Champaign County Celebrates America 250
June 18-21, 2026
Champaign Public Library
200 West Green Street, Champaign
Join us as we celebrate our nation's independence with a special exhibit featuring 21 authentic founding documents on display for the first time. Explore the rare documents and artifacts that trace America's path from protest to independence and from revolution to nationhood.
Featured Highlights Include
-
A rare Peter Force copy of the Declaration of Independence
-
The Articles of Confederation
-
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
-
King George III's response to independence
-
George Washington's letter
-
Revolutionary War Maps of Boston
-
French and Indian War powder horn
-
Paul Revere's engraving of the Boston Massacre
-
many more...
EXHIBIT HOURS
Thursday, June 18 - 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday, June 19 - 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 20 - 10:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sunday, June 21 - 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION TO THIS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE
100 timed tickets per hour + standby line
(Advance tickets highly recommended)
June 13, 2026
Champaign County History Museum
102 East University Avenue, Champaign IL
Help us officially kick off our America 250 festivities on Saturday, June 13th, with a celebration at the museum. The program starts at 2:00 PM with music provided by the Sweet Adelines.
PROGRAM
National Anthem
Opening Remarks by Dr. Lindsay Andrews
Flag Lowering and 250 Flag Raising – St. Joseph American Legion Color Guard
Special Music
Semi-quincentennial Proclamation- Champaign Mayor Deborah Feinen
Reading of the Declaration of Independence by Natalie Waters,
Nestor Ramirez, Marguerite Carter, and Robert Holloway
Closing Music
Join us after the program for popcorn and lemonade and enjoy our new museum exhibits.