According to the America250 time-capsule plan, the capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2276.
The capsule is tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence and is intended to connect the present generation with people living 250 years in the future. If it is opened as planned, 2276 will be the United States' 500th anniversary year, exactly two and a half centuries after the 2026 semiquincentennial.
A time capsule is different from a commemorative archive that can be accessed immediately. Its purpose is delayed discovery: objects and messages from the anniversary era are preserved for people who will inherit a very different country and world. The long interval also makes careful materials, sealing, documentation, and custody especially important.
The year 2276 is easy to confuse with 2076, the expected tricentennial year. The two dates represent different milestones: 2076 is 300 years after 1776, while 2276 is 500 years after it.