A time capsule for the America250 commemoration is planned for burial in Philadelphia in 2026 and opening in 2276.
The proposed capsule is designed to connect the 250th anniversary of American independence with the future 500th anniversary. Its planned burial date is July 4, 2026, while the scheduled opening date is July 4, 2276. Philadelphia was selected because it was the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress and the city where the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
Philadelphia has hosted major American anniversary observances before. The 1876 Centennial Exposition marked the 100th anniversary, the 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition marked 150 years, and the 1976 Bicentennial brought nationwide celebrations for 200 years.
The time capsule is not the same as the original Declaration of Independence. The engrossed Declaration is preserved at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., while the Philadelphia capsule is intended as a future-facing commemorative project connected with America250.