Philadelphia hosted the 1876 Centennial Exposition during the United States’ 100th anniversary year.
Officially called the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine, the exposition ran in Philadelphia from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It celebrated the centennial of the Declaration of Independence.
The fair took place in Fairmount Park and featured displays from the United States and many other countries. Exhibits included industrial machinery, agricultural products, consumer goods, and new technologies.
Philadelphia was a natural location because the Declaration of Independence had been adopted there in 1776. The city’s Revolutionary-era associations also connect the 1876 centennial with the 2026 America250 commemoration.