Dear Friends,

I’m writing to share news of a transformative gift to the National Constitution Center that will support our mission to bring the Constitution to life for all Americans as we approach America’s 250th birthday.

Thanks to an extraordinary $15 million gift from Kenneth C. Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, we are thrilled to announce two new exhibit galleries opening in 2026. These galleries will open in February and May of next year as part of our celebration of American independence.

In the new galleries, visitors will have the rare opportunity to see two historic founding-era documents from Ken Griffin’s collection on public display:

• A first-edition copy of the U.S. Constitution, one of just 14 known official printings from the Constitutional Convention
• A first separate printing of amendments proposed by the House of Representatives—10 of which would become our Bill of Rights

Over the coming months, we’ll share more about our plans for America’s 250th birthday, including how we are:

• developing and disseminating new core educational products including a new Interactive Declaration of Independence; 
• modeling civil dialogue through convenings across America; and
• leading the way for a high-visibility, high-impact commemoration in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

All of us at the National Constitution Center are honored to work on behalf of the NCC’s mission to inspire awareness and understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the American idea. Please learn more about what’s ahead by visiting our website, where you can register for upcoming installments of our America’s Town Hall series, find the latest episodes of our We the People podcast, and plan your next visit. We can’t wait to celebrate America 250 with you in 2026 and for a year full of light and learning about the Declaration and the Constitution! 

With great appreciation,

Jeffrey Rosen

President and CEO

National Constitution Center

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