Smoky Hill Museum
On July 4, 2026, our nation will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. A new exhibit, Moments That Made US, explores the ideals at the heart of this document. Come explore how generations of Americans have given meaning to these founding principles.
Starting July 1, this exhibit spans five locations in Salina with panels provided by the Smoky Hill Museum. It will remain on exhibit through the end of August.
· The Garage – Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness
· Salina Arts Center – Free & Independent States
· Salina Public Library – Created Equal
· Smoky Hill Museum – We Mutually Pledge
· The Temple – Consent of the Governed
Moments That Made US is a special exhibition during the America 250 commemoration that explores how generations of Americans have given meaning to the ideals set out in the Declaration of Independence.
The exhibition looks back across centuries and highlights both challenging and celebratory times from the colonial era to more recent generations. The exhibition explores five themes drawn directly from the Declaration of Independence: Created Equal; Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness; Free and Independent States; Consent of the Governed; and We Mutually Pledge. The featured moments from American history inspire curiosity about the events that shaped the nation. They remind us that our story was never inevitable, we shaped it at every turn.
The exhibition was developed through a multi-state collaboration to ensure that Americans throughout the nation would have the opportunity to meaningfully engage in the nation’s 250th anniversary. It adapts the acclaimed Moments That Made US exhibition created by History Colorado and currently on view at the History Colorado Center in Denver.
The print-on-demand version of Moments That Made US was developed in collaboration with Arizona America 250, History Colorado, Oklahoma Historical Society and Washington State Historical Society. Additional distribution support was provided by California Association of Museums, Kansas Museums Association, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, America 250 Oregon, America’s 250th South Dakota, Humanities Texas, and Utah Division of Arts and Museums.
Dates:
July 1 to the end of August, 2026
Locations & Times:
Smoky Hill Museum, 211 West Iron Avenue, Tuesdays-Fridays 11-5 and Saturdays 10-5
The Garage, 134 S 4th Street, Thursdays 10-8, Fridays-Saturdays 10-5, Sundays 1-5
Salina Public Library, 301 W Elm Street, Mondays-Thurdays 9-8, Fridays 10-6, Saturdays 10-5, Sundays noon-5
Salina Art Center, 242 S. Santa Fe Avenue, Tuesdays-Saturdays 10-6, Sundays 1-2
The Temple, 336 S Santa Fe Avenue