Read the original press release on Smithsonian Newsdesk
The Smithsonian received a momentous $40 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., one of the world’s largest private philanthropic foundations, that will enable the institution to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary—or semiquincentennial—in 2026. The Smithsonian’s vision is to bring together people from all backgrounds and communities to reflect on what it means to be an American. The celebration will include special exhibitions and programming at the Smithsonian’s museums, an extension and expansion of the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the temporary reopening of the Arts and Industries Building and Smithsonian Castle, along with special events and digital activities that make the Smithsonian accessible across the nation.
“I am so pleased to build on the fifteen years of support and partnership we have had from Lilly Endowment,” said Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III. “Their generous grant activates our celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, enabling exciting programs that will explore our American heritage. We will explore our past to better understand who we are today. By taking this time to reflect on what it means to be an American, we can work together to create a more dynamic and better future for everyone.”
Throughout 2026, the Smithsonian museums will create unique and memorable opportunities and experiences for the anticipated fifty million visitors expected in Washington, D.C., that year. Several museums will host major events, including the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the National Air and Space Museum’s downtown location, the reopening of the Hirshhorn Museum’s transformed Sculpture Garden and the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s tenth anniversary celebration.
The centerpiece of the Smithsonian’s celebration, an expanded Folklife Festival, hosted by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, will transform the National Mall into a living testament to the country’s remarkable cultural heritage for the millions of visitors anticipated in summer 2026. In addition, the Smithsonian’s two oldest buildings, the Smithsonian Castle and the Arts and Industries Building, while both under renovation, will temporarily reopen in 2026 so they can serve as a visitor center and convening space.
The Smithsonian will leverage the excitement surrounding the semiquincentennial to engage Americans around the country through Regional Collaboratives, which will launch in fall 2024 and continue through 2026 and beyond. At their core, Regional Collaboratives are community-based collaborations where the Smithsonian and national partners will co-create programming and content with local organizations based upon community feedback, interests and identified needs. By collaborating with trusted local sources, the Institution advances its efforts to become a valued source of information at the regional level with new groups and communities that are less familiar with or have limited access to Smithsonian resources and expertise.
“The Smithsonian is among the most trusted sources of knowledge about our nation’s history and the diverse faiths, cultures, and experiences that have shaped and continue to shape American life,” said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment’s chairman and CEO. “The 250th anniversary presents a historic opportunity for the Smithsonian to lead an expansive celebration that recognizes the aspirations, values, challenges, and resiliency reflected in our shared history. It is a privilege for Lilly Endowment to support the Smithsonian’s compelling vision for marking this important milestone in the life of our country.”
Since 2010, Lilly Endowment has awarded grants to the Smithsonian totaling more than $105 million, including this $40 million grant, among others for construction, curators, and a center on African American religious life at the National Museum of African American History and Culture; for curators, programs, and construction of a gallery on religion in the U.S. at the National Museum of American History; and for the design and construction of the National Museum of the American Latino. A nearly $1.5 million grant supported the Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S. program at the 2023 Folklife Festival.
About the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future
The Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future—a combined effort that is securing funds for all Smithsonian museums, libraries, education, outreach, and research centers and the National Zoo in support of a single, bold vision: to build a better future for all. Learn more about Our Shared Future.
About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the endowment, the endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
