Documents are traveling the country aboard the Boeing 737 “Freedom Plane” for display at major museums for the first time in history.
HOUSTON—On January 20, 2026, the National Archives and Records Administration, in partnership with the National Archives Foundation, announced the “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” traveling exhibition that will bring Founding-era documents to eight American cities throughout 2026. Inspired by the Bicentennial Freedom Train, the Freedom Plane National Tour will make historic and consequential documents fundamental to America’s founding accessible across the nation to celebrate the semiquincentennial. Now entering the halfway mark through the tour, the exhibition will be open at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) Saturday, May 9 – Monday, May 25 (members see it first Friday, May 8).
“As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, there is no more fitting tribute than bringing these original documents, leaving the National Archives together for the very first time, directly to the American people,” says Joel Bartsch, President and CEO of HMNS. “From George Washington’s oath as a Continental Army officer to the Treaty of Paris that secured our independence, these are not replicas or reproductions. They are the genuine records, and Houston will have the rare privilege of experiencing them in person this May.”
“Through our critical support of the Freedom Plane National Tour, the National Archives Foundation is helping to bring not only founding-era documents themselves, but the patriotism, celebration, and wonder that they inspire, to Americans everywhere—from sea to shining sea,” said National Archives Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Patrick M. Madden.
Boeing will provide the aircraft and associated operational support to transport the records between the venues.
“At Boeing, we’re honored to help bring these foundational documents directly to communities across the country,” said Jeff Shockey, Executive Vice President of Boeing Government Operations, Global Public Policy & Corporate Strategy. “Just as flight connects people and places, this tour will connect Americans to the ideas and sacrifices that forged our nation, and make history accessible to people from coast to coast.”
The “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” exhibition will visit the following cities:
- Kansas City, MO: National WWI Museum and Memorial: Fri, March 6 – Sun, March 22
- Atlanta, GA: Atlanta History Center: Fri, March 27 – Sun, April 12
- Los Angeles, CA: University of Southern California Fisher Museum of Art: Fri, April 17 – Sun, May 3
- Houston, TX: Houston Museum of Natural Science: Fri, May 8 – Mon, May 25
- Denver, CO: History Colorado Center: Thu, May 28 – Sun, June 14
- Miami, FL: HistoryMiami Museum: Sat, June 20 – Sun, July 5
- Dearborn, MI: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: Thu, July 9 – Sun, July 26
- Seattle, WA: Museum of History & Industry: Thu, July 30 – Sun, August 16
The original National Archives records featured in the exhibition are traveling together for the first time. They will journey from Washington, DC to all eight cities via a Boeing 737 in Freedom Plane livery. Some of the documents include:
- Original Engraving of the Declaration of Independence, 1823: One of only about 50 known engraved copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed from a copperplate of the original. Commissioned by John Quincy Adams and made by engraver William J. Stone, the engraving captured the size, text, lettering, and signatures of the original document (on loan from David M. Rubenstein).
- Articles of Association, 1774: Signed by all 53 delegates, the Articles of Association urged colonists to boycott British goods and was the Continental Congress’s first major unified act of resistance against Britain.
- George Washington’s, Alexander Hamilton’s, and Aaron Burr’s Oaths of Allegiance, 1778: Oaths of Allegiance that all officers of the Continental Army signed during the Revolutionary War.
- Treaty of Paris, 1783: Signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay, this Treaty with Great Britain formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.
- Secret Printing of the Constitution in Draft Form, 1787:A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution in draft form, with the delegate’s handwritten notes made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
- Tally of Votes Approving the Constitution, 1787:The voting records of the Constitutional Convention reflecting the debates, resolutions, and eventual vote on the final text that would become the Constitution.
The exhibition will be free and open to the public at all eight venues. The exhibition will be open at HMNS Saturday, May 9 – Monday, May 25 (members see it first Friday, May 8). For more information, visit our website at www.hmns.org or call (713) 639-4629.
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.
Local support is provided by
Lead Underwriter
Sarofim Foundation
Major Corporate Underwriter
Coca-Cola
Additional support is provided by the Laurie and Reed Morian Foundation, David DeVido, Marli Andrade and Alfred C. Glassell, III, Ann and John Bookout, the Gordon A. Cain Foundation, Anne and Albert Chao, Carolyn and Platt Davis, Lois Davis, The Duncan Fund, Cherie and Jim Flores, The Frost/Lopez Family, Susie and Mel Glasscock, Annie and Bob Graham, Cynthia and Ben Guill, Tracy and Randy Hale, the Holthouse Foundation for Kids, the Kinder Foundation, Colleen and John Kotts, Phuong and George Levan, Bobbie Nau, John L. Nau, III, Karen and Dean Patrinely, Nancy and David Pustka, Beth Robertson and Steve Pearce, Eliza and Stuart W. Stedman, Meg and Dick Weekley, Hilda and Greg Curran, Kelly and Bill Montgomery, Sara Dodd-Denton and Will Denton, Mary and John Eads, Jenny Elkins, Martha and Richard Finger, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Kay and Ned Holmes, Anne Lamkin Kinder, Susan and David Lazarus, Shelli and Steve Lindley, Joella and Steve Mach, Lisa and Will Mathis, Diane and David Modesett, Shanell and Walker Moody, Rob Mosbacher, Susanne and William E. Pritchard III, Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis, Jennifer M. Segal, Carolyn and Garry Tanner, Ann G. Trammell, Randa and K. C. Weiner, Stacy and John Wilkirson, Cyvia Wolff, Woodforest National Bank, and Carolyn and John H. Young.
About the National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration is a federal agency that serves the American people by preserving and making available the records of the United States Government through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries. The National Archives is the custodian of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, on display for all to experience in Washington, DC. Learn more about the holdings of the National Archives at www.archives.gov.
About the National Archives Foundation
The National Archives Foundation is an independent nonprofit foundation that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage, and encourages citizen engagement in our democracy. The Foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world. Learn more at www.archivesfoundation.org.
About Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Museum of Natural Science—one of the nation’s most heavily attended museums—is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With five floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and George Observatory and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at 5555 Hermann Park Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure.
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