There’s only one DC … and only one place to celebrate the biggest U.S. birthday yet.
In 2026, as America marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the milestone will be celebrated on stages across America. But nowhere will the celebration be more spectacular than in the nation’s capital. In 2026, Washington, DC, the international symbol of American independence that boasts its own rich history and local culture, will serve as centerstage for America’s grand national celebration.
Read below and begin saving dates as you peruse what the city’s cultural institutions, museums, attractions, restaurants and hotels have planned. Bookmark this page as more will be added to this list in the lead-up to 2026.
America’s Presidents
National Portrait Gallery
Ongoing
The permanent gallery featuring the only complete collection of presidential portraits on view outside of the White House will include a newly installed portrait of President Joe Biden by 2026.
Fighting for Freedom: Black Craftspeople and the Pursuit of Independence
DAR Museum
Through Jan. 2026
Visitors can explore the creations, contributions and legacies of African Americans who fought for freedom during the American Revolution and beyond.
Road to Revolution
National Archives
Through Aug. 6, 2026
The rotating exhibition series showcases original documents in the Rotunda Gallery, telling stories from 1775 through the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Collectively, it reveals that the journey from colonial resistance to American independence is not composed of a single narrative but many intersecting (and diverging) paths.
State Fairs: Growing American Craft
Renwick Gallery
Through Sept. 7, 2026
The first exhibition dedicated to artists’ contributions to the great U.S. tradition of state fairs, with more than 240 artworks on view from the mid-19th century to the present.
National Gallery of Art
Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection
The Phillips Collection
Nov. 8 – Feb. 15, 2026
The Phillips Collection presents artists from its permanent collection to build a story about how people, cultures, landscapes and histories of the U.S. have been imagined. The exhibition includes artworks from the historic collections of African American art at Howard University Gallery of Art and the University of Maryland.
Special Exhibitions and Installations
National Gallery of Art
Throughout 2026
The National Gallery of Art will commemorate 250 years of America with a wide-ranging program encompassing special installations and exhibitions that grapple with ideas at the heart of American stories vividly told through art. Details to be announced soon.
51 Steps to Freedom Trail
Citywide
Throughout 2026, with the majority of interest points expected to launch in July
An opportunity to engage with the nation's ongoing journey toward freedom and equality. Through cutting-edge Augmented Reality (AR), you’ll explore DC's hidden histories, from pivotal events to legendary figures. The trail offers a fresh look at the history that shaped the nation. From Frederick Douglass to Duke Ellington and Mrs. Rosa Parks, use “point your phone” technology to bring these figures and many others to life.
Language & Liberty: Words that Shaped America
Planet Word
Throughout 2026
Join Planet Word for a year-long journey through the powerful and evolving language of American liberty. From “Give me liberty or give me death” to “Yankee Doodle;” from “Ask not what your country can do for you” to “Black Lives Matter,” words have given voice to the spirit, priorities and struggles of Americans in every generation since the nation’s founding. Through a compelling series of monthly programs, explore how slogans, speeches, lyrics and more have shaped and reflected the American story.
Coming Together
National Building Museum
Ongoing
Enjoy programs, activations and an exhibition all about the past, present and future of American cities. See how places all over the U.S. have reimagined and reshaped their downtown districts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spying Launched a Nation
International Spy Museum
Ongoing
This newly renovated exhibit contains a letter from 1777 written by George Washington authorizing America’s first official effort at espionage. The resulting intelligence work was instrumental in winning the Revolutionary War against British forces. The fully immersive experience is narrated by Chris Jackson, best known for his role as George Washington in the original cast of Hamilton.
Our Nation on the Millennium Stage
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Throughout 2026
The series of free performances will lift American voices by featuring artists, companies, independent filmmakers and writers from all 50 states, DC and the U.S. territories.
Presidents’ Day
Citywide
Feb. 16, 2026
The nation's capital presents unique ways to engage with the history and legacy of U.S. leaders. The National Mall and Memorial Parks also plan expanded programming for George Washington’s birthday.
American Apparitions: A Psychogeographies Project
Rorschach Theatre
March – Aug. 2026
Explore the physical and psychological landscape that defines a nation in the Rorscach Theatre’s immersive, self-guided experience. Each month, participants will receive a map and instructions to travel to a curated location in the DC area. They’ll also receive a box of artifacts to engage all five senses while exploring each site with story elements such as letters, music, souvenirs or photos. Each monthly box reveals a new location and a new chapter in the ongoing story.
19th Amendment & Emancipation Proclamation
National Archives
March 2026
New encasements will be added to the Rotunda of the National Archives Building to permanently house the 19th Amendment (which removed restrictions for women to vote) and the Emancipation Proclamation alongside the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness
National Museum of American History
Opens March 2026
A bold exhibition explores the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. Across three floors and 300,000 square feet, visitors can encounter 250 significant objects, including the portable desk used by Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence. Another noteworthy artifact is the only surviving ship of the early U.S. Navy, the gunboat Philadelphia. This National Historic Landmark helped stall British forces and now undergoes an on-site conservation to preserve it for future generations.
Revolution in Their Words: How the Cause Became the Revolution
DAR Museum
March 2026 – Jan. 2027
The DAR Museum exhibit illustrates the inexorable movement from outrage to war. Documentary sources and artifacts will provide the context of the cause and how it irrevocably led to the War for Independence.
