Museum’s For All Celebrates America’s 250th!

Miami
Freedom Tower (General Museum)
Freedom Family Day at the Freedom Tower

Sunday, May 17, 2026

11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Freedom Tower

600 Biscayne Boulevard

Miami, FL 33132

Join the Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at the Freedom Tower for a free special event designed for all ages! This family day will include a storytime session with local author, Simone Russell, artmaking, and a botany lesson from Joy D. Klein, Environmental Resources Supervisor, Environmentally Endangered Lands Program. Specialized tours of the Freedom Tower will be designed to highlight the breadth of the American experience. From tours of the Kislak Center featuring contemporary art by Julie Buffalohead and Rose B. Simpson to an in-depth exploration of the Knight Skylight Gallery where a cross section of Miami stories are presented.

Attendees may park for free in MDC’s Parking Lot 1 located on the south side of the Freedom Tower.

Get tickets here: https://feverup.com/m/421689?thm=7097

Freedom Family Day at the Freedom Tower

Sunday, July 12, 2026

11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Freedom Tower

600 Biscayne Boulevard

Miami, FL 33132

Join the Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at the Freedom Tower for a free special event designed for all ages! This family-friendly special event will feature music, a scavenger hunt, and a drop-in art making station. Activities will be focused on notions of resiliency and hope as well as the role of soccer in the U.S. Specialized tours of the Freedom Tower with an emphasis on Unidad: The World’s Game will be designed to highlight impact of the sport locally, nationally, and internationally. Activities will celebrate and honor the influence of American soccer players as well as the dynamic success of the Inter Miami football club. The history of the Freedom Tower and its role in Miami will be celebrated.

Attendees may park for free in MDC’s Parking Lot 1 located on the south side of the Freedom Tower. Get tickets here: https://feverup.com/m/421689?thm=7097

Miami

Deering Estate (Historic House)
Exhibition “Family History is America’s Story: Tracing the Deering Family through Time”
June 1 – October 31, 2026
Free with Estate admission

The Genealogical Society of Greater Miami is collaborating with the Deering Estate as we celebrate America250 and highlight members of the Deering family who have played a role in the founding of our country. The exhibition “Family History is America’s Story: Tracing the Deering Family through Time” tells the country’s story, from before the Revolutionary War through today.  

MIAMI short FILM FESTIVAL Focus On: Celebrating our nation’s 250^th birthday
Sunday, July 12, 2026

The MIAMI short FILM FESTIVAL in partnership with Deering Estate, presents Focus On: Celebrating our nation’s 250th Birthdayon Sunday, July 12th at 7 p.m. Guests can enjoy an inspiring selection of short films that showcase the greatness of our nation. This event will take place indoors at the Deering Estate Theater.

America250 special offers:

• Blue Star Museums: Deering Estate joins museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2026 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16, 2026, and ends on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026.
• BOGO General Admission: June 1–30, 2026
• Reduced Admission Weekends: Memorial Day, 4th of July & Labor Day

Gulfport
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center (Children’s Museum)
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center – America 250 

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center will commemorate America’s 250th anniversary through two collaborative art initiatives celebrating Mississippi’s role in the American story. Children across the Mississippi Gulf Coast will create a community quilt guided by local quilters, debuting at a public celebration in August 2026 before joining a Smithsonian traveling exhibit.

A large-scale outdoor installation by local company Metal Smith’s Art, will feature weather-resistant metal silhouettes of children framing a community-created woven tapestry inspired by Gulf Coast culture. The installation will be completed by summer.

Monthly American and Mississippi folk art projects will be offered January–December 2026 in the LMDC Art Studio.

Annapolis

Anne Arundell Free School Museum (History Museum)
April 12, 2026 – Poetry Under the Tree

Chesapeake Children’s Museum (Children’s Museum)
Maryland Day (part of events all around the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area: https://marylandday.org/)
at CCM: $1 admission for all, Sat & Sun, 10 am – 4 pm
Sat. March 21- Native American Foodways, 12-1:30 pm
Sat. March 21- Dovie Thomason, Indigenous Storyteller, 1:30-2:30 pm
Sun. March 22 – African American Foodways, 2-4 pm

Monday, April 6 – Food Revolution (Part of Healthy Anne Arundel Day events) FREE EVENT – Healthy Ice Cream demo 12-2 pm. $1 admission to the museum applies for exploring the museum for M4A

The Following are part of our NEA Big Read project, featuring activities that incorporate poetry and nature (note, these are at other sites):
Sunday, April 12: Poetry Under the Tree at Anne Arrundell Free School Museum (300-year-old schoolhouse), 1-4 pm FREE EVENT, free poetry book to take home
Sat-Sun, April 19: Tree Birthday Party (200-year-old tree) at Historic Londontown & Gardens, 10 am – 4 pm Preregistration is appreciated: historiclondontown.org/events. 

