Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition was held in 1876, one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence.
Officially called the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine, the event celebrated the centennial of American independence. It ran in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park and showcased industrial products, technology, art, and architecture from the United States and other countries.
The exposition is an important predecessor to the 2026 commemoration because it used a major international exhibition to mark an American anniversary. Its best-known structures included Memorial Hall and the Ohio House, and the event introduced visitors to technologies such as the telephone and typewriter.
The Centennial Exposition is sometimes confused with the commission created to organize it. Congress established the United States Centennial Commission in 1872, but the exposition itself took place four years later, in 1876.