Dear America: Artists Explore the American Experience
National Gallery of Art
March 14 – Sept. 20, 2026
The Gallery's new exhibit will comprise 115 works on paper that reflect the nature of the American experience. Centered around the themes of lands, people, community and freedoms, the exhibition will examine how artists have interpreted these concepts across the last 200 years.
National Cherry Blossom Festival
Citywide
March 20 – April 12, 2026
The spirit of America blooms right along with the cherry blossoms in 2026, as DC welcomes visitors from around the world to commemorate U.S. history while surrounded by the beauty of spring’s most iconic flowers. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is the greatest springtime celebration and promises attendees plenty of art, culture and can’t-miss events – with natural incorporation of the 250th celebration.
Special Installation: Celebrating American Art
National Gallery of Art
Opens March 20, 2026
The museum will spotlight its historical American galleries. The overall installation celebrates the nation’s cultural and historical contexts and will be accompanied by interactive digital tools, activities and programming to engage audiences of all generations.
Photographic Memory: Fifty Years of Photography
National Portrait Gallery
May 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the founding of its photographs collection, the National Portrait Gallery presents more than 100 seminal works. Among the gems: the earliest known photograph of a U.S. First Lady and Alexander Gardner’s original “cracked-plate” portrait of Abraham Lincoln.
Memorial Day Festivities
Citywide
May 23-25, 2026
Salute active-duty military and veterans at the Rolling to Remember honor ride and patriotic concert (May 24) as well as America’s largest Memorial Day parade (May 25). The National Mall and Memorial Parks also plan expanded programming.
National Scrollathon
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
May 26 – Sept. 7, 2026
The Kennedy Center selected artists Steven and William Ladd to create this stunning visual art installation. The National Scrollathon will be a collaborative art-making effort with more than 250,000 participants from all 50 U.S. states and territories and all social, ethnic and economic backgrounds to reveal the American story in all its beautiful complexity. When complete, more than 50 large-scale textile artworks will be displayed across the Kennedy Center campus, along with photographic portraits of the thousands that helped create them.
American Icon: The U.S. Flag in Art
National Gallery of Art
June 6 – Dec. 6, 2026
Spotlights more than 30 works from the late 1800s to today that illustrate changing uses and interpretations of the American flag.
UFC White House
June 14, 2026
The world-renowned mixed martial arts event takes place on the South Lawn of the White House in DC.
Anticipated Opening: National Geographic Museum of Exploration
Summer 2026
The groundbreaking attraction invites visitors to embark on thrilling expeditions, letting guests in on the excitement of exploration and discovery. Cutting-edge tech and interactive elements will reveal the wildlife, landscapes, communities and cultures that make up our incredible planet.
National Gallery Block Party
National Gallery of Art
Weekend of June 6, 2026
The National Gallery’s largest-ever public program, the entire campus will come alive with artmaking, food, music, film screenings and more.
Anticipated Re-Opening: Galleries at the National Air and Space Museum
July 2026
Following an extensive renovation, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum anticipates most of its galleries and public spaces will be open in time for the museum’s 50th anniversary, with completion of the remainder soon thereafter.
Anticipated Opening: Immersive Museum Beneath the Lincoln Memorial
July 2026
Beneath one of the iconic locations in the nation, 15,000 square feet of exhibit space will tell a more complete story of the Lincoln Memorial and provide an in-depth look at the structure's foundations in a cavernous area known as the undercroft. New museum exhibits and multimedia presentations showcase the construction history of the memorial. Visitors will be fascinated as they learn how the Lincoln Memorial has become the nation's foremost backdrop for civil rights demonstrations.
Month-long Smithsonian Festival in honor of America's 250th anniversary
Details to be announced as they are finalized.
Fourth of July Celebration
National Mall
July 4, 2026
Kick off the holiday by joining the National Archives for a historic reenactment of the Declaration of Independence. The event includes musical performances and remarks from special guests. The occasion concludes with the National Park Services’ National Independence Day Parade. In the evening, the National Park Service plans a spectacular fireworks show befitting the occasion.
DC JazzFest
Citywide
Sept. 2-6, 2026
It's all things jazz at the 2026 DC JazzFest. Expect to see rising stars and world-renowned artists at dozens of venues across all four quadrants of the city.
Anticipated Opening of the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Revitalization
Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
Fall 2026
The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, the only Smithsonian galleries embedded on (and in) the National Mall, will reopen with fanfare in the fall of 2026 after a three-year, mission-driven revitalization. The $68 million project is expected to increase visitation to the national museum of modern and contemporary art threefold. The 1.4-acre art park will reopen as the easiest-to-access American space for the presentation of outdoor sculpture, time-based artwork and performances, large-scale commissions, public education, dining and reflection.
Past and Future Cities
National Building Museum
Fall 2026
A new exhibition traces the nation's history through the development of its built urban environments.
International Day of Peace Open House
The U.S. Institute of Peace
Sept. 21, 2026
Honor the global tradition with a visit to the U.S. Institute of Peace as it holds an open house event.
10th Anniversary Celebration
Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
Sept. 2026
The museum will host a special block party in to commemorate both the 250th anniversary of the United States and the museum’s 10th anniversary. Additionally, “Welcome Home: Our Legacy Continues” will encompass new exhibitions, groundbreaking publications and expanded educational programming over the course of a year-long celebration.
Veterans Day
National Mall
Nov. 11, 2026
The National Mall and Memorial Parks will host expanded programming. Plans will be announced as details are finalized.