Saturday, July 4: BIG THINGS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE DOWNTOWN ANNAPOLIS AREA – Free admission to the following and more:
10 AM Piscataway Nation Dancers at Maryland Hall
11 AM Many Cultures, One Country – multicultural folktales at CCM (plus free admission 10 am to 5 pm)
1 PM Many Cultures, Country continues at People’s Park on Calvert Street with multicultural folk dancing
3:15 PM “Oh, Freedom!” (also at People’s Park) a musical presented by children & teens about the ongoing quest from different perspectives (Indigenous through Latin-American immigrants)
3:45 PM speech by Frederick Douglass “What to the slave is the 4th of July?”
4-5 pm concert by Silopanna Band “Black Pride and Protest”

6 pm Parade on West Street

9:15 pm Fireworks

Historic Londontown & Gardens (Children’s Museum)
April 19, 2026 – Tree Birthday Party

Lincoln
University of Nebraska State Museum – Morrill Hall (Natural History Museum)
“Bison” – A traveling exhibit exploring the past, present, and future of this great North American mammal.

Binghamton
Discovery Center of the Southern Tier (Children’s Museum)
Kids Colonial Faire: June 13th from 10AM-2PM

The date is set for our 17th Annual Summer Carnival on Saturday, June 13! The Discovery Center and Story Garden will step back in time to June 1776 with colonial games, fun contests, entertainment, and plenty of surprises! See what it was like to live and play during the American Revolution. Grab a bite to eat at Ye Olde Cornerstone Café sponsored by WEIS Markets or have a colonial summer treat: vanilla ice cream! 
There will also be two special performances of Kit’s Interactive Theater presenting The Colonial Faire and the American Revolution. Her performances combine history, dance, music, imagination, and improvisation with a great mixture of humor. Kids and adults are cast right into the show.

• 11AM: At the Colonial Faire, servant Katie Cottswold needs a hand with her chores so all may skip off to the colonial faire. Games, frolics, and merriment abound just before the colorful Maypole dance.
• 1PM: The American Revolution depicts Abigail Datchery and the fiery Sam Adams as they recount the turbulent times that led to the War for Independence. The Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and an aristocratic dance are just some of the events depicted in this exciting and fun performance.

Come in colonial costume if you like and help us celebrate from 10AM-2PM!
All activities are free with admission. Concessions available for purchase.

Norwich
Chenango County Historical Society (History Museum)
Hometown Heroes Dedication – June 14 – this annual Flag Day ceremony includes American Revolutionary War veterans from Chenango County.

Path Through History Exhibit Opening – June 20 – the “Stitched In Time: The Creations of Beulah Hendrickson” display highlights folk art pieces with patriotic themes.

National Youth Takeover Day – June 27 – designed to help younger citizens connect with America250, this Civic Season celebration features local youth tour guides, along with a “A Slice of History,” the debut of the Chenango County “Wish Wall,” and creative expression with the “Tapestry of NY.”

Chenango250 Turtle Island Festival – July 5 – this community celebration features “America’s Potluck” and an outdoor performance spectacle that brings the Haudenosaunee Creation Story to life.

Freedom 250 Mobile Museum – July 11, 12 & 13 – the custom-built travelling exhibit offers interactive technology, multimedia storytelling, and hands-on experiences highlighting our nation’s founding and defining chapters, including the innovation that continues to shape our future.

Women’s Equality Day – August 26 – celebrates local Haudenosaunee culture and its impact on American women securing the right to vote 125 years ago.

Path Through History Exhibit Opening – October 10 – our “Chenango County in Fifty Stories” exhibit offers a glimpse into how regional heritage extends beyond county borders, featuring narratives related to the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.

Holiday Open House – December 6 – this seasonal celebration includes the annual “Parade of Trees” community exhibition unveiling, with decorative interpretations by community organizations themed around Chenango250.

Winston-Salem
Old Salem Museums & Gardens (Historic House)
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary the way it’s been celebrated since 1783! Join us this Fourth of July for a full day of hands-on activities, historic demonstrations, and family-friendly fun. Explore the craftsmanship and artistry of the Revolutionary War era with MESDA curators, stroll through the Gardens to discover the crops and foodways that sustained the American Revolution, and enjoy a special concert series highlighting the remarkable 250-year influence of Moravian music on the American sound. Best of all, concert admission is included with your regular daily admission ticket. Visit oldsalem.org for more information.

