Where to Ring in the 250th Birthday of the USA
On July 4, 2026, the Declaration of Independence turns 250. The celebration has already started in Philadelphia, DC, and Boston—and you’re invited
July 2, 1776. War had been raging in the Colonies for more than a year, and the people were at their breaking point with an overreaching king an ocean away. Gathered in a small room of the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia—now known as Independence Hall—delegates of the Second Continental Congress had been hashing out a different way of governing, a bold new experiment, a new way of life, when they unanimously voted to declare independence from British rule.
Two days later, July 4, the delegates ratified the document uniting the Thirteen Colonies and giving rise to a new nation with unprecedented ideals: the Declaration of Independence. Penned by Thomas Jefferson, the declaration is, as Abraham Lincoln later said, “a rebuke and a stumbling-block to tyranny and oppression,” encapsulated by this powerful passage:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
While Independence Day is cause for celebration and a reason to pause for reflection every year, July 4, 2026, will be an extraordinary occasion as our nation marks its
250th birthday with special exhibitions, reenactments, ceremonies, parades, concerts, fireworks and more. But there’s no need to wait for next Fourth of July to get in the celebratory mood as the party is starting early in a slew of places throughout the country. Here are some of our favorite spots in our founders’ stomping grounds to take in the history and ring in the sesquicentennial of the Red, White and Blue.
Philadelphia:
The Birthplace of America
Philadelphia is pulling out all the stops for the 2-5-0. The city will kick off 2026 with 52 Weeks of Firsts, a yearlong showcase of Philly’s role in American innovation (think the first American flag, first zoo, first ice cream soda and so on), complete with speaker series, scavenger hunts and more. And everyone has a special invite to Independence Mall, a three-block area of Independence National Historical Park dubbed America’s Most Historic Square Mile, to delve into the retelling of America’s battle for independence through a bevy of semiquincentennial programming and events at some of its most popular attractions: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Center and the National Constitution Center.
A cobblestone’s throw away, the Museum of the American Revolution will take its well-deserved place in the spotlight with lectures, special exhibits, and new collections on display this year and next. Among the major showings, October 18, 2025, to January 3, 2027, “The Declaration’s Journey” will feature rare documents, artifacts and artworks exploring the complicated 250-year history of the Declaration of Independence.
Also this October, the US Navy and Marine Corps—both born in Philadelphia—will mark their 250th birthdays in a special Homecoming250 celebration that includes parades, ship processions, flyovers, games, galas, ceremonies and exhibitions throughout the historic district to honor the Navy (October 9 to 16) and the Marine Corps (November 10).
The annual Welcome America festival returns in 2026 to throw the best birthday bash ever, with events happening all over the city from June 19 to July 8, culminating on
July 4 with a concert featuring top musical acts and blockbuster fireworks on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Next summer also marks the arrival of a coterie of global soccer superstars and a temporary name change (to Philadelphia Stadium) when the FIFA World Cup brings the beautiful game to Lincoln Financial Field from June 14 to July 4, with a Round of 16 showdown on our country’s birthday.
Nearby Valley Forge National Historical Park will observe the country’s 250th birthday and its own 50th anniversary as a national historical park. It was here that General George Washington and the Continental Army encamped during the brutal winter of 1777–1778 and developed into a unified, formidable force in the fight for freedom. A 10-mile Encampment Tour route dives into that history, with stops at Washington’s headquarters, historic homes and stables, guard huts, earthwork fortifications, memorials and monuments.
Farther afield in Bucks County, Washington Crossing Historic Park puts on a spectacular reenactment of Washington and his army’s heroic 1776 Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River to New Jersey, just north of Trenton, which is considered the event that saved the American Revolution. Witness the crossings from the Pennsylvania side or in Washington Crossing State Park on the Jersey side—complete with hundreds of reenactors and replica Durham boats—this year on December 14
and 25, Christmas Day.
For more details and events, check out VisitPhilly.com/2026-Philadelphia, NPS.gov/vafo or WashingtonCrossingPark.org/cross-with-us.
Washington, DC:
The Nation’s Capital
Washington, DC, will be party central for a birthday blowout that goes beyond its annual Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza with festivals, block parties, parades, museum exhibitions and more.
