An exhibition showcasing Schenectady’s 1771 Liberty Flag, as well as a related symposium and public programs on topics in American revolutionary history in Schenectady, New York.

Schenectady Celebrates 250! is a year-long project featuring an exhibition, a symposium, and public programs (reading/ discussion series, theater performance, large community events and small family programs) that will both celebrate the commemoration of America’s 250th birthday, and explore and interpret important topics in American revolutionary history, including the founding of America, our nation’s milestones and progress, and the power of place in Schenectady.

An exhibition at the Thomas Cole Historic House, Catskill, New York, of the heroic landscapes of Thomas Cole and related painters that became iconic expressions of the nation’s identity as America the beautiful.

The Thomas Cole National Historic Site is requesting a Celebrate America! Grant of $25,000 to support the semiquincentennial initiative, “Painting the Nature of America,” in honor of the founding of the county. This American history and art humanities public project will be presented throughout 2026 at the TCNHS, the home of American landscape painting, where the artist Thomas Cole lived and worked in Catskill, New York. "Painting the Nature of America” will include three temporary exhibits with community programs presenting historic and contemporary American art and related programming that celebrates the stunning natural landscape of the United States. The project will explore the enduring influence of Thomas Cole’s American landscape paintings, which gave rise to the newly independent country's identity of America the beautiful. As we mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, Cole’s vision of this place in all its natural beauty continues to inspire and engage generations today.

Lecture series, family programs, and school fieldtrips about the involvement of the Muhlenberg family in the Revolutionary period to be held at the restored home of Frederick Muhlenberg (1750-1801), first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, in Trappe, Pennsylvania.

Historic Trappe will launch a new slate of public humanities programming at the Speaker’s House, the restored home of Frederick Muhlenberg, first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence and the grand opening of the house in April 2026, this project will engage public audiences with the political, religious, and domestic life of the early American republic. Educational programs include archaeology workshops for children and families; immersive foodways demonstrations in the restored kitchen; a lecture series led by nationally recognized scholars; and curriculum-aligned field trips that teach civic history through site-based interpretation.

An exhibition and related publication on documents and artifacts related to the American Revolution in Vermont at the Vermont History Center in Barre, Vermont.

In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States, the Vermont Historical Society will curate a public exhibit and related publication focused on 50 objects that tell of Vermont’s history and relationship with the republic from its founding. This project will engage Vermonters from across the state in exploring Vermont’s history, as told by objects from our collection. The project will highlight the importance of preserving Vermont’s treasures to telling the story of Vermont as a part of a new nation.

An exhibition celebrating Asheville’s Art Deco architecture at the Asheville Art Museum, North Carolina.

The Asheville Art Museum requests $25,000 to support the installation and presentation of the exhibition "The Golden Age of Architecture in Asheville: 1895-1935" (working title), exploring how the built environment of Asheville, North Carolina, was shaped by the artistic vision of architects Douglas D. Ellington and Richard Sharp Smith & Albert Heath Carrier during the first three decades of the 20th century, and how this architectural vision then influenced the field of architecture nationally. This exhibition is in celebration of our nation’s Semiquincentennial (America 250) and will be accompanied by a robust array of public educational programming. This project seeks to deepen public understanding of architectural heritage, preservation, and civic identity through this exhibition and public engagement.

An exhibition of 18th-century artifacts and never-before-shown artillery to illustrate Georgia’s role in the War for Independence at the Savannah History Museum, Georgia.

In anticipation of the nation’s Semiquincentennial, Coastal Heritage Society will open the exhibition “Loyalists & Liberty: Savannah in the American Revolution” in July 2026. As a centerpiece of Savannah History Museum, the 3,000-square-foot exhibition will tell the story of Savannah’s role in America’s founding and fight for independence while providing a focal point of community engagement. It will showcase rare artifacts from the 18th century that represent life during the period, including never-before-exhibited artillery that will serve as the centerpiece of the exhibition. CHS respectfully requests support for the mounting and exhibition of these artifacts critical to the story of Savannah and Georgia’s role in the War for Independence.

An expansion of the permanent American Revolutionary War exhibit as well as a temporary exhibition, “The American Revolution of the Frontier,” at the Fort Pitt Museum, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

To commemorate America's 250th anniversary, the Senator John Heinz History Center is planning upgrades to the American Revolution section of our permanent exhibition and a temporary American Revolution on the Frontier exhibition at the Fort Pitt Museum. Both of these exhibitions will spotlight lesser known, but important aspects of the nation's founding conflict. Visitors will see rare 18th century weapons, period images, and more.

An exhibition and speakers program centered on original manuscripts about the changing attitudes of American colonists leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) requests a grant of $19,599 (out of a total project of $39,198) from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Chairman’s Awards to support the implementation of the "Pathways to Independence, 1765-1776" exhibit, designed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The exhibit will feature original manuscripts that document the transformation of American colonists from loyal British subjects in the early 1760s to revolutionaries calling for independence by 1776. This grant request includes the costs of curating, fabricating and installing the exhibit, digitizing selected items for an online gallery, developing signature programs that will accompany the exhibit, and marketing and promoting the exhibit and programs to reach a wide audience.

