America's 250th Time Capsule
America250 Commission Seals Time Capsule Containing Items From Every State for Nation's 250th
A 900-pound steel cylinder packed with more than 200 artifacts from all 50 states has been sealed and is set to be buried 10 feet underground in Philadelphia on July 4 — not to be opened until the year 2276, according to USA Today. The capsule, called "America's Time Capsule," marks the United States' 250th birthday and was organized by America250, the official nonpartisan commission created by Congress in 2016.
The cylinder was sealed June 8–12 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It will be buried at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia during July 4 celebrations. America250 Chair Rosie Rios said, "When it is opened in 2276, future generations will see the care, pride, and optimism with which Americans marked our 250th anniversary."
What's Actually Inside the Steel Cylinder
All 50 states, five territories, and Washington, D.C., contributed items. California sent a NASA photo of the state taken from space and an AI-generated prediction of a future "Pacific Federation" in 2276, according to AZ Central. Utah included a granite cornerstone from its State Capitol and a silver dollar from 1896, the year it became a state. Arizona submitted a stainless steel coin with the entire U.S. Constitution etched onto it at the nanoscale.
Other standout items include a bone from an endangered North Atlantic right whale from Maine, an Arkansas diamond, and a Navajo silversmith necklace from New Mexico. New Mexico also added a vial of sand and its official state cookie recipe. New Jersey contributed a plate inscribed with the state motto in eight languages. Poet James Matthew Wilson wrote original verse included in the capsule, according to NorthJersey.com.
Engineers Built It to Survive 250 Years Underground
The capsule uses a double-cylinder design. The inner cylinder traps air and repels water. Engineers kept the humidity inside at exactly 35% — dry enough to stop mold but moist enough to keep paper from cracking. Michael Berilla, director of the NIST Fabrication Technology Office, oversaw the sealing. He said, "Once it was closed, it was a little bit anti-climactic, and then it was kind of really emotional," according to The Oklahoman.
The Library of Congress also used synthetic DNA to store digital copies of records inside the capsule. Engineers designed the vessel to withstand floods that could leave parts of Philadelphia six feet underwater. The National Park Service has built the capsule's location into its long-term succession plans, so its burial site will be passed down through official records for the next 250 years.
A Long American Tradition of Burying the Present
America has done this before. In 1795, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere placed coins and newspapers inside a cornerstone at the Massachusetts State House. That capsule was discovered in 2014. In 1876, a group assembled the "Centennial Safe" at the Philadelphia World's Fair. President Gerald Ford opened it 100 years later in 1976, according to Courier Journal.
The 2026 capsule is far more ambitious. It includes contributions from all three branches of the federal government and letters from all living U.S. presidents. A bipartisan bill called the Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act has also been introduced. It would bury a second capsule on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
Controversy Shadows the Celebration's Official Organizer
America250 has not been without drama. The commission faced allegations of a "sexist and toxic" culture in 2022, leading to leadership changes and the appointment of Rosie Rios as Chair. Separately, a government watchdog group raised concerns about $100 million in taxpayer funds allegedly steered to a private, Trump-aligned group called "Freedom 250," according to Freep.
Despite the controversy, the commission pressed forward. Vice Chair Cathy Gillespie said the goal was to create an "enduring and true" record of this milestone moment. The July 4 burial in Philadelphia is expected to draw massive crowds, making the city the center of the nation's 250th anniversary events.
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