As part of its nationwide initiative celebrating the people, families, and communities that have shaped the United States over the past 250 years, Ancestry, in partnership with the National Constitution Center, will bring The Stories of US Discovery Center to Philadelphia. Open at the National Constitution Center from July 4 through August 31, 2026, the free interactive experience will invite visitors to uncover their family histories through search stations, storytelling experiences, and access to historical records that reveal connections between individual lives and the broader United States story.
Philadelphia serves as the culminating chapter of Ancestry's national “The Stories of US” campaign.
The Discovery Center aligns closely with the Center's national "Our Story Continues" campaign, which connects the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 to the 250th anniversary of the Constitution in 2037 and invites Americans to explore their place in the nation's ongoing story.
Through family records, historical documents, and personal storytelling, participants will discover how generations of Americans have contributed to the country's history and civic life. The experience encourages visitors to see themselves not only as inheritors of that legacy, but also as authors of the chapters yet to be written.
In conjunction with the activation, Ancestry and the City of Philadelphia are proud to announce their partnership to digitize approximately 20 million historical records and images over the next two years, including birth, marriage, death, naturalization, and property records. The project will preserve historically significant documents and expand access to the stories of the people that helped shape Philadelphia and the country.