Twelve new training webinars and support of a moderated online community forum for caretakers of American history collections at smaller and mid-sized museums led by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation, Washington, DC.

Historic objects and documents tell the story of our nation’s founding and bring them life. Artifacts of our founding are not relegated to our nation’s capital. They are peppered throughout the country in small and mid-sized museums. The long-term preservation of these collections depends upon staff and volunteers having the expertise necessary to identify risks to objects and plan for their long-term care. Connecting to Collections Care provides trusted collections care advice and professional development at no cost to staff and volunteers of small and mid-sized museums. With support from a Celebrate America! grant to match support already received, FAIC will develop and present twelve new training webinars and support a moderated online community forum where collections caretakers can post questions to be answered by a cadre of experts.

A year-long initiative of public programs including exhibits, speaker events, film screenings, and air show celebrating pioneers in American aviation and space travel at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York.

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Cradle of Aviation Museum will present Flight to Freedom: America’s Journey Through Air & Space—a public humanities initiative exploring how aviation and aerospace shaped the American experience and symbolized democratic ideals. Through engaging exhibitions, a speaker and film series, and educational programming, the project will highlight pivotal achievements such as Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight, Harriet Quimby’s pioneering legacy, and the Apollo lunar landing—developed on Long Island—offering visitors insight into how innovation, courage, and exploration have defined our national character. This grant will support humanities-based content development and programming that deepens public understanding of America's past and its aspirational future.

A series of educational workshops and walking tours focused on early American history for homeschool students and youth from rural Appalachian communities by the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum, located in Columbia County, Pennsylvania.

From Revere to Revolution: Exploring the Road to Independence is a public humanities project by the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum to commemorate America’s 250th. It includes a homeschool history series, and a Promise250 Story Walk. Designed for rural and often isolated learners, the project expands access to engaging history education. The Story Walk highlights young voices from the Revolution and today, encouraging civic reflection. Together, these components connect Pennsylvania’s Revolutionary legacy to modern youth and align with NEH’s Celebrate America! priorities.

Two public reenactment events of the pivotal Battle of Princeton (January 3, 1777) with related educational components in January and December 2026 at the Princeton Battlefield State Park, New Jersey.

The Princeton Battlefield Society will host two public events commemorating the Battle of Princeton (January 3, 1777), one of the most significant battles of the American Revolutionary War. On January 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 248th anniversary of the Battle of Princeton with our annual reenactment and memorial ceremony hosting military color guard and legacy groups to honor all members of the Armed Forces. It will include a special focus on the nation’s 250th anniversary. On December 27, 2026, we will offer the event again as part of a regional three-day commemoration of America’s anniversary involving local historic sites and organizations. Our event is called “Experience the Battle of Princeton,” and it occurs at the 95-acre Princeton Battlefield State Park, a National Historic Landmark and the site of the original battle. The memorable educational events will enhance public appreciation of the history and legacy of the American Revolution.

This initiative would allow the American Battlefield Trust to produce, test, and launch four (4) Augmented Reality (AR) experiences that would bring the Revolutionary War history of the State of North Carolina to life. These 4 experiences will digitally re-create and interpret Revolutionary War scenes that the public – using their mobile devices, such as an iPad or smartphone – could overlay at full scale onto real-life landscapes at historic sites.

History Colorado respectfully requests a $25,000 Chairman’s Grant to fund the forthcoming marquee exhibition Moments That Made US, which will introduce visitors to more than 40 artifacts that witnessed events that shaped the United States and invite them to consider our collective journey to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Assembling a collection of artifacts from American history rarely seen in Colorado, this 5,000-square-foot exhibition will be on display at the History Colorado Center in downtown Denver from November 2025 to September 2026 to align with the 2026 commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood.

For the People, By the People: America at 250 is a multilayered exhibition that will examine the country’s 250th anniversary of its founding by interpreting its evolving relationship to its founding ideals. The exhibition reflects the understanding that the signing of the Declaration of Independence set in motion the rise of one of the most important world powers of the colonial era to the present. The Declaration of Independence and The Star-Spangled Banner are the primary foundational texts through which historical and contemporary artworks will examine and consider what America has meant, and continues to signify, for its manifold population. Through them, the KIA aspires to celebrate the United States’ semiquincentennial by exploring the nation's pursuit of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” A series of lectures by humanities scholars will be among the programs the KIA produces to enlighten the public on the historical and social significance of the artworks on display

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, in partnership with the Crispus Attucks Museum, will produce a new exhibition, "Crispus Attucks: Representing Revolution" (working title). The exhibition will explore the American Revolution through the story of Crispus Attucks, the first American to die in the Boston Massacre, and will examine his enduring local legacy through Indianapolis's historic Crispus Attucks High School. Featuring real Revolutionary War artifacts from the Museum's collection and objects from the high school's founding, the exhibition will engage children and families as well as students in exploring America's Revolutionary values and how Americans continue to live out liberty, justice, and equality today.