What’s On Schedule for America’s 250th
From major museum exhibitions to high-profile auctions and public programs, institutions nationwide are marking America’s 250th with events that spotlight the nation’s art, history, and material culture.
Philadelphia is just one of many places across the country that is celebrating the United States Semiquincentennial. Here is a list of exhibitions, programming, and more taking place this year at some of the nation’s biggest arts and history institutions.
Christie's
During its Americana week, the auction house Christie’s is honoring the Semiquincentennial with two major sales. The first is The American Collector on January 13, which will offer both Americana, ranging from folk to silver to rare books, and objects once owned by important American figures. Following the event will be the We the People: America at 250 auction on January 23. It will celebrate America’s 250th with a sale of arts and decorative works alongside important historical documents and books, such as Founding Father Rufus King’s printed and edited draft of the United States Constitution. christies.com
Colonial Williamsburg
The Virginia-based history museum will be celebrating two anniversaries in 2026: its 100th year of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and America’s 250th. In honor of these momentous occasions, the largest U.S. history museum in the world has a busy schedule of events that includes concerts, a centennial-themed exhibition, and the reconstruction of an African Baptist Meeting House with burial ground dedication. Another event of note is the Annual Antiques Forum on February 19–25 that will feature the latest research on American material culture and decorative arts by scholars and industry experts. colonialwilliamsburg.org
Henry Ford Institute
This year’s Semiquincentennial will be a yearlong celebration for the Dearborn, Michigan-based history museum. Leading the festivities will be the exhibition Handmade: The Crafting of America from March 21–January 18, 2027, which will trace the advancement of American craft from function to artistic expression. Following will be the exploration of how textiles shape society with the show Fabric of America: Our Fashions, Textiles, and Technologies from June 7–September 13, and the opening of the Jackson Home during the week of June 9, a historic landmark of Selma, Alabama’s role in the Long Civil Rights Movement.
thehenryford.org
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The MFA Boston will be welcoming the Semiquincentennial with a vast offering of public programming and a new reinstallation of the 18th-century section of the Art of the Americas galleries. The new look will be revealed during a two-day kick-off event occurring during MFA’s annual Juneteenth open house, beginning on June 19. The displays will feature both famous and lesser-known 18th-century artworks, decor, and objects from the MFA’s collection, and will broaden the artistic and historical narrative of the galleries with pieces from Native communities, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. mfa.org
National Museum of American History
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is commemorating the Semiquincentennial on a grand scale. Among the programs, performances, and educational tools offered will be the spring opening of In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness. In this three-floor, 300,000-square-foot exhibition of 250 objects, the ideals of the Declaration of Independence are explored with items that hold major historical significance, like the desk used by Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence. Also, on display now in a separate exhibition is the only surviving ship of the early U.S. Navy, the gunboat Philadelphia. The vessel was built under the direction of Benedict Arnold and the Continental Congress in 1776 and was used in battle against the British later that year. americanhistory.si.edu
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Starting the Met’s 250th anniversary celebration is the show Revolution! in its American Wing. On view now until August 6, the exhibition analyzes the beginnings and course of the American Revolutionary War with a collection of rare American and European prints, paintings, and decorative arts that include a historical interior inspired by George Washington and Titus Kaphar’s 2016 “tar” portraits of Ona Judge and William Lee. Also on the museum’s itinerary will be a panel discussion on January 29 with Ken Burns about his new documentary, The American Revolution, a performance by David Lang on July 4, and the Met’s annual Veterans Take The Met event in the fall. metmuseum.org
For more antique events and news related to America’s 250th, check out Kovel Antique Trader’s monthly column, Celebrating 250 Years of American Antiques, in every 2026 issue. Find special reporting online at antiquetrader.com.
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