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In 2026, the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday. Across the country and across Ohio, celebrations and special events are taking place. The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums — the estate, home, library, museum and burial site of the 19th U.S. president and first lady — is the perfect place to celebrate America's rich history.

 

Here are the offerings Hayes Presidential has planned for America 250. This list will be updated as more events are added. 

 

 

Special exhibit: “Welcome to the World’s Fair: Philadelphia 1876”

Friday, March 27, 2026 - Wednesday, June 30, 2027

 

A century after a handful of colonists declared their independence from Great Britain, the growing United States celebrated its success at the democratic experiment in grand fashion.

The Philadelphia Centennial Exposition was a world’s fair that demonstrated the young American republic’s innovations in science, agriculture, industry and the arts. The 6-month long event attracted prominent speakers from across the country, including the Republican candidate for president, Rutherford B. Hayes. 

With the United States celebrating 250 years of the American experiment, the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums remembers the 150th anniversary of the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition with the special exhibit “Welcome to the World’s Fair: Philadelphia 1876.”

The exhibit shares the history of the exposition, discuss its impact on American culture and society and display artifacts from the exposition. Accompanying the Centennial exhibit, the museum will also feature a gallery of artifacts from its collection from the American Revolution in homage to 250 years of American independence.

“As we celebrate America 250, this exhibit is interesting because it gives us a look into how people have celebrated U.S. independence in the past, and it gives us a glimpse into a grand spectacle that we don’t really see much anymore,” said Kevin Moore, Hayes Presidential curator of artifacts.

Read more here: https://www.rbhayes.org/news/2026/03/26/general/special-exhibit-welcome-to-the-world-s-fair-philadelphia-1876-open-through-june-30-2027/

This exhibit is sponsored by the Randolph J. & Estelle M. Dorn Foundation.

 

 

Author talk: “Ohio: Gateway to America” by Dan Rager, Ph.D

Saturday, May 9

10 a.m. to noon

 

Dan Rager, an emeritus professor of music, chronicles the step-by-step history of Ohio’s ground transportation system in his new book that covers 250 years of American Indian trails, stage coaches, taverns and inns, canals and locks, steamboats, railroads, interurbans, bicycles, motor bikes, automobiles, road development and beyond. His presentation will bring to life Ohio’s history through photos, maps and detailed descriptions of past generations. His talk will explain how our history transcended into what we have today. 

Rager has dedicated 35 years as a distinguished music educator, composer and conductor. His expertise in wind and orchestral music has garnered him international acclaim as his compositions and published work reach audiences in over 200 countries. As an Ohio historian, he has published eight books on Ohio railroads, interurbans and recently, the state’s transportation history on all forms of traveling from America’s founding in 1776 to present day.

Admission is free. The program will be in the museum auditorium. This talk is part of Hayes Presidential’s America 250 celebration, which is partially funded by Albrechta & Liebold, Ltd., Attorneys at Law.

 

Frederick Douglass Speaks on American Democracy

Tuesday, May 12

6 to 7:30 p.m.

 

Join a living history presenter portraying Frederick Douglass, a former slave turned writer, orator, abolitionist and civil rights leader for a conversation about the meaning of American democracy on Tuesday, May 12, in the historic Hayes Home.

During this program, Nathan M. Richardson will portray Douglass, who was born into slavery in Maryland, and share how Douglass escaped bondage and became a public speaker, author and leader.

They will hear how Douglass’ views on the U.S. Constitution and American democracy evolved and about his relationships with suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony; abolitionist and journalist William Lloyd Garrison; Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman; and Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield.

Richardson also will take questions from the audience. The program will be appropriate for young audiences, as well as adults.

The program is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the large parlor of the Hayes Home. Seating is limited, and tickets are required. They are available below. Members will need to log in to receive their discount. 

Member tickets

 

Non-member tickets

 

 Tickets for non-members are $15 per person ages 13 and older and $7 for ages 6 to 12. Tickets for Hayes Presidential members are $12 for ages 13 and older and $5 for ages 6 to 12. Kids 5 and under are admitted for free.

Douglass and Hayes have ties during Hayes’ years in the White House. Hayes appointed Douglass the U.S. marshal of Washington, D.C., and the two were friendly. In Hayes Presidential’s collections are items of correspondence, including a telegram of condolence that Douglass sent to Hayes when First Lady Lucy Hayes died.

Partial funding for America 250 events is provided by Albrechta & Liebold, Ltd., Attorneys at Law.

 

Tree Tours

Monthly: May - August, also October

See the many trees of Spiegel Grove and learn about their types and history during a variety of tree tours offered throughout the spring and summer.

This year, tree tour guide John Havens, Hayes Presidential Library & Museums building and grounds superintendent, will dress in colonial garb and add some early American tree history to the tours in honor of America’s semiquincentennial, or 250th birthday this year.

Tours last about an hour and cover different trees and topics ranging from giant trees to trees that President Rutherford B. Hayes and his descendants named in honor of people they admired. These tours enhance the experience of walking at Spiegel Grove, an official arboretum and estate of the president and his wife, First Lady Lucy Hayes.

