The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, a site linked to America250.
The building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House. During the revolutionary period, it became the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress, which debated and adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Independence Hall also hosted the Constitutional Convention in 1787. That connection makes the building important for both the Declaration and the U.S. Constitution. The building’s earlier name, the Pennsylvania State House, is sometimes overlooked in favor of its better-known modern name.
Independence Hall stands in Independence National Historical Park, alongside landmarks such as the Liberty Bell. Philadelphia’s role as the meeting place for the Continental Congress is why it remains a central location for national anniversary observances.