America is on the cusp of its 250th birthday next year, and party planning is well underway for celebrations on the National Mall in D.C
America is on the cusp of its 250th birthday, and party planning is well underway. If you already have a lot on your calendar next year, don’t worry, there are plenty of chances to celebrate on the National Mall in D.C.
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America turns 250 next year. The party will last all year long
“We will, by far, have the best celebration of the 250th in America,” said Elliott Ferguson, who leads Destination D.C. “And we’re excited about that.”
Naturally, the July Fourth celebration will include a fireworks show as big as D.C. has ever seen. But events and exhibitions will be prominent up and down the National Mall in the weeks and months before and afterward.
The National Archives will be adding the Emancipation Proclamation and the 19th Amendment to what are known as the “Charters of Freedom,” where documents such as the Declaration of Independence are already on display. Changes like that haven’t happened in decades.
“Both of these documents are milestone documents that mark the beginning of the fulfillment of the principles contained in the Declaration of Independence,” said Colleen Shogan, the archivist of the United States. “With our existing charters that are already here, they help to tell a more complete history of the United States of America.”
The National Archives will also be hosting other events and exhibitions throughout the year on top of that, with programing aimed at people of all ages throughout 2026.
Five blocks to the west, the Smithsonian Museum of American History will be the centerpiece of a wide array of celebrations across the museum system, including a new exhibit titled, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness.”
“This new exhibition will feature 250 objects vital to American history, including the desk that Thomas Jefferson used to draft the Declaration of Independence,” said Lisa Sasaki, the deputy undersecretary of special projects.
In addition, the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum and the Museum of African American History will be celebrating anniversary milestones in 2026.
“We want to invite all of you to join us that summer on the National Mall for a monthlong event entitled ‘Of the People,’ the Smithsonian’s festival of festivals,” Sasaki said. “We’ll be collaborating with communities from around the United States and its territories to celebrate the 250 through festivals, gatherings large and small that bring us together to remember, to harmonize and to grow with one another.”
Every year, about 36 million people visit the National Mall, a number that figures to be eclipsed by the supersized events on the schedule now and to be added in the future. Years of work to makeover certain sections of the mall have been underway.
“A few of the iconic memorials will have new additions in time for 2026,” said Catherine Townsend with the Trust for the National Mall. “The Jefferson Memorial’s new undercroft educational exhibits will open later this year, and the Lincoln Memorial undercroft will open in summer of 2026 with an immersive new museum and tour.”
Her nonprofit is also still working to help revitalize Constitution Gardens and the memorial for the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. There’s also a continuing effort to improve the Sylvan Theater near the Washington Monument.
The Kennedy Center said free programming featuring artists from all 50 states will be performing on the Millennium Stage in 2026. In addition, a piece of art that will have been built a little bit at a time in all 50 states and 7 territories will also be on display between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
In the two weeks surrounding the Fourth of July, the Kennedy Center will also hold its biggest festival of 2026.
“There isn’t another venue, I don’t believe, in the world that really thinks about programming the way we do,” said Deborah Rutter, the president of the Kennedy Center who is poised to step down at the end of the year. “Because we take seriously this responsibility about being your National Cultural Center, we want you to be able to see yourself and find your interests there.”
She all but confirmed that Hamilton will be back on stage in 2026.
Locally, D.C. is launching its “51 Steps to Freedom,” an interactive tour that aims to look at D.C. history.
Ferguson said he hopes the events of 2026 will also mean a huge boost in international tourism, which has long been a goal of the city’s tourism industry, since those visitors tend to stay longer and spend more money. He believes America’s 250th Birthday, and a year’s worth of festivities, exhibits and events, is an opportunity to capitalize on that.
“It opens up new opportunities for those that may have come before and say ‘I’ve been to Washington’ to say, ‘Well, I haven’t been in a while,’” Ferguson said.
“I feel that because of the historic nature of this opportunity, we’re going to see a record number of people coming to Washington, D.C.,” he said.
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