The New York Public Library Announces Major Exhibition for America’s 250th Birthday

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The New York Public Library will also display The Declaration of Independence alongside the exhibition as part of a system-wide celebration commemorating the nation’s 250-year anniversary in 2026.

On Monday, The New York Public Library announced its plans to commemorate the semiquincentennial of the United States with a 2026 public viewing of The Declaration of Independence and a sweeping five-part exhibition spanning 250 years of history – all for free. 

The New York Public Library will display its manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence from July 1 to 3 of next year––250 years after the Founding Fathers ratified the landmark document. The Library’s world-class Manuscripts and Archives Division holds a fair copy of the original manuscript of the Declaration of Independence, which differs from the version that was ratified on July 4, 1776. The most notable difference being a lengthy condemnation of the slave trade, which was later removed to appease delegates from Georgia and South Carolina. Handwritten by Thomas Jefferson, the Library’s copy of the Declaration of Independence provides a unique lens into this watershed moment in American history. 

Reservations will be required to view the Declaration of Independence, and can be made beginning in June 2026. In anticipation of high demand, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building will extend its hours during the viewing period to better accommodate patrons. Those interested in securing a reservation to see the Declaration of Independence should sign up for our bimonthly newsletter NYPL Connect to stay informed on this and more. 

“As one of the nation’s foremost collectors and premiere research destinations, the Library holds some of our nation’s most treasured founding documents,” said Anthony W. Marx, President and CEO of The New York Public Library. “We are proud to offer not only a rare opportunity to see the Declaration of Independence, but also an entire exhibition that explores the enduring ideals outlined in this consequential document. At this critical juncture in our nation’s history, libraries are well-positioned to help the public better understand where we stand, how we got here, and the democratic ideals we are constantly striving for.”  

In light of this major milestone in U.S. history, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building will devote all of its galleries to “Revolution: 1776 and Beyond,” which will be fully on display beginning June 2026 with some galleries remaining open through January 10, 2027. The exhibition will explore New York’s role in the riveting first months of the American Revolution, and the ways that patriots, loyalists and conservatives, women, enslaved people, and indigenous people navigated this uncertain terrain. The exhibition will also consider the global revolutions that followed, highlight the central role of protest in American history, and display contemporary artworks that grapple with enduring questions of liberty, land, and citizenship. Using hundreds of items from the Library’s renowned collections, the exhibition will include correspondence between Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, iconic ACT Up posters, work from noteworthy artists like Jenny Holzer, Kara Walker, and Kerry James Marshall and much more.  

In the meantime, The Bill of Rights and George Washington’s Farewell Address are both currently on display for free at The Polonsky Exhibition. Additional information about the initiative and current related offerings can be found here. 

“What better place to view an original Declaration of Independence than in the city where George Washington himself read it in July, 1776? His words prefaced Thomas Jefferson’s when officers shared the new document with Continental troops that summer; Washington’s men learned that Congress had determined to dissolve any connection with Great Britain just before they heard that all men were created equal, in possession of inalienable rights. The force of those words — along with the events that gave rise to them and the fervor they excited elsewhere — will be on powerful display at the NYPL, uniquely positioned to illuminate the questions of liberty and equality with which the founders grappled and for which we contend still today,” said Stacy Schiff, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer who most recently authored The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams.    

About The New York Public Library

For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/give.