Philadelphia Gears Up for America’s 250th Birthday Celebration in 2026

The City of Brotherly Love is preparing to celebrate the semiquincentennial (250th birthday) of the United States of America in 2026. From special programs and tours to exhibitions, Philadelphia is inviting the public to celebrate and explore our nation's history.

Some of the most historically significant objects related to the nation's founding reside in Philadelphia. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania granted CBS News Philadelphia a rare look at some of its most precious treasures, including a version of the Declaration of Independence as it existed "probably a day or two before it's finalized," according to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Librarian and CEO David Brigham. One outstanding feature of the document is the printing, which features notations from Thomas Jefferson that included quotation marks around the phrase "all men are created equal." Brigham noted this quoted phrase meant Jefferson intended to "lean into those words" as he read the document aloud.

Additional items from the historical society's collection that it will exhibit in 2026 include handwritten letters from George Washington during the American Revolution and the first draft of the U.S. Constitution.

Visit Philadelphia, the city's official destination marketing organization, has already begun assembling event information and visitation resources. Several special events coming in 2026 include the Red, White, & Blue To-Do, Mural Arts Philadelphia's Printmaking for the People, and ArtPhilly's What Now. These events will encourage residents and visitors to Philadelphia to celebrate and reflect on our nation's past, present, and future.

Brigham hopes that the 250th anniversary year will encourage people to engage with our nation's collective history. "Understanding the past, analyzing the past, helps us think about where we're going and how we're going to get there," he said.