The entire U.S. Constitution is to go on display for the first time as part of the National Archives’ celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation.
The Constitution and the original Bill of Rights will be presented, along with the 17 constitutional amendments, in the National Archives building in D.C., according to a National Archives news release.
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The exhibit will be open to the public inside the National Archives’ Rotunda from Sept. 16 through Oct. 1.
The National Archives always houses the Declaration of Independence, the four-page Constitution and Bill of Rights.
But the upcoming exhibit will feature the full document, including the fifth page, also known as the transmittal page, which explained how to carry out the articles laid out in the Constitution. That fifth page is rarely displayed; the National Archives first included it in a display in 2012 to celebrate the document’s 225th anniversary.
“This original document outlines a set of instructions to the States on how to implement the Constitution, signed by George Washington as President of the Constitutional Convention,” the release states.
“As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, the National Archives is playing a major role in the coast-to-coast commemorations by providing the American people access to their history,” Jim Byron, senior adviser to the acting archivist of the U.S., said in the release. “This extraordinary installation welcomes all Americans to celebrate the bedrock of our national life: our Constitution.”
The National Archives said visitors to the two-week display should expect longer than usual wait times and reserve timed-entry tickets at Recreation.gov.
The National Archives Museum will be open for extra hours on weekends while the Constitution is on display. The museum will be open until 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, and Sunday, Sept. 21, as well as Saturday, Sept. 27, and Sunday, Sept. 28.
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