1 PM
Live musical performance by Batala Washington on the National Archives steps on Constitution Avenue NW

Sunday, July 2nd

10 AM - 4 PM 
Taste American Heritage® Chocolate near the National Archives Store

12 PM
Live musical performance by The Singing Capital Chorus on the National Archives steps on Constitution Avenue NW

Monday, July 3rd

1 PM
Frederick Douglass: “The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro”
A book signing follows the program.

5 PM
Live performance by GottaSwing on the National Archives steps on Constitution Avenue NW

Tuesday, July 4th: On the National Archives steps on Constitution Avenue NW

8 - 9:30 AM 
Special July 4 FREE T-shirt Giveaway- First 1,000 guests to join us for the Reading Ceremony will receive a special July 4th Celebration T-shirt.

9 - 9:45 AM 
Live musical performance by Brass Connection

10 AM
Declaration of Independence Reading Ceremony, including:

• Greetings by master of ceremonies Allison Seymour, Fox 5 News Anchor
• Presentation of colors by the Continental Color Guard*
• Performance of the National Anthem by Caleb Green
• Performance by the Fife and Drum Corps*
• Remarks by Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero
• Keynote remarks by Laura W. Murphy, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Leader and descendant of Declaration signer Philip Livingston of New York
• Dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence by reenactors portraying historical characters, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Abigail Adams, John Dunlap, John Hancock, and Ned Hector
• Performance of "America the Beautiful" by Caleb Green

*Continental Color Guard and Fife and Drum Corps provided by U.S. 3rd Infantry, the Old Guard.

11 - 11:45 AM 
Live musical performance by Brass Connection

11:45 AM
National Independence Day Parade

Tuesday, July 4th: Inside the National Archives Museum

10 AM - 7 PM 
Explore the National Archives Museum and view the original Declaration of Independence in the Rotunda

11 AM - 4 PM 
Participate in hands-on activities for all ages in the Boeing Learning Center:

• Collect autographs
• Celebrate Sovereignty
• Declaring Independence Scavenger Hunt
• Listen to stories of our patriotic past (noon, 12:30 PM, 1 PM, 1:30 PM, 2 PM, 2:30 PM, 3 PM, 3:30 PM)
• Make colonial-style wigs and dress in period clothing
• Sign a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence - or click here to sign now!
• Write with a quill pen
• Set your name in type
• Meet Revolutionary figures Abigail and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Ned Hector, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, John Dunlap and George Washington between noon and 4 PM

Tuesday, July 4th: Presidential Libraries around the country

 

All 13 museums at the Presidential Libraries are open on the 4th of July. Several libraries (*) will show a livestream of the Washington, DC, Declaration of Independence Reading Ceremony in their theaters for visitors to watch (10 AM EDT).

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, NY*

Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, Independence, MO* 
The museum will be open 9 AM–5 PM, and free admission will be extended to all members of the military, both active and retired.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, KS*

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA*
The museum will be open 9 AM–5 PM, and free admission will be extended to all members of the active military.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin, TX 
The museum will be open 9 AM–5 PM, with free museum admission to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, CA 
The Nixon Library will host Fourth of July Concerts on July 2 (Huntington Beach Band) and July 4 (Placentia Symphonic Band and Huntington Beach Symphonic Band).

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids, MI*

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta GA*

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, Simi Valley, CA 
To celebrate our nation’s 241st birthday, the Reagan Library is hosting a day full of family-fun activities. This year’s celebration includes patriotic concerts, family entertainment, games, crafts, and more. In the Courtyard, the 562nd Air Force Band will perform at 10 AM, and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Band will perform at 1 PM Guests will also get to hear about the lives of Thomas Jefferson, Ulysses S. Grant, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln throughout the day. All outdoor activities are free and run from 9 AM to 3 PM. The admission rates apply to view the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum and the Air Force One Pavilion, which will be open until 5 PM.

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, TX 
The George Bush Library is honored to host the College Station Noon Lions Clubs “I Love America” Fourth of July Celebration. The museum will be open from 9:30 AM to 8:15 PM with free admission all day. Concessions start at 5:30 PM and include Slovacek’s sausage on a stick, kettle corn, roasted nuts, popcorn, snow cones and refreshments. There will also be free watermelon while supplies last. Live entertainment and the Kids Zone will open at 6 PM. The Kids Zone includes games and bounce houses, face painting and Paw Paw’s Train. The evening will culminate with a concert by the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra and a spectacular fireworks display.

William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, Little Rock, AR*
The museum will be open 9 AM–5 PM, with free museum admission to celebrate the Fourth of July.
 

Thursday, July 6th:

12 PM
Discovering the Sussex Declaration

*Members: Don’t forget - your membership card guarantees you priority access to the National Archives Museum all day, every day! Not yet a member? Join today!