Among the headliners, the National Mall will host a Smithsonian Festival, June 18 to July 12, 2026, celebrating our country’s cultural heritage. The Smithsonian will stage special exhibitions throughout many of its museums, too. The National Museum of American History’s yearlong “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness,” opening March 12, delves into the Declaration of Independence’s ideals and displays some 250 historical objects—among them, the portable desk on which Jefferson composed the Declaration of Independence. The National Air and Space Museum will observe America’s 250th along with its 50th anniversary in 2026, including an anticipated unveiling of its eight-year renovation on July 1, 2026. And next year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 20 to April 12, will add to the fanfare with “Spirit of America” thematic elements.
All eyes will be on the National Archives Museum, too, as it welcomes visitors to its Rotunda Galleries to see the actual Declaration of Independence, part of the Founding Documents on display. The museum will also host a Spirit of Independence Festival,
June 5 to 7, with musical performances, children’s activities and more.
Just off the mall, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum will present “Revolution in Their Words: Penning Independence” March 27 to December 31, 2026. The exhibit will explore the thoughts of ordinary people impacted by the conflict’s upheaval of daily life through letters, diaries, poetry, newspaper articles, speeches and quotes.
All of this builds to the crescendo of an epic celebration on the Fourth of July. The July 4th Spectacular on Pennsylvania Avenue, a two-day party on July 3 and 4, will feature light projections creating immersive “live” art displays, hands-on cultural projects, children’s activities, games and more. On July 4, the National Mall will deliver a dramatic reenactment and reading of the Declaration of Independence as well as musical performances, a grand parade and, of course, an over-the-top fireworks display
for the show of all shows.
Explore the happenings at DC250.us, Washington.org or SI.edu/visit.
Boston:
The Birthplace of the American Revolution
From battlefields to Boston, Massachusetts is going all in for the milestone birthday. Here, after all, was ground zero for “the shot heard ’round the world.”
It was April 19, 1775. A British Redcoat column had marched on Lexington and Concord to seize the Patriots’ cache of weapons. Colonial militiamen countered with a surprise attack, pushing the British back to Boston and sparking the start of the American Revolution.
Now through July 4, 2026, Concord’s Minute Man National Historical Park—about a half-hour drive from Boston—is paying homage to that history with special Road to Revolution programming, including commemorative events and reenactments on Patriots’ Day (April 19, which is also a state holiday) and throughout April. Another highlight within the park, a five-mile walking trail or driving route explores the site where Paul Revere was captured.
For the mother lode of Revolutionary history and festivities throughout 2026, head to Boston’s Freedom Trail. This 2.5-mile brick-paved path is lined with 16 significant historic sites, including Boston Common, the Boston Massacre marker, the Paul Revere House, and the Bunker Hill Museum and monument, as well as the USS Constitution ship and museum, churches, burial grounds and meeting houses. The American Battlefield Trust offers one-day Revolutionary War itineraries for a stroll through history, including a stop at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, where you can board replica tea ships, browse artifacts and even toss tea into the Boston Harbor.
Boston will not only be observing St. Patrick’s Day on March 17; it will also be celebrating Evacuation Day outside Fort Independence on Castle Island. The event marks the exodus of the British Army, ending its 11-month siege of the city. Expect a grand parade, a flyover and 21-gun salute, roving reenactors and more.
The pinnacle patriotic event every year and especially in next year’s anniversary year is Boston Harborfest, recognized as one of the biggest and best Fourth of July festivals in the US. Held at various downtown locations and along the Harborfront, the three-day festival features live-history performances, musical acts, children’s activities, an artisan market and a Chowderfest competition. It all culminates with jaw-dropping Fourth of July fireworks along the Inner Harbor.
Find out more at Revolution250.org, NPS.gov/mima or Boston.gov/Boston-250.
The party planning is underway in every state across the country, and you’re on the guest list. Wherever you go and however you celebrate, this party for the people promises to be one for the history books.
For more details, updates and events throughout the US, visit America250.org. And be sure to make your lodging reservations early, especially for July 4, which falls on
a most celebratory Saturday in 2026.