"Freedom Plane National Tour" takes flight
“Documents That Forged A Nation” on display for the first time in history beginning Friday, March 6, 2026 in Kansas City, MO
WASHINGTON, March 2, 2026 -- For the first time in history, unique and original Founding-era documents have taken flight as part of the Freedom Plane National Tour.
The documents are now traveling the country as part of the National Archives’ celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. These historic documents will travel to each corner of the country, allowing Americans the opportunity to celebrate the semiquincentennial in their hometowns.
The Freedom Plane prepares to land on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Courtesy of Matt Sarago)
The Freedom Plane officially took off Monday from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC en route to Kansas City, MO — its first destination of eight U.S. cities throughout 2026. The National Archives and Records Administration, in partnership with the National Archives Foundation and its generous donors, is sharing these records nationwide to allow those who will not visit Washington, DC an opportunity to connect with history.
“What they prove today is that the nation that our Founding Fathers brought forth has more than survived the test of time – it has thrived,” said Jim Byron, Senior Official at the National Archives Serving with the Authority of the Archivist of the United States. “And 250 years on, we are charged with carrying on what they started, to ensure that this noble American experiment lives on, boldly and proudly.”
(Left to right) Jeff Shockey, Executive Vice President of Government Operations, Global Public Policy and Corporate Strategy, The Boeing Company, Ambassador Monica Crowley, Chief of Protocol of the United States, Jim Byron, Senior Official Serving with the Authority of Archivist of the United States, and Patrick Madden, Chief Executive Officer, National Archives Foundation, stand in front of the Freedom Plane ahead of its inaugural flight on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Courtesy of the National Archives Foundation)
“To do that, we need to make sure that Americans know that they are the beneficial heirs to the concepts that the Founding Fathers wrote into history in these very documents,” Byron said. “Hopefully, the Freedom Plane National Tour inspires our fellow Americans to champion our nation’s founding ideals into the future.”
The Freedom Plane prepares for takeoff ahead of its inaugural flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Courtesy of the National Archives Foundation)
The Freedom Plane will carry and deliver some of the most valuable records in the holdings of the National Archives, including the Oaths of Allegiance signed by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr; a Stone Engraving of the Declaration of Independence; the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War; a draft printing of the U.S. Constitution; and the U.S. Senate markup of the Bill of Rights. A full list of the documents on display is available at freedomplane.org.
At the send off event Monday, Chief of Protocol of the United States Ambassador Monica Crowley said, “It really is the best gift that we can give younger generations of Americans to have that sense of America. The National Archives has accomplished this to the absolute fullest, finding new and exciting ways to invite all Americans to journey through our exceptional nation’s exceptional past.”
(Left to right) Jim Byron, Senior Official Serving with the Authority of Archivist of the United States, Ambassador Monica Crowley, Chief of Protocol of the United States, Jeff Shockey, Executive Vice President of Government Operations, Global Public Policy and Corporate Strategy, The Boeing Company, and Secretary Rodney Slater, President and Chair, National Archives Foundation Board of Directors, cut a ceremonial ribbon in front of the Freedom Plane ahead of its inaugural flight on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Courtesy of the National Archives Foundation)
The Freedom Plane, inspired by the Bicentennial Freedom Train, is a Boeing 737 in special livery, graciously provided by The Boeing Company.
On Friday, March 6, 2026, the traveling exhibition will open in its first destination at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO. The exhibit in Kansas City, MO will run through Sunday, March 22, 2026 before moving to its next destination.
Tickets for the exhibit are free to the public at all stops on the Freedom Plane National Tour.
Following its visit to Kansas City, MO, the “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” exhibition will visit the following cities:
- Atlanta, GA: Atlanta History Center: Friday, March 27 – Sunday, April 12
- Los Angeles, CA: University of Southern California Fisher Museum of Art: Friday, April 17 – Sunday, May 3
- Houston, TX: Houston Museum of Natural Science: Friday, May 8 – Monday, May 25
- Denver, CO: History Colorado Center: Thursday, May 28 – Sunday, June 14
- Miami, FL: HistoryMiami Museum: Saturday, June 20 – Sunday, July 5
- Dearborn, MI: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: Thursday, July 9 – Sunday, July 26
- Seattle, WA: Museum of History & Industry: Thursday, July 30 – Sunday, August 16
A livestream of the takeoff event is available here. To learn more about the Freedom Plane, visit freedomplane.org.
The Freedom Plane takes off on Monday, March 2, 2026 from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Courtesy of the National Archives Foundation)
The Freedom Plane National Tour is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation, through the generous support of The Boeing Company, Comcast Corporation, Microsoft, and P&G. Additional support is provided by FedEx.
Are you a member of the media who would like to cover this exhibit? For media inquiries, please contact the National Archives External Affairs and Communications via email at public.affairs@nara.gov.