Portland
Hellenic-American Cultural Center & Museum (Specialized Museum)
Grant funds will support HACCM staff and volunteers traveling to four locations around Oregon to document, collect, and archive stories of the Greek American experience through oral history interviews, meetings, and community gatherings. These stories will serve as source material for future special exhibitions and other public programs. (Funding from Oregon 250 Commission)

Lewisburg
Voices of Innovation
Thursday, July 9, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lewisburg Children’s Museum
Included with museum admission

As part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration, Voices of Innovation is a living history event that brings some of the nation’s most influential innovators to life. Children and families will have the opportunity to meet historical figures representing inventors, scientists, engineers, and innovators from throughout America’s history, ask questions, hear their stories, and learn how their discoveries and ideas shaped our nation.This interactive experience encourages children to explore the connections between innovation, perseverance, creativity, and the progress of our country while making history engaging and accessible through personal interactions with living historians.

New Castle
Arts & Education at the Hoyt (Art Museum)
Celebrate America’s 250th at the Hoyt: Art, History, Innovation, and Light Unite in New Castle
As Americans gather this Independence Day to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, Arts & Education at the Hoyt invites the community to experience the many ways it is bringing the story of America to life through America250PA. From public art and local history to interactive exhibitions and a nationwide lighting celebration, the Hoyt is proud to showcase projects that honor both the country’s past and Lawrence County’s unique place in the American story.

The celebration culminates on Saturday July 4, when the Hoyt joins communities across Pennsylvania and the nation in Light to Unite, a national initiative of the National Flag Foundation encouraging landmarks and public buildings to illuminate in red, white, and blue as a powerful symbol of unity during America’s Semiquincentennial celebration.

“America’s story is told not only through famous events and national landmarks, but through the people, industries, and communities that helped build our nation,” said Kimberly Koller-Jones, Executive Director of Hoyt Center for the Arts. “This Fourth of July, we’re proud to celebrate Lawrence County’s contributions to that story while inviting everyone to experience history through art.”

Bells Across PA: The Presidential Pottery Bell

Visitors to the Hoyt can view The Presidential Pottery Bell, installed on the south side of the building as part of the America250PA Bells Across PA project. Created by artists Kimberly Koller-Jones and Paige Hemke Kleinfelder, the bell celebrates one of Lawrence County’s most distinguished manufacturing legacies.

Its design draws inspiration from the elegant presidential dinner service produced by Shenango China for President Lyndon B. Johnson during the 1960s. The artwork honors the craftsmanship that made Shenango China internationally renowned while celebrating the workers whose artistry helped place New Castle on tables from the White House to fine restaurants around the world.

There is, of course, also a nod to New Castle’s fireworks history with a burst of colors behind the national emblem at the bell’s center. 

Honoring 175 Years of Lawrence County

Another America250-related project recently completed by the Hoyt is the refreshed Lawrence County 175th Anniversary Mural at the Lawrence County Courthouse.

The mural features the USS Lawrence, the War of 1812 naval vessel for which the county was named. Stars representing each of Lawrence County’s municipalities surround the ship, with the largest star recognizing New Castle as the county seat. The vibrant mural celebrates the county’s history while serving as a lasting public landmark for residents and visitors alike.

Discover the Innovations That Shaped Modern America

Continuing through September 30, visitors can also experience the Hoyt’s interactive exhibition, American Innovations Tour: Making of the Modern Home.

Available as either a guided or self-guided tour, the exhibition explores the inventions and technologies that transformed everyday life during the twentieth century. From household conveniences like curling irons and toilet paper to manufacturing breakthroughs with electricity and plumbing, the experience highlights innovations that helped define the American way of life while showcasing Western Pennsylvania’s important role in that history.

Lighting the Way Together

While the museum will be closed during the day on July 4th, the Hoyt will proudly participate in Light to Unite that evening, joining buildings and landmarks across the United States in a coordinated display of red, white, and blue. Pennsylvania, America’s Keystone State, will lead the nationwide effort as communities celebrate 250 years of American independence with a shared expression of patriotism, remembrance, and hope.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate the Hoyt’s commitment to preserving history, celebrating creativity, and connecting local stories to the larger American experience. Whether visitors come to admire public art, explore interactive exhibits, or simply enjoy the Fourth of July spirit, the Hoyt offers meaningful opportunities to commemorate this historic milestone.

For more information about America250PA programming and exhibitions at Arts & Education at the Hoyt, visit www.hoytartcenter.org or call 724-652-2882.

Philadelphia
Kidz Play 4 Dayz (Children’s Museum)
“Little Patriots Play: 250 Years of Dreams”

📅 July 4, 2026

⏰ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

📍 3062 Richmond Street, Philadelphia, PA

This high-energy, imagination-powered celebration invites children to explore America’s past, present, and future through hands-on creativity and movement.

Highlights include:

• Patriotic Maker Lab – Children will design their own red, white, and blue invention crafts, blending art with imagination as they create “future dream” projects inspired by 250 years of American innovation.

• Freedom to Move Fitness Fun – A kid-powered movement experience led by our characters Ray the Lion, Andi the Panda, and Maurice the Turtle, encouraging teamwork, courage, and confidence.

