 celebrations: Visitors can meet George and Martha in the living history experience, attend a wreath laying at Washington’s tomb, and see fireworks over the Potomac.
In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Dates: through December 2026
This exhibition, In Pursuit of Life, spanning three floors, traces how generations of Americans have interpreted—and challenged—the promises of the Declaration of Independence. Through artifacts, interactive displays, and contemporary meditations, the show asks visitors to consider what freedom and equality mean in 2026 and beyond. Make a long weekend of it with our 4 Days in Washington, D.C. itinerary.
The Folklife Festival will take over Washington, D.C.'s National Mall.
Courtesy of Folk Festival (L); courtesy of Samuel Girven/Unsplash (R)
Smithsonian 250th Summer Festival in Washington, D.C.
Dates: through November 2026
The Smithsonian’s beloved Folklife Festival expands into a monthlong cultural celebration for America 250, hosting approximately 40 different events across the United States as a traveling festival. Expect live music, hands-on workshops, food demonstrations, and exhibits that spotlight communities and traditions in all 50 states.
In Washington, the 21 Smithsonian-operated museums mark the milestone with late-night Solstice programming from June 18 to 21. The 11 museums along the National Mall (which is unveiling a wave of new attractions this summer) will be open until 11 p.m. on June 19 and June 20.
We the People at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond
Dates: IllumiNATION June 25–28; We the People through September 7
The museum will host IllumiNATION (June 25–28) a large-scale projection that transforms the building’s facade with art inspired by freedom and civic identity, and the We the People exhibition (through September 7), which highlights Virginia’s immigrant stories and diverse cultural roots.
This Baltimore-style album quilt dates to the mid-19th century.
Courtesy of American Folk Art Museum, Gift of Altria Group, Inc.
America 250: Common Threads at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas
Dates: through July 27, 2026
An expansive exhibit at the state’s iconic art museum features textiles (including live quilting), paintings, toys, and other works spanning 1776 to today, digging into themes of civic participation, national symbolism, and community belonging.
American Aspirations at the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C.
Dates: June 2–July 26, 2026
Not normally an exhibition venue, the Smithsonian Institution Building (more commonly called the Smithsonian Castle) is temporarily opening for a show inspired by the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence: American Aspirations. The exhibit, curated by Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch, brings together more than 30 of the most significant Smithsonian artifacts under one roof, including Frederick Douglass’s Civil War recruitment poster and Harriet Tubman’s hymnal.
Lincoln Memorial Undercroft in Washington, D.C.
Dates: opens June 25, 2026
A new, 15,000 square foot immersive museum beneath one of the nation’s most iconic monuments will debut this summer, bringing Abraham Lincoln’s legacy vividly to life. Visitors can step inside the story through augmented-reality re-creations of historic speeches, interactive exhibits exploring the power of his words, and multimedia installations tracing how Lincoln’s ideals have inspired freedom movements around the world.
The Declaration’s Promise, the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Dates: opens July 3, 2026
The Library of Congress opens this landmark exhibition the day before the 250th birthday of the United States. The show will feature Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence with his crossed-out words and corrections. The exhibit also includes the original copy of Abraham Lincoln’s handwritten Gettysburg Address and Jefferson’s copy of the Quran.
Indigenous Independence: America at 250 at Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dates: through August 7, 2026
While the Gilcrease doesn’t officially reopen until 2027, Indigenous Independence: America at 250 is a special exhibition that will give visitors early access to the renovated museum. It showcases treaties, peace medals, and maps that explore the conflicts between colonists and Indigenous nations during the Revolutionary period. The museum will also offer four special viewings of the Gilcrease collection, including a certified copy of the Declaration of Independence signed by Continental Congress delegates Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin, as well as documents transported by Paul Revere and written by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson concerning diplomatic relations with Indigenous nations.
Sail250 Virginia
Dates: through June 23, 2026
An international fleet of tall ships and military vessels will sail into Virginia in June 2026 for Sail250, anchoring in Norfolk as the host port, and with affiliate celebrations in Alexandria, Hampton, Isle of Wight/Smithfield, Onancock, Richmond, Yorktown, Cape Charles, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. Guests can tour ships up close and on deck, meet crew members, enjoy live music and re-enactments, and take part in family-friendly maritime festivals across the state.
SC250 in Charleston, South Carolina
Join a walking tour around Charleston’s historic streets to discover tales of its Revolutionary past.
Photo by f11photo/Shutterstock
Dates: June 20–July 4, 2026
Charleston is hosting a full calendar of events between June and July to commemorate its Revolutionary history, such as the city’s role in the 1776 Battle of Sullivan’s Island. The program for Charleston Celebrates America’s 250th includes walking tours inspired by Revolutionary history, free concerts, a symposium on the Revolution, and special exhibits across city museums. Don’t miss the display of an original copy of the Declaration of Independence at the Charleston Museum.
America’s 250 Cookout at the Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida
Date: July 3, 2026
Florida’s only presidential museum is throwing an epic lawn cookout for America’s 250th birthday. Guests are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue,and to come hungry. The event is free to the public, although there is a suggested donation of $10 to support the museum’s preservation. A cash bar will be available.
Sweet Home 250 at the American Village in Montevallo, Alabama
Dates: July 3–4, 2026
Alabama’s official America 250 celebrations take over American Village in Montevallo for the Fourth of July weekend. Expect more than 18 Alabama-based music acts, plus cooking demonstrations, eating contests, stunt dog performances, puppet shows, and a re-enactment of Paul Revere’s midnight ride.
Let Freedom Sing! Nashville July 4th in Nashville, Tennessee
Dates: July 3–4, 2026
Nashville is throwing its biggest-ever Fourth of July celebration and admission is free. Taking over downtown, the event will have five stages showcasing Nashville music artists of different genres, before culminating in a fireworks display and a 1,000-drone spectacle choreographed to a live performance by the Grammy-winning Nashville Symphony.
