Thursday, July 2, 2026

Two Copies of the Declaration of Independence Await Visitors at The Huntington This Fourth of July

[photo credit: The Huntington]

The San Marino institution, adjacent to Pasadena, marks the nation’s 250th anniversary with a major exhibition and seasonal offerings — but reservations are required

The document that declared a nation turns 250 this week, and two early copies of it are on display 15 minutes from downtown Pasadena.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens will be open on Independence Day, Saturday, July 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Its anchor exhibition, “This Land Is …,” brings together two rare, annotated July 1776 printings of the Declaration of Independence alongside Woody Guthrie’s 1936 guitar — inscribed with the words “This Machine Kills Fascists” — in an exploration of how land has shaped American life from before the founding to the present, according to the institution.

The Huntington, located at 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino, sits directly adjacent to Pasadena and has served the San Gabriel Valley since it opened to the public in 1928. The institution encompasses more than 130 acres of botanical gardens alongside collections of art, history, and literature. The exhibition, which opened June 14 and runs through January 11, 2027, is mounted in the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery as the centerpiece of the institution’s multiyear “THIS LAND IS …” initiative, timed to what The Huntington calls “Reflections for America at 250.”

Co-curated by Josh Garrett-Davis, the H. Russell Smith Foundation Curator of Western American History, and Linde B. Lehtinen, the Philip D. Nathanson Senior Curator of Photography, the exhibition is organized into six thematic sections — roots, uprootings, amendments, edge effects, disturbances, and regeneration — according to a published review of the show. Among the objects on view are hand-drawn surveys by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, manuscripts by Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes, documents related to early Native American treaties, and a Congressional resolution to pass the 13th Amendment, according to The Huntington’s exhibition page. A cross-section of a Pasadena Engelmann oak with at least 250 growth rings greets visitors at the entrance.

Outside the gallery, a new garden space called Oak Meadow opened in June as part of the initiative, featuring more than 5,000 plants representing over 55 species — most native to California — along with 22 trees, including 16 oak species, according to The Huntington. Oaks are the national tree of the United States.

July 4 also marks the debut of botanical-infused snow cones near the north entrance to the Chinese Garden, available Saturdays and Sundays, with house-made syrups in flavors including hibiscus lime, Meyer lemon mint, strawberry basil, watermelon cucumber, and mango chile, according to The Huntington’s summer page. The 1919 Cafe will offer holiday specials including grilled salmon with peach BBQ sauce, dry-rubbed baby back ribs, corn on the cob, and watermelon feta salad, according to the institution. The Rose Garden Tea Room is closed for the holiday.

The Huntington is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except Tuesdays. Saturday, July 4, 2026, falls during the institution’s designated Fourth of July week peak season, which runs June 26 through July 5. Reservations are required Friday through Sunday, on holidays, and during peak seasons and can be made at tickets.huntington.org. Weekend and peak-season admission is $34 for adults, $28 for seniors (65 and older), military, and students (12 to 18 or full-time with ID), $15 for youth (4 to 11), and free for children under 4. The Museums for All program offers $5 admission for SNAP EBT cardholders and up to three guests. Parking is free but may reach capacity; two entrances serve the parking lot, at Oxford Road and Allen Avenue, and carpooling or rideshare is strongly encouraged, according to The Huntington. The Huntington Store is closed Wednesday, July 1, and Thursday, July 2, for inventory but will be open on the holiday. For ticket assistance, contact 626-405-2100 or tickets@huntington.org. The Huntington is at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108. Information: huntington.org/plan-your-visit.

Two hundred and fifty years after a printer in New York set the words in type, the Declaration sits under glass in San Marino, waiting for visitors who can reach it by car in the time it takes to read its preamble.

The Huntington — Fourth of July Week Open Hours
Date: Saturday, July 4, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM (peak season June 26–July 5)
The Huntington is open on Independence Day (Sat., July 4, 10 AM–5 PM). | Reservations required Friday–Sunday, on holidays, and during peak seasons. 2026 Peak Seasons include Fourth of July week (June 26–July 5). |📍 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino (Pasadena area)
🔗 https://www.huntington.org/plan-your-visit The HuntingtonThe Huntington