Philadelphia hosted the 1876 Centennial Exposition, the first major United States anniversary fair before America250.
The exposition marked the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and was held in Philadelphia, where the Declaration had been debated and adopted. It opened on May 10, 1876, in Fairmount Park and continued through November 10.
The fair displayed industrial machinery, manufactured goods, art, agricultural products, and inventions from the United States and other countries. Major attractions included the Main Exhibition Building, Machinery Hall, and the Centennial Monument. The event presented the United States as an industrial and technological power after its first century.
Philadelphia also hosted a major sesquicentennial exposition in 1926. The city's founding-era sites and anniversary history made it a central location for national commemorations long before the 250th anniversary. The 1876 exposition was international in participation, but its central theme was the American centennial.