The American Freedom Train traveled through all 48 contiguous U.S. states during its 1975–1976 Bicentennial tour. It carried a mobile exhibition of American history and culture to communities across the mainland United States.
The tour began in Wilmington, Delaware, on April 1, 1975, and continued for 21 months. The train followed a long, changing route through the Northeast, Midwest, West, South, and Atlantic coastal states before finishing its public schedule in Florida. It stopped in 138 cities according to historical accounts of the tour.
The phrase “48 contiguous states” matters because Alaska and Hawaii were not connected to the mainland rail network. Both were already U.S. states by the time of the Bicentennial, having joined the Union in 1959, but the train’s railroad itinerary could reach only the contiguous states.
The train used 26 cars and more than one restored steam locomotive. Its scale allowed millions of visitors to see artifacts without traveling to a single national museum, making it an especially accessible Bicentennial project.