America250 celebrations are underway nationwide to mark the United States’ semiquincentennial today, ranging from the largest synchronized Fourth of July celebration ever staged to the cross-country America 250 Relay.
Among the most distinctive efforts is America’s Time Capsule, an official initiative designed to preserve a “representative snapshot of the United States at 250 years.”
The 900-pound steel capsule has already been packed with artifacts collected from across the nation and will be ceremonially buried today, July 4, 2026, at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia. It will stay sealed for the next 250 years, with plans to reopen it in 2276 when the country celebrates its 500th anniversary.
A bipartisan America250 team curated more than 200 items, drawing contributions from all three branches of government, all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and numerous national partners and institutions.
California’s contributions to America’s Time Capsule
California has submitted the following items to the capsule:
- Letter from the Governor: A message from Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom
- Fusion Superconductor: A conductor segment developed in San Diego by General Atomics, symbolizing advancements in clean energy
- California Innovation $1 coin: A commemorative coin honoring Steve Jobs
- My California Poem: A piece titled “My California,” written by current Poet Laureate Lee Herrick
- NASA Photo: A satellite image of California captured by NASA’s MODIS instrument, showing the state’s winter landscape
- Claude AI Prediction: A printed response imagining what California might look like 250 years after July 4, 2026
- Qubit Chip: A quantum computing chip from UC Berkeley, highlighting the UC system’s research and innovation
What else is inside the capsule?
America250 developed the capsule in partnership with scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and preservation specialists from the Library of Congress. The cylindrical steel container is engineered to keep its contents protected and dry for the next two and a half centuries.
The capsule has already been sealed with a wide variety of items for future generations to discover, including a letter from project lead Michael Berilla.
“Greetings from the living, breathing hearts and hands of 2026,” Berilla wrote, according to PBS. “We will have long since returned to dust, but our devotion, pride, and unwavering hope for what our world could become are alive right here inside this steel. We built this for you.”
Additional items include a bone from an endangered North Atlantic right whale (Maine), a beaded artwork by Crow/Hidatsa/Arikara artist Karis Jackson (Montana), handwritten notecards from everyday residents (Louisiana), and a bolo tie (New Mexico).
Partner organizations also contributed pieces, such as an Olympic gold medal with pins from Milano Cortina 2026, a sample of Smithsonite from the Smithsonian, and a pocket Constitution signed by eleven past and current Supreme Court justices.
You can visit America250.org/time-capsule to explore the full collection and learn more.
