Pick up an Illinois passport for America's 250th

The big picture: 2026 marks the country's Semiquincentennial, 250 years since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.

• President Trump has heralded the celebrations planned in the nation's capital, while Illinois and Chicago have launched their own calendar of commemorative events.

The latest: Illinois has introduced a passport, highlighting nearly 60 museums, parks and historic markers that highlight "diverse people and places that have contributed to making good on the ideals of the Declaration of Independence," said Illinois America 250 Commission chair Gabrielle H. Lyon in a statement.

How it works: You can pick up a passport at spots across the state or take the more modern approach and download it.

• The keepsake and guide is organized by region, and many locations include space for the traveler to record details and memories of their trip.

Some highlights outside Chicago include:

• Cahokia Mounds, one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Illinois. Located in the southwest corner of the state, the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico demonstrates the Native peoples' deep connection to the land.
• Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument in Alton honors the abolitionist and newspaper editor who was killed by a mob while defending his printing press in 1837.

City visits: Pullman National Historical Park on the far South Side shares the history of the 1894 Pullman strike and boycott while revealing the neighborhood's architecture and infrastructure built for a "company town."

• "Letters to America" is a Chicago Public Library project asking visitors to document 2026 by writing letters to be archived that tackle themes including "Chicago's place in the U.S." and how "Chicago culture has shaped us."
• Check out all CPL's events for the 250th.

What's more: Choose Chicago is celebrating the country's birthday all year.