America’s Time Capsule is about to go underground until 2276. In honor of the United States’ 250th birthday, America250 will bury the zombie-proof historical repository this Fourth of July at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And you do not need to be in the City of Brotherly Love to watch. A livestream of the event will begin on July 4 at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
America250 Time Capsule Burial
Speakers will include Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, U.S. Semiquincentennial Commissioners Reginald Browne and Cathy Gillespie, America250 Executive Vice President Jennifer Condon,and Independence National Historical Park Superintendent Thomas Caramanico.
All 50 states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories contributed items to the time capsule. Some notable objects include fabric from the Wright Brother’s plane, a North Atlantic right whale bone, a feather from a bald eagle that served in the Civil War, an Olympic gold medal, and an Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The time capsule is a multi-year collaboration among America250, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Library of Congress, the National Park Service, Independence Historical Trust, and additional project partners. The stainless steel capsule was built to withstand 250 years of water, and mainly consists of two sections. A tube-shaped container holds the capsule’s precious cargo, while a larger bell jar-like device seals it with an air pocket. That jar works similarly to pushing an upside-down bucket in a pool of water.
The high-tech box will remain buried within Independence National Historical Park, the site where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed. It will remain sealed until July 4, 2276.
Related America250 Stories
