KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A national tour of Founding-era documents to celebrate 250 years of America will make its first stop in Kansas City, Missouri.
The "Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation" kicks off in March and runs through May.
The initiative — put on by the National Archives and Records Administration, in partnership with the National Archives Foundation — draws inspiration from the Bicentennial Freedom Train.
“There is no more noteworthy an occasion than America’s 250th birthday to share this history, to inspire our fellow Americans to champion our nation’s founding ideals into the future," Jim Byron, Senior Advisor to the Archivist of the U.S., said in a news release.
The documents on display include an original engraving of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Association, George Washington’s/Alexander Hamilton’s/Aaron Burr’s Oaths of Allegiance, Treaty of Paris, a secret printing of the Constitution in draft form, and the tally of votes approving the Constitution.
Those items will travel via the Freedom Plane to eight U.S. cities:
- Kansas City, Missouri: National WWI Museum and Memorial: Friday, March 6 – Sunday, March 22
- Atlanta, Georgia: Atlanta History Center: Friday, March 27 – Sunday, April 12
- Los Angeles, California: University of Southern California Fisher Museum of Art: Friday, April 17 – Sunday, May 3
- Houston, Texas: Houston Museum of Natural Science: Friday, May 8 – Monday, May 25
- Denver, Colorado: History Colorado Center: Thursday, May 28 – Sunday, June 14
- Miami, Florida: HistoryMiami Museum: Saturday, June 20 – Sunday, July 5
- Dearborn, Michigan: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: Thursday, July 9 – Sunday, July 26
- Seattle, Washington: Museum of History & Industry: Thursday, July 30 – Sunday, August 16
National Archives Foundation CEO Patrick M. Madden said he hopes the tour brings "patriotism, celebration and wonder" to "Americans everywhere — from sea to shining sea."
While the exhibit is free, visitors must secure tickets from the museum they wish to visit. Kansas Citians can do so at the National World War I Museum and Memorial’s website.
More information about the hour can be found here.
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