• Imagination Village: America 2076 – A special role-play activation where children imagine what America could look like 50 years from now — as inventors, community leaders, builders, and dreamers.

As an interactive children’s play museum focused on innovation, creativity, and imaginative learning, Kidz Play 4 Dayz celebrates not only where America has been — but where the next generation will take it.

We are proud to honor America 250 by empowering children to dream boldly and play purposefully.

Chattanooga
Tennessee Aquarium (Aquarium)
On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In honor of the Semiquincentennial, The Tennessee Aquarium will join the Chattanooga-Hamilton County’s America 250 Celebration by lighting our peaks Red, White, and Blue during the month of July. You’ll see other Chattanooga area landmarks doing the same. 

You’ll also note new signs placed throughout the Aquarium Plaza celebrating 10 rivers that have played important roles in Tennessee’s history and environmental wellbeing. These rivers were selected by our conservation scientists as another way to connect our guests, and visitors passing by the Aquarium, to the freshwater habitats that support an incredible amount of biodiversity. Each sign has a QR code leading people to learn more about “10 Iconic American Rivers” that are also important for their historic and ecological significance. This story is also available in the Riverwatch section of the Aquarium’s website: https://tnaqua.org/currents/the-flow-of-history/ 

Freeport
Freeport Historical Museum (History Museum)
For America 250, the Freeport Historical Museum will be displaying a poster exhibition from Texas 250, and hosting a collaborative daytime fireworks show and America 250 festival!

Tacoma
Washington State History Museum (History Museum)
3/21/26 – 11/15/26 Exhibit: “An American Experiment (Washington’s Version)”

President Lincoln’s Cottage (History Museum)
July 4, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial, of our nation. This milestone gives us an opportunity to make great strides toward repairing longstanding divides in our nation, but it also opens us up to deepening them. Together we can rediscover our common humanity and the multitude of human experiences bound up in this democratic experiment.

At President Lincoln’s Cottage, we believe in an America that reflects our common humanity, cultivates belonging, and honors the complexity in our nation’s history. We are committed to telling more complete stories that capture the full breadth of the American experience and leading our peers and community in doing the same. Through our human-centered programming, thoughtful resources, and convocations for our fellow history practitioners, we’re building a 250th commemoration that meets audiences where they are and makes room for both grief and joy at once.

Join us to cultivate and lift up the brave ideas of all who are taking on Lincoln’s “unfinished work” in pursuit of a more perfect union.

Learn more about A Vision for America at 250 here: https://www.lincolncottage.org/programs-events/a-vision-for-america-at-250/

Select Upcoming Programming:

Crafting Connection (Ongoing) – https://www.lincolncottage.org/event/crafting-connection/

Lincoln Ideas Forum: A Vision for America at 250 (April 10) – https://www.lincolncottage.org/event/lincoln-ideas-forum/
America at 250 Independence Day Storytelling Event (July 2)
Homecoming Family Day – Brave Ideas for 250 & Beyond (September 19)

Prison Reimagined: America at 250 Exhibit (December)

De Pere
Mulva Cultural Center

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, the Mulva Cultural Center is presenting American Revolution, the Augmented Experiences—an immersive, interactive installation that brings the nation’s founding moments to life.

Designed and produced by Histovery in collaboration with the Museum of the American Revolution, this experience uses augmented reality technology through HistoPad® touchscreen tablets. Installed in our atrium, it allows visitors to step directly into history and explore sixteen pivotal scenes from the American Revolution.

Guests will encounter key moments such as life in Colonial Virginia, the rising tensions in Boston, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Declaration of Independence, Valley Forge, the alliance with France, Yorktown, and the creation of a new nation. Each scene offers an engaging, accessible way to experience the events that shaped the United States.

The experience is presented in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and reflects our commitment to offering innovative, educational programming that connects audiences to history through contemporary, interactive methods.

Featured Experiences by Month

• May: Early unrest through Lexington & Concord (1765–1775)
• June: Declaration of Independence, early war milestones (1776–1777)
• July: Turning points including Valley Forge and French alliance (1778–1783)
• August: Final victories and the creation of a nation (1780–1789)

In addition, the Mulva Cultural Center is excited to present Cowboys: History & Hollywood, a major exhibition developed in collaboration with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.

Running June 13–September 7, 2026, this 10,000-square-foot exhibition explores the enduring legacy of the American cowboy—bridging historical reality and Hollywood mythology.

Featuring historic saddles, hats, firearms, photographs, and film memorabilia, the exhibition traces the evolution of the cowboy from working ranch hand to cultural icon. It also examines how Western films and public figures, including President Ronald Reagan, helped shape the cowboy as a symbol of independence, resilience, and American identity.

Together, these exhibitions reflect the Mulva Cultural Center’s commitment to engaging storytelling, historical exploration, and meaningful cultural experiences for our community and visitors

Fond Du Lac
Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac