US 250 Resources

On July 4, 2026, the US will celebrate the semiquincentennial or 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the act that led to the creation of the United States of America.  This yearlong commemoration will be marked at the national, state, and local levels, and museums in Kansas are uniquely positioned to help people in our communities learn and reflect during this time. 

This page will connect Kansas museums with resources to help you discover existing programming, look for opportunities for collaboration, and think through how your museum wants to engage with the US 250th.

Content will be updated as time allows.  To submit your content to be added here please use the Contact Us form and under question topic choose “general” from the dropdown. 

 

Landing Pages for US 250:

Moments That Made Us is a free, customizable, print-on-demand exhibition that was developed by History Colorado and a multi-state collaborative team to provide a template for museums in Western states to engage with the US 250th themes and encourage conversations and reflection.

To access the printable files, click on the button below to register.  An email will be sent to you with instructions about how to access the files.  You only need to register one time; after that you can search your email for the subject line "DO NOT DELETE: File Access to the Moments That Made US Print-On-Demand Exhibition" to find the instructions for accessing the panels again.

Panels include:

  • Original Moments That Made US exhibit panels - English
  • Original Moments That Made US exhibit panels - Spanish
  • Kansas Moments That Made US exhibit panels
  • Blank templates where you can add your own stories 

 

Kansas - Moments that Made Us File Access

America 250: America's Potluck 

  • Host an America’s Potluck event July 5th.  Consider sharing historic recipes from your collections during this day.

 

Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum: Stars, Stripes, Statehood and Our Story

  • June 14, 11:00 am - 7:00 pm.  Join Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum for a triple celebration - the 60 year anniversary of the museum, the 165th birthday of Kansas, and the America 250th commemoration. Contests, Food, Vendors, Tours and more!

 

Gardner Historical Museum: 250th Patriotic Outdoor Decorating Contest and Celebrate America Day

  • Patriotic Outdoor Decorating Contest, June 1 - July 6.  Categories for daytime and nighttime displays. Find more information at the link above.
  • Celebrate America Day, June 13, Free.  Museum tours, antique and military vehicles, live music, speakers, demos, and shows.  Find more information at the link above.

 

Humanities Kansas: Kansas Folklife: Celebrating Kansas Traditions

  • A program that is part of "By the People: Beyond 250" a collaboration between humanities council and local partners, these are, "...dynamic presentations that connect Kansans with our state's rich traditions through engaging storytelling, food, music, craft and dance demonstrations."

 

Kansas 250 Commission: Per Aspera Podcast

  • What the Declaration Promised - and What Kansas Made of It.  Welcome to Per Aspera, a Kansas history podcast from the Kansas 250 Commission.  This season, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, we’re telling stories about the people and places of Kansas that connect to themes in the Declaration of Independence.

 

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks: Outdoor Recreation Challenge

  • Register and log 10 of your favorite ways to spend time outside by July 4, 2026 and receive a certificate of completion.  


Kansas Volunteer Commission: Volunteer Day of Service on Sept. 11

  • Museums that need volunteers for projects can sign up now to be added to a list of organizations that will be promoted so that people who want to volunteer on the 9/11 Commemoration Day of Service can be connected with volunteer opportunities. 

     

Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum: Kansas Folklife Presentations America 250 Special Event

  • July 10, 10:00 am, Free.  "Tell Your Own Story" with Priscilla Howe.  Inspired by the importance of preserving and sharing our history during the 250th anniversary of the signing of America’s Declaration of Independence, Priscilla Howe’s presentation is a hands-on workshop for Kansans interested in becoming storytellers for their own families, communities, or as preservers of Kansas’s wide range of dynamic folk traditions. 

 

National Constitution Center: Civic Quest Game and Podcast

  • Help Families Explore the Nation’s Founding Story.

 

State Library of Kansas: Kansas 250 Bookshelf

  • The State Library of Kansas has monthly themed reading lists throughout 2026 with books written by or about Kansans.  They also have paired program ideas and partnership suggestions with that month's theme that museums can promote and build from.

 

Shawnee Town 1929: Snapshots of America 250: A Walk-Through History Weekend!

  • Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3  10:00am - 4:00pm
  • Join us to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday with this once–in–a–lifetime weekend history event at Shawnee Town 1929 Museum!
  • Located just 10 miles outside downtown Kansas City, visitors can explore 250 years of America’s History as they walk through “snapshots in time” across the museum park. Visit scenes from the American Revolution and the earliest Kansas settlers on up to the Vietnam War. Talk with 50+ living history experts, actors, and teachers from Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and even Massachusetts  - they are excited to tell you their unique stories about the nation’s origins, and the different people and experiences that make us who we are! PLUS enjoy special actor performances and featured talks scheduled in the Chapel. 
  • **Visitors are encouraged to dress up in their favorite decade!**
  • ADMISSION IS FREE with “goodwill donations encouraged” at the gate! All donations go to the Friends of Shawnee Town. Thanks to the Friends and to the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area for sponsoring this event! 

