America’s Time Capsule is about to go underground until the year 2276. In honor of America’s 250th birthday, America250 will bury the historic zombie-proof repository this July 4 at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And you don’t have to be in the City of Brotherly Love to see it. A live stream of the event will begin on July 4 at 8:30 a.m. EDT.

America250 time capsule burial

Speakers will include Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Semiquincentennial U.S. Commissioners Reginald Browne and Cathy Gillespie, America250 Executive Vice President Jennifer Condon, and Independence National Historical Park Superintendent Thomas Caramanico.

All 50 states, Washington, DC, and five U.S. territories contributed articles to the time capsule. Some notable items include fabric from Brother Wright’s plane, a North Atlantic right whale bone, a feather from a bald eagle that served in the Civil War, an Olympic gold medal, and an Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The time capsule is a multi-year collaboration between America250, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Library of Congress, the National Park Service, the Independence Historical Trust, and additional project partners. The stainless steel capsule was built to withstand 250 years of water and consists primarily of two sections. A tube-shaped container holds the capsule’s precious cargo, while a larger bell-shaped device seals it with an air pocket. That jar works similar to pushing a bucket upside down in a puddle of water.

The high-tech box will remain buried within Independence National Historical Park, the site where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed. It will remain sealed until July 4, 2276.

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