Library of Congress Celebrates\u00a0America\u2019s\u00a0250\u00a0Years
It\u2019s Your Story: Discover It Through the Library\u2019s Collections, Exhibitions and Programs <\/p>\n
Throughout 2026, the Library of Congress invites all Americans to further appreciate the nation\u2019s history by exploring the Library\u2019s collections and expertise through exhibitions and dynamic programming. The Library will commemorate America\u2019s 250th anniversary under the theme It\u2019s Your Story, offering an opportunity for everyone to discover part of America\u2019s story within the world\u2019s largest research collections. <\/p>\n
The 225-year-old Library of Congress serves Congress and the American people with more than 181 million physical items and an expansive digital archive. In 2026, the Library will be opening several new exhibitions to connect the public with the Library\u2019s collections, including:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Declaration\u2019s Promise,\u201d opening July 3 in the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery, will explore the foundational principles of the Declaration of Independence and their impact on American history. Featured treasures will include Thomas Jefferson\u2019s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and Abraham Lincoln\u2019s Gettysburg Address, among other items. The new exhibition begins with the Revolutionary moment and then uses language of the Declaration\u2019s most famous phrases to organize the presentation of treasures from American history. Multimedia experiences will draw on the Library\u2019s vast audiovisual collections and connect visitors with the Library\u2019s content experts.
\u00a0\u201cAlive in Many Hands: 50 Years of the American Folklife Center,\u201d opening in September, will celebrate the American Folklife Center\u2019s 50th anniversary with highlights from the collection. The new exhibition will explore how the center helps preserve and share living cultural traditions, practices and expressions from across the United States, including music and dance, food traditions, crafts-making, storytelling and more.
\u00a0\u201cThe Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution,\u201d an ongoing Library exhibition, has been extended through July 4. While King George III and George Washington never met during their lifetimes, this exhibition brings them together for the first time through their writings and collections held by the Library, the Royal Archives and the Science Museum of London. The exhibition seeks to reveal the real men behind the myths through their own words.<\/p>\n
Explore American History and Culture through Library Programs<\/p>\n
In commemoration of America\u2019s 250th\u00a0anniversary, the Library will offer a wide range of collections-inspired programming through its regular series including:<\/p>\n
Monthly Family Days on select Saturdays with activities exploring George Washington in February, maps from American history in March, and Independence Day on July 4, among other themes in U.S. history.
\u00a0Afternoons with the Library offer deep-dive, lifelong learning experiences on weekdays.
\u00a0Live! At the Library events on Thursday evenings related to America\u2019s 250th including a History Night in April. \u00a0
\u00a0Concerts from the Library of Congress celebrating the American songbook, including \u201cThe President\u2019s Own\u201d United States Marine Chamber Orchestra in concert in October.
\u00a0Public and scholarly symposia throughout the year, such as the Library\u2019s Rare Book and Special Collections Division\u2019s \u201cOur Common Ground,\u201d a public symposium planned for May celebrating the ways our landscapes \u2013 from the everglades and Appalachians to the Rockies and redwood forests \u2013 have inspired Americans for 250 years.
\u00a0\u00a0\u201cFashion at the Library: The Threads that Connect Us,\u201d an initiative drawing inspiration from the Library\u2019s collections \u2013 including the Vogue magazine and photography collections \u2013 and celebrating American history and culture through fashion and style. In-person and online events will be featured, including a Fashion Week, Fashion Ball and Movie on the Lawn.\u00a0Topics will range from first ladies to zoot suits, western wear, the Kentucky Derby and space fashion.<\/p>\n
Follow the Library for future announcements about specific dates for the annual costume ball, movies on the lawn, National Book Festival, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Discover the Library\u2019s Digital Resources<\/p>\n
To continue expanding the reach of the Library\u2019s resources, digital initiatives this year will engage audiences nationally with the Library\u2019s expertise, stories and collections to explore American history.<\/p>\n
The Library has expanded its virtual volunteer transcription program,\u00a0By the People, to make digitized collections more searchable and accessible online. New campaigns will include materials for transcription across collections related to America\u2019s history and to the nation\u2019s founding, including colonial and founding-era women\u2019s diaries and letters, early American sheet music, maps and nautical charts, and more to come at\u00a0crowd.loc.gov<\/a>. The Library, in partnership with its Affiliate Centers for the Book and PBS Books, has launched a new video series, \u201cAmerican Stories: A Reading Road Trip,\u201d which uncovers literary treasures of individual states and territories \u2013 and the expansive literary heritage of the country.\u00a0Each episode features items in a variety of media from the vast collections of the Library of Congress \u2013 maps, photographs, sheet music and more \u2013 that help illustrate the stories and reveal surprising connections.\u00a0Watch the series at: pbs.org\/show\/book-view-now\/collections\/american-stories-a-reading-road-trip\/<\/a>. A new collaboration called Revolution Crossroads between the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress uses advanced technology to help uncover and share new details and insights from both institutions\u2019 vast Revolutionary era collections of American history. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), curators and experts can examine these historical materials in ways that were never before possible, identifying patterns, names and connections that were previously beyond reach. Find more at\u00a0si.edu\/revolution-crossroads<\/a>.<\/p>\n Library Joins Initiatives of the Semiquincentennial Commission<\/p>\n In cooperation with the major initiatives of the congressionally chartered U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, the Library of Congress is:\u00a0<\/p>\n Working on the Commission\u2019s\u00a0Our American Story\u00a0initiative to ensure long-term archiving of oral histories collected between July 2025 and July 2026. The Library of Congress is the world\u2019s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States \u2014 and extensive materials from around the world \u2014 both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov<\/a>, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov<\/a>, and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n Media Contacts: Brett Zongker, bzongker@loc.gov<\/a> | Deb Fiscella, dfiscella@loc.gov<\/a> <\/p>\n PR 26-005
\u00a0Offering technical guidance for contents of\u00a0America\u2019s Time Capsule\u00a0to be installed in Philadelphia in July 2026. This guidance will also be made available to serve as a resource for other local, state and federal time capsules being planned for the 250th anniversary.\u00a0
\u00a0As it did in 2024 and 2025, the Library will host a group of students from across the United States in July 2026 as part of\u00a0America\u2019s Field Trip, offering an in-depth, behind-the-scenes tour of the Library.<\/p>\n
01\/12\/2026
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