 

Tonganoxie Community Historical Society: Declaration Conversation

  • We will host a "Declaration Conversation" on Thursday, April 23 at 7:00pm. The Declaration Conversation will be facilitated by Dr. Eric Anderson of Haskell Indians Nations University and sponsored by Humanities Kansas. The event is free and open to the public.

19th News: Resources for Helping Teach K-12 Students About America’s 250th

  • Article about teaching the full scope of American history during the 250th

     

American Association for State and Local History: 250th Anniversary Program Handbook

  • Free low-cost program examples for any organization to use

 

American Association for State and Local History: Additional Planning Resources

  • Click on the “Planning Resources” Tab for additional resource kits, webinar recordings, technical leaflets, and more.

     

American Association for State and Local History: Making History at 250: The Field Guide for the Semiquincentennial

  • Free guide with themes to connect your museum content with the commemoration.

 

History Co:Lab and Made By Us: Youth 250 Toolkit

  • Free toolkit to help look at the mindset and needs of youth from 10 - 30 years old, tips and ideas to engage them, and opportunities to connect with a youth bureau to receive guidance and input before you put your plans into action.

 

Humanities Kansas: Declaration Conversations Toolkits – available January 2026

  • Free online kit to help you host your own conversation about the Declaration of Independence, including a PowerPoint, discussion questions, and copies of the Declaration.

            

The Smithsonian Magazine: 250 Places to Celebrate America

  • Use this resource to map ways to celebrate the American spirit across the country.

     

US Chamber of Commerce Foundation: 250th Celebration for Business Playbook

  • A guide for… “organizations of all sizes [to] plan inclusive, nonpartisan celebrations that educate, engage, and inspire.”  Scalable ideas for different capacities and budgets, whether you are looking for year-long programs or a single event.

 

 

Rolling Deadline NEH: Celebrate America

 

January 15: NEH: Rediscovering our Revolutionary Tradition

            

Douglas County Heritage Sites - Finding Freedom: The Promise of 1776 in Douglas County, Kansas

  • Finding Freedom explores the realities of securing freedom for all people in Kansas. Issues that erupted when Kansas Territory opened to white settlement in 1854 did not end with statehood in 1861, nor with the end of the Civil War four years later. Throughout Douglas County’s history, people have struggled to gain freedom and secure civil rights. Their stories played out in different times and places across our county. These stories continue to unfold today. Finding Freedom will chronicle stories from the 1850s to the 1960s in Baldwin City, Eudora, Lawrence, Lecompton, and the communities of Clinton Lake.

 

Gardner Historical Museum, Gardner - 

 

Humanities Kansas - Declaration 1776 Traveling Exhibition

  • This traveling exhibit from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will tour 46 different institutions in Kansas in 2026.  It focuses on how the Declaration of Independence has inspired Americans and others, and includes a panel on “Kansas” in 1776.

     

Johnson County Museum, Overland Park - Everyday Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Johnson County, February 7, 2026 - January 9, 2027

  • Democracy isn’t only written in founding documents or decided at the ballot box — it’s lived every day. For 250 years, people across the United States have claimed, challenged, and redefined democratic ideals through their choices, voices, and communities. This new exhibition explores how everyday experiences of Johnson Countians have shaped the meaning of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness — and asks what role each of us will play in democracy's future.

     

Salina Area Museums - Moments that Made US, July 1 - August 29

  • Five locations in Salina will showcase panels from the Moments that Made US exhibit, which explores the ideals at the heart of the Declaration of Independence.  Panels are provided by the Smoky Hill Museum
    • The Garage – Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness
    • Salina Arts Center – Free & Independent States
    • Salina Public Library – Created Equal
    • Smoky Hill Museum – We Mutually Pledge

    • The Temple – Consent of the Governed

       

Smoky Hill Museum, Salina - America's 250th: Connecting a Nation, April 24, 2026 - October 10, 2026

  • From a musket used in the Revolutionary War to local celebrities to a sad iron, see how the Smoky Hill Museum, and museums across America, preserve, protect and share the rich history of American life.

 

Tonganoxie Community Historical Society, Tonganoxie - Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy, April 18 - May 17, 2026

  • When the Declaration of Independence was issued, the ideas that “all men are created equal” was revolutionary. Declaration 1776 illustrates how American and people across the word have been
    inspired by the Declaration in their pursuit of good governance and self-determination.  This exhibit was designed by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and is sponsored by Humanities Kansas.