Official America250 Partner
Explore the ideals, conflicts and turning points that shaped our nation.
The Story of US
An America250 Exhibition at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum
Full Exhibition April 20 – December 31, 2026
Opening the Vault | Rare Documents April 20 – May 24, 2026
Commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American experiment with The Story of US: America at 250—a once-in-a-generation exhibition of America’s most treasured documents and rarely seen artifacts.
America’s founding was made with a bold promise: that freedom, equality, justice and the right to shape our own destiny belong to all people. For nearly 250 years, those ideals have guided the nation’s journey—tested, challenged and redefined by each generation.
The Truman Library’s America250 exhibition, The Story of US, traces this journey through a visual timeline of pivotal moments in our nation’s first 250 years. Spotlighting President Truman’s leadership during one of the most consequential periods in U.S. history—from the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations to the desegregation of the armed forces and the defense of democracy during the Cold War—the exhibition explores what American leadership, citizenship and global responsibility mean in practice.
Through immersive storytelling, rare artifacts and dynamic educational programming, The Story of US illuminates the past, engages the present, and invites visitors to imagine how they can shape our nation’s future.
From the founding ideals that unite us to the challenges that shape us, step into a bold exploration of leadership, citizenship and democracy. America’s story isn’t finished—it’s still being written by all of us.
This is a “once-in-a-lifetime encounter with nearly two dozen of the most important, most revealing, most consequential documents in U.S. history. The same pages you’ll see at the Truman Library once crossed the desks of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln. The story feels alive in their presence.”
–David Von Drehle
Award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author
OPENING APRIL 20, 2026
The Story of US: America at 250 is included with admission at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. While the traveling documents will be on display only through May 24, the full exhibition will remain on view throughout 2026.
SEE IT AS A MEMBER
Enjoy free museum admission, Museum store discounts, and member-exclusive events with your Truman Library Institute membership card.
Annual memberships start at just $35 and open the door to all presidential libraries of the National Archives.
RELATED EVENTS
America250 initiatives are made possible, in part, by generous support from members, donors and America250 underwriters, including:
William T. Kemper Foundation – Commerce Bank, Trustee
Mary Kay and Brad Speaks
Missouri Humanities and the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund
JE Dunn Construction
Mary and R. James Stilley, Jr.
Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts – Commerce Bank, Trustee
Your contribution is a gift to America’s future.