1776 Declaration of Independence headlines objects coming to Peoria Riverfront Museum in 2026

PEORIA, Ill., February 21, 2025—The 1776 Declaration of Independence headlines the objects coming to the Peoria Riverfront Museum in 2026 for the museum’s America 250 exhibition, The Promise of Liberty, marking the first time the document will be shown in central Illinois.

The yearlong exhibition, scheduled to open on January 31, 2026, is the centerpiece of the museum’s U.S. semiquincentennial celebration that begins next fall. The museum’s board of directors, led by chairman Todd Baker, has authorized the largest self-curated exhibition in museum history with The Promise of Liberty.

The 1776 Declaration of Independence leads the significant works slated for display, along with Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington from Colonial Williamsburg, an Abraham Lincoln tintype and presidential campaign image taken in Peoria, Illinois, from the Gilder Lehrman Institute, and, according to renowned document historian Seth Kaller, more than 50 of the highest quality documents of American history ever assembled together.

Ken Burns will help kick off the countdown to the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s America 250 celebration with a new video. See the video here.

The Peoria Riverfront Museum created a website for its America 250 celebration events: America250Illinois.org. Visitors are invited to sign up for email updates on the site.

“People from across the nation are expected to visit in 2026 to experience the telling of the American story from the perspective of the heartland. We invite the entire greater Peoria region to join us in holding their own programs and activities to make full use of the greatest America 250 exhibition in the nation. As with everything we do, the goal is to help unleash the full talent and genius of every individual,” said John D. Morris, Peoria Riverfront Museum president and CEO.

Ken Burns is collaborating with the museum on its America 250 celebration.

“Here in Illinois, it is my pleasure to serve as guest curator for the Peoria Riverfront Museum, helping inspire the yearlong exhibition and series of programs that tell original American stories through the lens of Central Illinois. Much is planned,” said Ken Burns, whose latest documentary, “The American Revolution,” premieres on PBS this fall. “I don’t think there will be another celebration quite like it. You are cordially invited to join the Peoria Riverfront Museum as we work together to see the us in the U.S.”

The exhibition includes the history of the indigenous Americans in the Illinois River Valley, French explorers who settled the area, Central Illinois farming and technology innovations that made an impact worldwide, the Great Migration that gave rise to the Black Renaissance, and the music, fine art and folk art from America’s heartland.

Museum curators are working with institutional and private lenders, including Seth Kaller, the Smithsonian, Colonial Williamsburg, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Gilder Lehrman Institute, and Alice Walton’s Art Bridges Foundation, and they are using the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s permanent collection.

The museum’s celebration of America 250 is designed to provide a central platform for community events and expression. More than 150,000 visitors for the Promise of Liberty exhibition and other America 250-themed activities are anticipated, including 25,000 local students.

Visit www.peoriariverfrontmuseum.org for more information.

About Peoria Riverfront Museum

The Peoria Riverfront Museum is the only multidisciplinary institution of its kind in the nation combining art, science, history and achievement. The museum is dedicated to using its collections, exhibitions, giant screen theater, dome planetarium, and programming to tell the stories that build confidence, spark life-long learning, and unleash the full talent and genius of every individual.

Contact Melody Konrad, Peoria Riverfront Museum assistant director of marketing and communications at MKonrad@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org.