Overview
- The capsule will be buried at Independence National Historical Park on July 4, 2026, and is scheduled to be opened on July 4, 2276.
- The roughly 3-foot-by-2-foot cylindrical vessel features multiple sealed inner chambers and an outer bell-jar air pocket, a round design chosen to reduce failure points where water could intrude.
- NIST is constructing the pod in Gaithersburg with input from Library of Congress preservation experts and coordination with the National Park Service, which will steward the site after burial.
- Planned contents include items from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the five inhabited territories, all three federal branches, student submissions, sports memorabilia, and pieces from the 2026 Rose Parade, with the full list to be revealed in May or June.
- Public access includes a replica at the White House Visitor Center starting April 1 and a brief display of the actual capsule in Philadelphia shortly before burial, while coverage cites differing state submission deadlines reported as March 15 or April 30.