The Finney County Historical Museum has been selected to host “Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy,” a traveling exhibit planned next year from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
The Kansas tour of “Declaration 1776” is sponsored by the Topeka-based Humanities Kansas organization, and the museum in Garden City is scheduled to show the display from June 27 to July 26 of 2026 in the Front Door Gallery. Humanities Kansas announced the selection this week.
“Declaration 1776” uses primary sources to illustrate how Americans and people across the world have been inspired by the Declaration in the pursuit of equality and self-determination. The Kansas traveling display also includes a section called “Kansas 1776,” which looks at what was happening on the land that would become the state of Kansas 250 years ago.
The idea that “all men are created equal” was revolutionary at the time the Declaration was issued in 1776, with the nation’s founders unleashing a driving force that would reshape history. Around the world, other countries have declared independence with the U.S. Declaration as a model.
The local museum is one of several Kansas venues chosen to host the exhibit during the 250th anniversary year. A full schedule of locations and dates is being posted at humanitieskansas.org.
The Finney County Museum is located at 403 S. Fourth Street in Garden City’s Finnup Park. Admission is free and summer display hours at the time of the exhibit will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, plus 1-5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is operated by the Finney County Historical Society. The museum and Garden City Arts will also be collaborating on another exhibit in 2026, at dates still being determined, that will focus on the nation’s semiquincentennial.
The Front Door Gallery is a small space just inside the museum’s main entrance where four to five temporary exhibits are staged each year. Displays there are supported locally by the Steve Stone Memorial Fund.
“Declaration 1776 is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to for Kansas communities to participate in the national commemoration of America’s 250th birthday, right in their own hometowns,” said Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas executive director. “We look forward to robust community conversations about America’s founding document and its impact on the world.”
The traveling exhibit is possible in Kansas with support from the Kansas Arts Commission and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.
Humanities Kansas, an independent nonprofit organization, received more than five dozen applications to host the traveling display.
“Since 1972,” according to Mulvihill, “HK’s programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and invite new insights. Together with statewide partners and supporters, HK encourages Kansans to draw on diverse histories, literatures, and cultures to create connections with one another and strengthen Kansas communities and our democracy.”