Schedule and tickets here: https://www.rbhayes.org/news/2026/04/02/general/tour-spiegel-grove-arboretum-learn-about-tree-history-with-colonial-facts-sprinkled-in-for-america-250-with-tree-tours/. 

Tree tours are part of Hayes Presidential’s year-long America 250 celebration. Partial funding for America 250 events is provided by Albrechta & Liebold, Ltd., Attorneys at Law.

 

 

Independence Day Concert and America 250 Picnic and Events

July 4, 2026 • 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

 

On July 4, 2025, America turns 250, and the site of America’s first presidential library is the perfect place to celebrate. Enjoy a day of nostalgic fun, an old-fashioned picnic and a patriotic concert by a band featuring members of the Toledo Symphony at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums. 

Bring a picnic or purchase food on-site at Spiegel Grove, the 25-acre wooded estate of 19th U.S. President Rutherford and First Lady Lucy Hayes. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., enjoy games from days past, kids’ activities, curator talks about American history and speakers giving historic speeches. 

The event will culminate with the annual Independence Day Concert, performed by the Toledo Concert Band from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the verandah of the Historic Hayes Home. The concert band features members of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. Bring a chair or blanket for seating on the spacious Hayes Home lawn. Admission to the picnic, games, talks and concert is free.

The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and paid tours of the historic Hayes Home will be offered throughout the day. Discounted admission to the home and museum will be available. 

The updated schedule will be posted here. Partial funding for America 250 events is provided by Albrechta & Liebold, Ltd., Attorneys at Law.

Special exhibit: 'Warrior Dogs & Faithful Companions'

Oct. 1 - 31, 2026

 

This exhibit showcases Ohio artist James Mellick’s signature wood forms Armed Forces canines. Each dog represents a different military campaign, as well as the injuries that their human counterparts endure. Mellick created the installation to raise awareness of the sacrifices made by veterans and their needs now. The nine canine sculptures are both humbling and healing, representing a special bond between the soldiers and canines. To this end, the display of these sculptures is for the purpose of:

  • Opening dialogue and encouraging psychological healing for veterans and families
  • Calling attention to the ongoing needs of physically and psychologically wounded veterans through our bond and connection with our faithful canine companions
  • Bringing attention to the service and heroism of the military working dog

The beauty and craftsmanship of the exhibition is not intended to ignore the intensity or suffering of war. Mellick’s intent is to emphasize the nobility of those who sacrificed life, limb and spirit in service to their country.

James Mellick’s career as an artist has been divided between the art market and the university. In 1973, he earned his master of fine arts degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a major in painting, a minor in sculpture and extensive work in printmaking.

Access to this exhibit is included with regular admission. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums members are admitted for free. For hours and admission, visit rbhayes.org. This exhibit is sponsored by the Art & Kate Doust Charitable Fund.

Special exhibit: 'Eyes of Freedom'

Saturday, Oct. 3 - Monday, Oct. 5, 2026

 

Special outdoor exhibit, 'Eyes of Freedom,' a traveling memorial dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of all who answer our nation’s call will be on display at Spiegel Grove, the grounds of the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums. The exhibit is comprised of nine panels and the Silent Battle bronze sculpture. There is no charge to view this exhibit.

During spring 2005, “L”-Co. or Lima Company was deployed to Iraq. Twenty-two Marines and one Navy Corpsman were killed in action between May and August of that year. The news of their losses prompted spontaneous expressions of compassion for the families of the fallen and the surviving Marines.

Anita Miller, a Columbus artist who had no prior connection to the Marines describes her experience…“I awoke in the middle of the night with a start and hovering in front of me I saw life-sized paintings, displayed in a circle. People were milling around them leaving messages of love in the boots at the base of the portraits. Suddenly, the people disappeared, and a small crew of workers came in and dismantled the paintings as if they were moving it to a new location. I knew it was a traveling tribute to the fallen of Lima Company and I felt somehow, I was being asked to create it.”

Two and a half years later, after meeting and working with the families of the fallen, The Lima Company Memorial was unveiled in the Ohio Statehouse and was displayed before it began touring the country. To date, this exhibition has been displayed in 34 states and more than 360 events.

 

Watch - State of Eight: Presidential Leadership Forged in Ohio

Virtual program recorded from presentations made in March 2026

 

Ohio is the “State of Eight” presidents — seven who were native Ohioans and one who has deep connections to Ohio.

The Hayes Presidential Library & Museum partnered with America250-Ohio and presidential sites from across Ohio and Indiana to tell the stories of each of these leaders through a free, virtual program taking place on Wednesdays throughout March.

Watch each program of State of Eight: Presidential Leadership Forged in Ohio below:

Each presenter discussed how the presidents shaped and were shaped by events of their eras, which impacted their presidential terms and American history. Participants heard the personal stories of these leaders and their families in and out of the White House, how they thought about the founding of the nation and influences from their youth that set them on their legendary path. 

Partial funding for America 250 events is provided by Albrechta & Liebold, Ltd., Attorneys at Law.