An orange iPhone, a bald eagle feather, and an AI prediction about the world 250 years from now have been sealed inside a 400-kilogram stainless steel cylinder. The capsule was buried on July 4 at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the very spot where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Its opening date is set for 2276, when the United States will turn 500 years old.
The project was orchestrated by America250, a nonpartisan organization established by Congress to coordinate official anniversary events. To ensure the container survives underground for two and a half centuries, engineers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Park Service, and the Library of Congress collaborated on the design, aiming to withstand the subterranean environment for 250 years.
From Wright Brothers' Wing to Synthetic DNA
The capsule's inventory is diverse. Natural and symbolic items include a brown feather from a bald eagle named after President Lincoln, contributed by Wisconsin, and a whale bone from Maine.
History and technology take center stage in the second category. Ohio sent a piece of fabric from the Wright brothers' airplane wing — the 1903 aircraft that achieved the first sustained powered flight. The Library of Congress contributed a small metal vial containing synthetic DNA, described as a 'molecular data storage device.' The DNA encodes digital copies of its collections, including Thomas Jefferson's handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence and Francis Scott Key's manuscript of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' A pocket-sized Constitution signed by Supreme Court justices was also included.
Orange iPhone and Coca-Cola Bottle: Pop Culture of 2026
The third category captures contemporary pop culture. America250 placed an orange iPhone 17 Pro Max inside, symbolizing the cutting edge of mobile imaging and connectivity in 2026. Accompanying it are a classic Coca-Cola contour bottle (containing additional mementos), a crystal from the New Year's Eve ball that dropped in Times Square, a commemorative coin from a partnership between the NFL and America250, a small flag from the Rose Parade, and a championship badge from the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2025 NBA title.
Local specialties also made the cut: a diamond excavated in Arkansas, a handcrafted bookmark by the Wabanaki Confederacy (Native American alliance), and a recipe for anise cookies from New Mexico.
California's AI Question: Claude's Prophecy for 2276
California's contribution stands out for its abstraction: instead of a physical object, the state inserted a printed response from the AI chatbot Claude. Researchers asked it to describe what California would look like 250 years after July 4, 2026. The answer was sealed for future residents to read.
The Philadelphia capsule is not the only one in the works. Washington has confirmed that another time capsule is being prepared, also slated for opening in 2276 during the nation's 500th birthday. Its contents remain confidential. Americans a quarter millennium from now will unwrap two gifts from their 21st-century ancestors at once.