Inside America’s 250th Birthday Time Capsule

On July 4th, 2026, the United States celebrated its 250th birthday. A time capsule was buried near Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 4th, 2026 and is expected to be opened on July 4th, 2276 which is two hundred fifty years later.

All fifty states and US territories participated to in this event. For example, Arkansas submitted a diamond. Maine added a bone from an endangered whale, while Wisconsin gave a feather from “Old Abe,” a bald eagle that served Union soldiers during the Civil War. California sent a high-tech computer chip with , and an AI-generated prediction of what the U.S. looks ed like in 2276.

There were two challenges for this project: choosing the items and making sure it would ill survive underground.

This job was given to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) team. They did not choose the traditional box because their corners would crack after years underground. The traditional box has multiple corners. So, they chose a cylindrical design.