Issue 20, July 2026

Visit a Museum
on August 8

More than 120 museums around the state will participate in Washington Museum Day on August 8 by offering free or reduced admissions.

This day is designed to engage communities in history, arts and cultural experiences, and the public will be encouraged to visit a participating museum. It is one of many initiatives Washington state is promoting as part of America's 250th anniversary.

"Learning about our history, sharing our stories, and preserving our history for future generations is a key component of our approach to the semiquincentennial," said Lt. Governor Denny Heck, chair of the state's 250 planning committee.

Washington Museum Day is co-sponsored by the Washington Museum Association and the Washington State Historical Society. Museum Day will become an annual event in the state.

For a full list of participating museums, hours of operation and admissions, click the button below.

Museum Day Participants

History Assist Grant Opening Soon
for America's 250th

To leverage the momentum generated around history by America’s 250th, the History Assist Grant is designed to help organizations provide public access to history, particularly by growing their audiences.

This grant will fund capacity building and infrastructure that increases an organization’s ability to preserve, interpret, and share history with diverse audiences.

Opens: August 10
Applications Due: October 2

Awards: Up to $8,000 (no match required)

Eligibility: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, local governments, and Tribal entities who have a primary purpose to steward, interpret, or preserve history.

Grant guidelines will be released by the end of July.

America250 Grants

Share our Booth at the
Washington State Fair

We've got a great opportunity for some of our community partners to participate in the Washington State Fair in Puyallup this year by helping staff our America's 250th booth.

Thanks to the generous support of the state fair, the Washington State Historical Society will have a booth this year to promote state history as part of America's 250th. We are inviting our partners to help staff our booth and also display/share information about their organization as part of our booth display.

Dates: September 4-27 (closed Tuesdays and Sept. 9)
Hours: Varies, but generally 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

If your organization is interested in participating, please contact Lorraine Ralston at info@america250WA.org for more information.

Send Samples of Your 250th Materials

We've seen some wonderful items created as part of America's 250th this year ... from collectible coins to street banners to Christmas ornaments to flags. The creativity around the state has been amazing!

As we move toward the end of the anniversary year we are asking all partners to send us samples of materials they produced so we can include them in the final report and possibly be added to the collections of the Washington State Historical Society.

Before you throw things away, please put aside some samples and send them to:

Lorraine Ralston
Washington State Historical Society
1911 Pacific Ave
Tacoma, WA 98402

Digital materials (photos, videos, etc.) can be emailed to info@america250WA.org.

Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)

July 30 - August 16

Admission is free but timed tickets are required

Tickets for Freedom Plane Exhibit

AROUND WASHINGTON

Welcome to the Team!

Seymour History, our unofficial America's 250th ambassador,
welcomes the following cities to the America250 WA Team!

Lynnwood
(Snohomish County)

Colfax
(Whitman County)

Pullman
(Whitman County)

Renton
(King County)

Buckley
(Pierce County)

Edgewood
(Pierce County)

Bonney Lake
(Pierce County)

Brier
(Snohomish County)

Kennewick
(Benton County)

REMINDERS

Events Calendar

Partners can now submit their America's 250th events and activities on our new statewide events calendar for 2026.

America Gives portal

The national America250 Committee is donating $1 million toward volunteer projects. Log your volunteer hours on the national portal to become eligible for a chance to be one of 250 winners who will choose where that million goes.

This planning guide for partners provides an overview of America's 250th in Washington and includes ideas, tips, and resources for any partner to be part of this important historic milestone.

Marketing Toolkit

The marketing toolkit has templates for posters, flyers, street banners, social media, etc. All templates can be customized with your logo and our Washington 250 logo.

Note: Partners must sign the logo use agreement to access and use the marketing toolkit.

This Week in Washington History

"This Week in Washington History" is a social media project in collaboration with our partner HistoryLink that will highlight interesting facts and significant dates in our state's history during 2026. Find our @America250WA accounts on Facebook and Instagram to follow along.

Partner Reporting Form

Share your America's 250th photos, videos, or digital copies of flyers, posters, articles, proclamations, etc., with this simple form. These materials will be used to help create our final report for the entire state.

25 for 250

Here is a list of 25 simple things anyone in the state can do to be part of America's 250th. This list is ideal for public engagement in your community.

KEY 2026 DATES

Day of Service: Sunday, June 14, 2026

Communities will organize local service projects such as helping digitize historical photographs at your history museum or participating in community cleanup events.

Independence Day: Saturday, July 4, 2026

Incorporate our official themes of America's 250th anniversary—We the People, Power of Place, and Sharing History—into your existing July 4th activities.

Washington Museum Day: Saturday, August 8, 2026

In collaboration with the Washington Museum Association, museums across the state will offer free or discounted admission and promote the “Out of Many, One” project.

Day of Civic Engagement: Thursday September 17, 2026

Communities are invited to plan activities to inspire civic participation such as hosting voter registration, meet-and-greets with civic leaders, or a civics-themed trivia night.

STATE COMMITTEE