March 2, 2026
Washington, D.C. — The Freedom Plane soared into the sky Monday from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), launching a once-in-a-generation journey to share America’s founding history with communities across the country.
The specially outfitted Boeing 737—carrying original founding-era documents from the National Archives—departed Washington, D.C. to begin its historic eight-city tour in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The Documents That Forged a Nation exhibition will be free and open to the public at each two-week stop, bringing priceless historical treasures directly to communities from coast to coast.
The Freedom Plane prepares to land on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Courtesy of Matt Sarago)
The exhibition’s inaugural stop is the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, where it will open to the public on Friday, March 6.
To mark this historic event, an inauguration ceremony was held at DCA the morning of March 2nd, complete with the singing of the National Anthem, special remarks, and a procession of the documents onto the plane by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Freedom Plane prepares to land on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Courtesy of Matt Sarago)
Jim Byron, Senior Official at the National Archives, Ambassador Monica Crowley, Chief of Protocol of the United States, and Jeff Shockey, Executive Vice President of Government Operations, Global Public Policy and Corporate Strategy, The Boeing Company, gave remarks.
“What they prove today is that the nation…our Founding Fathers brought forth has more than survived the test of time–it has thrived,” said Byron. “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.”
Watch the full ceremony:
The plane landed in Kansas City, where Dr. Matthew Naylor, President & CEO of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, welcomed the documents with a formal ceremony. The documents were unloaded off the plane by the Kansas City Recruiting Battalion, U.S. Army.
(Courtesy of the National WWI Museum and Memorial)
“These documents declared independence, they won a war, and forged the constitutional democracy we cherish today,” said Patrick Madden, Chief Executive Officer of the National Archives Foundation, at the ceremony. “Seeing the original documents firsthand will…remind us that they are relevant to our lives today.”
“For many people, the opportunity to travel to DC to see these documents is limited,” noted Dr. Naylor. “And so for people here I think it means a great deal.”
Foundation CEO Patrick Madden speaks in Kansas City. (Courtesy of the National WWI Museum and Memorial)
The Freedom Plane’s debut flight drew national, regional, and local press coverage and generated widespread social media engagement, with viewers across the country tuning in to watch the Freedom Plane take off.
Following its Kansas City debut, the Freedom Plane will continue to seven additional cities throughout 2026. For more information about tour dates and how to see the documents on tour, visit FreedomPlane.org.
The Freedom Plane National Tour is sponsored by the National Archives Foundation with the support of The Boeing Company, Comcast, Microsoft and P&G. Additional support by FedEx.
