America250’s time capsule is scheduled to open in 2276.
The capsule was planned for burial in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, during the United States Semiquincentennial. Its scheduled opening date is July 4, 2276, exactly 250 years after its burial and the 500th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The project creates a long-term link between two national anniversaries. The 2026 commemoration looks back 250 years to the Declaration, while the future opening is intended to give people in 2276 a preserved record of the country at its 500-year milestone. Materials connected with the states, territories, the District of Columbia, and America250 were included in the planning.
The year 2276 can be confused with 2076, which will mark the 300th anniversary of independence and the bicentennial time capsule’s planned opening. America250’s capsule is tied specifically to the 500th anniversary, making 2276 the correct year.