Freedom Plane lands at Denver Airport, bringing rare founding documents to Colorado for first time
May 29, 2026, 9:43 AM
The Freedom Plane touched down at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, delivering some of the most important documents in American history to Colorado for a free, limited-run exhibition that opens Thursday.
The “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” will be on display at the History Colorado Center from May 28 through June 14. The traveling exhibition, organized by the National Archives and Records Administration and the National Archives Foundation, features nine original Founding-era documents — many of which have never left Washington, D.C. Among them: Oaths of Allegiance signed by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr; a Stone Engraving of the Declaration of Independence; the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War; and a draft printing of the U.S. Constitution.
“It’s tangible history, and tangible history inspires,” said Jim Byron, senior adviser to the acting archivist of the United States. “These documents have not traveled, and they’ve certainly not traveled collectively, ever.”
Denver is one of only eight cities nationwide selected for the tour, which commemorates America’s 250th anniversary and is inspired by the iconic Bicentennial Freedom Train that crisscrossed the country in 1976. The documents are traveling aboard a specially painted Boeing 737 provided by The Boeing Company. Previous stops have included Kansas City, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Houston. After Denver, the tour heads to Miami, Dearborn, Michigan, and Seattle. The America 250–Colorado 150 Commission has designated the Freedom Plane as one of its official signature initiatives.
Admission to the Freedom Plane exhibition is free, with timed-entry tickets available through History Colorado’s website. General admission to the rest of the museum is also available, and the center is offering members-only early access from 9 to 10 a.m. on select dates. Private group bookings for evening events are also open. Tickets and information can be found at historycolorado.org.
