Destination DC and a growing list of more than 70 participating organizations from the local tourism and hospitality community announced plans for a year-round celebration in 2026 on the National Mall and throughout the city’s cultural institutions, museums, attractions, restaurants and hotels. 

A launch event was held in the Rotunda Galleries of the National Archives Museum, the only place to see the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s founding documents. A new website, DC250.us, serves as a central source of information for potential visitors.

“As an economic development organization, our job is to grow visitation to Washington, DC to benefit residents and local businesses,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO, Destination DC. 

“The collective strength of the partners working together will draw visitors all year. No other city offers so many cultural experiences, many of them free. Visitors and residents alike can discover American history and appreciate DC’s local cultural identity at museums, theaters, public art institutions, restaurants, hotels, exciting sports and special events and more.”

The inclusive celebration will extend from the National Mall to the city’s vibrant neighborhoods, places and people. 

The District welcomed a record-breaking 25.95 million total visitors in 2023, surpassing the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. 

The data underscores the importance of increased tourism to the city’s economy. The new benchmark resulted in a record $10.2 billion in visitor spending, $2.065 billion in tax revenue and supported a record 102,366 local jobs, according to MMGY Travel Intelligence, S&P Global Market Intelligence, the National Travel & Tourism Office and the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

Data for 2024 travel is expected to be released in May 2025.

While it’s difficult to estimate economic impact over the course of 2026, local hotels, restaurants and businesses are expected to benefit from an influx of visitors. Destination DC is promoting the year-long celebration throughout its domestic and international advertising, creative, editorial, content and messaging. Hotel packages, to be announced, will entice travelers to stay overnight and explore. 

Major Events in 2026:

Additions will be announced on a rolling basis as they are finalized. DC250.us.

• America’s Presidents – National Portrait Gallery, ongoing
  The nation’s only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, telling the American story through the individuals who have shaped it.
• Anticipated Opening – Immersive Museum beneath Lincoln Memorial, July 2026
  This project will create 15,000 square feet of exhibit space that tells a more complete story of the Lincoln Memorial and provides a look at the structure's foundations in a cavernous area known as the undercroft. New museum exhibits and multimedia presentations will highlight the construction history of the memorial and discuss how the Lincoln Memorial has become the nation's foremost backdrop for civil rights demonstrations.
• Road to Revolution – National Archives, through Aug. 6, 2026
  This rotating exhibition series showcases original documents in the Rotunda Gallery, telling stories from the creation of the Declaration of Independence and founding era. Learn how the journey from colonial resistance to American independence was not composed of a single narrative, but many intersecting (and sometimes diverging) paths.
• Fighting for Freedom: Black Craftspeople and the Pursuit of Independence – DAR Museum, March 2025-January 2026
  Highlighting the creations, contributions and legacies of African Americans as they fought for freedom during the midst of the American Revolution and beyond.
• 14 Special Exhibitions and Installations – National Gallery of Art, August 2025-January 2027
  The National Gallery of Art will commemorate 250 years of America with a wide-ranging program encompassing 14 special installations and exhibitions that grapple with ideas at the heart of American stories – including concepts of freedom, nationhood, identity and icons – vividly told through art. Details to be announced soon.
• Coming Together – National Building Museum, fall 2025-
  Programs, activations and an exhibition all about the past, present and future of American Cities. The Coming Together exhibition explores how American cities are reimagining and reshaping their downtown districts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Amy Sherald: American Sublime – National Portrait Gallery, Sept. 19, 2025- Feb. 22, 2026
  The artist’s first major museum survey. New and rarely seen work from 2007 to the present will be joined by the now iconic paintings of former First Lady Michelle Obama (2018) and Breonna Taylor (2020).
• 51 Steps to Freedom Trail – Citywide, throughout 2026
  An unforgettable opportunity to engage with the nation's ongoing journey toward freedom and equality. Through cutting-edge Augmented Reality (AR), you’ll explore DC's hidden histories, from pivotal events to legendary figures. This trail offers a fresh look at the history that shaped the nation. From Frederick Douglass to Duke Ellington and Mrs. Rosa Parks, the trail brings these figures and many others to life.
• The Promise of Us – Kennedy Center, throughout 2026
  Across campus in 2026, the Kennedy Center will celebrate American choreographers, explore American stories through a cycle of works from Washington National Opera, welcome back Hamilton and uplift the American musical theater tradition, and commission new works by American composers across all musical genres for the National Symphony Orchestra. Additional ongoing programming includes:
  • A Song for Us: A new choral piece will be commissioned to capture the spirit of the promise, encouraging widespread participation and culminating in a grand community sing.

National Mall 250: Our Monumental Moment – National Mall, throughout 2026 and beyond

• • The National Mall Gateway: Experience a new digital and on-site program and platform that invites visitors to curate tours, learn civics, dive into history, discover hidden stories and experience the National Mall like never before as the nation’s greatest living history classroom.
  • National Mall 250 Expanded Volunteer Corps: Helping National Park Rangers welcome visitors at sites across the National Mall.
  • Once-in-a-Lifetime National Mall 250 Commemorative Events and Programming: Check out the growing roster of special events on America’s Front Yard celebrating our nation’s history, the National Mall and its vibrant future as the place where history lives...on.

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• Language & Liberty: Words that Shaped America – Planet Word Museum, throughout 2026
  Join Planet Word for a year-long journey through the powerful and evolving language of American liberty. From “Give me liberty or give me death” to “Yankee Doodle;” from “Ask not what your country can do for you” to “Black Lives Matter,” words have given voice to the spirit, priorities and struggles of Americans in every generation since the nation’s founding. Through a compelling series of monthly programs, explore how slogans, speeches, lyrics and more have shaped and reflected the American story.
• 19th Amendment, Emancipation Proclamation – National Archives, March 2026-
  New encasements will be added to the Rotunda of the National Archives Building to permanently house the 19th Amendment (which removed restrictions for women to vote) and the Emancipation Proclamation alongside the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights.
• In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness – National Museum of American History, March 2026-September 2026
  A bold, immersive exhibition exploring the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. Spanning three floors and 300,000 square feet, the exhibition will feature 250 significant objects, including the portable desk Jefferson used to draft the Declaration of Independence. Another noteworthy artifact is the only surviving ship of the early U.S. Navy, the gunboat Philadelphia. This National Historic Landmark helped stall British forces and now will undergo an on-site conservation to preserve it for future generations.
• National Mall 250 Signature Series – National Mall, May 2026
  • America’s Semiquincentennial Ball for the Mall: Join the Trust for the National Mall to celebrate and support its mission and the Semiquincentennial in a grand tent on the National Mall, featuring its History, Heroes & Hope Awards, special guests and more.
  • National Mall 250 Red, White & Blue Commemorative Concert: Special guest stars and performers will celebrate the Semiquincentennial under the monuments and beneath the stars on America’s Front Yard.
  • National Mall 250 Civic Learning Forum: Join leaders in history and civics for a Semiquincentennial Forum – a look back on history and what lies ahead. Wigs, bonnets and tricorne hats optional.
• The Smithsonian 250th Festival – National Mall, June 18-July 12, 2026
  An expanded month-long Smithsonian Festival will transform the National Mall into a living testament to the country’s remarkable cultural heritage. The 2026 event will reflect the nation’s cultural landscape, challenge assumptions and illuminate America’s town square. Activities will highlight a wide range of communities, cultural practices, occupations and perspectives.
• building on the National Mall completed and open the remaining galleries by July 1, 2026.