America250’s America’s Time Capsule is intended for America’s 500th anniversary in 2276.
The capsule is designed to preserve a snapshot of the United States during the 2026 semiquincentennial. Its contents include material from the federal government, all 50 states, Washington, D.C., five U.S. territories, America250 programs, and selected national partners and institutions.
The target year, 2276, is exactly 250 years after 2026 and 500 years after the 1776 Declaration of Independence. That makes the capsule a bridge between the country’s 250th and 500th anniversaries. It is a much longer horizon than the 50-year interval used between the 1976 Bicentennial and the 2026 Semiquincentennial.
The capsule’s purpose is not merely to store souvenirs. It is meant to preserve evidence of people, ideas, innovations, and public life so that future Americans can study how the nation understood itself at the 250-year point.