50/250 Celebration: Valley Forge Then and Now

Valley Forge 50/250 Celebration: Valley Forge Then and Now

When: Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 10am to 3pm

Where: National Memorial Arch

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Valley Forge National Historical Park — the only national park born on the 4th of July — with special programming highlighting many different eras and chapters from Valley Forge's storied history.

Learn about the fossils of ancient Ice Age animals that once roamed the landscape, the winter encampment of George Washington and the Continental Army during the American Revoltion that made Valley Forge famous, the community-driven stewardship of the Centennial and Memorial Association that first preserved Washington's Headquarters in the 1870s, how Valley Forge became the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's very first state park, the Bicentennial celebrations and the birth of Valley Forge National Historical Park in 1976, and more!

The park will be extremely busy this day. Please plan accordingly. More event-specific trip-planning materials and transportation information will be available in late Spring 2026.